Left work and headed down the lake like a bat outa hell ... forecast looked good so I took my refurbished Psycho3 13 and the Crossbow 16 (just in case) to the beach. Wind had dropped off from what I had seen on the Locus webcam and Grandpa and Uncle weren't amused either.
Setup and launched the Psycho3, testing out my Mixer Test and all the other stuff I'd added. Hadn't hooked into the Ozone Megatron chicken loop properly (?) and it just off the hook and out of my hands - folding up nicely on the FDS. Recovered the bar and relaunched without any issues. Flew it around for a bit, all seems good ...
Win!
... so I get into the water. Yikes it's cold! The sun has gone behind clouds so it's not going to warm up and it looks like a front is coming through from the north. Wind isn't up to much - can get up but can't get onto a plane. Give up after about 50m and walk back up the beach ... leave the kite in the air while I stand around trying to decide if it's too cold to continue with a proper test on the Psycho ...
... wind picks up! Get back in the water and we're away! This Flysurfer is about as powerful as powerful as my 16m 'bow but will fly in less wind; it starts to work about the same time as the 16 but needs a little more wind to really pull.
Had about a half hour of powered back'n'forth, some nice little load'n'pops. Was being very careful on the turns cos it makes so much lift! Is relatively fast and needs an eye kept on it, kind of hard to park. Makes best power when sheeted in a little; compared to the Speed, doesn't make so much when given its head and let run through the window unsheeted. Good riding though, should jump like a mother!
Win!
Decided to head back into shore cos the front had arrived and it was snowing 0_o and was feeling my oats so at the end of a port tack, I tried a downloop turn ... didn't have the kite high enough to start with or underestimated the turning speed - whatever - dragged the RH wingtip across the water until it crashed LE down. Tried to try a relaunch by pulling just one leader line, and while the kite scooted across the window, it didn't launch. Went to a both rear header launch ... up! and away.
Started off on a starboard tack, dived the kite but it pulled back to the left and wouldn't respond to steering. I sheeted in hard to slow it down and it hit LE down again. Relaunch, turn to the left and stall. Repeat. Something seriously wrong there!
Kite is getting close to the bad end of the beach with shit all over the shore and it's bloody cold so I unhook and let the kite go to FDS which on reflection may have been a mistake ... wind up the FDS and then the lines for a self-rescue. Unfortunately, the kite has drifted onto the shore and is now tangled up on a branch of bamboo ... I untangle it gingerly but when I lift it, I think I hear a rip :(
Fail ...
Drag the kite back to sandy beach, lay it out and check it over. There a 5cm tear on the LH wingtip right where a bridle line joins. Nuts! Everything else seems fine though, apart from being wet and covered in sand.
Relaunch and it flies like the zipper is open, even though the kite is inflated. Water drains out of the LH tip but it still wants to stall out that side of the window. Gradually as it dries out it wants to stall less but is still flying all borked-like. Wonder if the mixer balls have slipped ...?
Land and pack up - I'll have to hang it up to dry cos it's COVERED in sand! Pity ... poor ol' Psycho! :(
What I learned today ...
• I need to NikWax or Seal'n'Glide the Psycho3 ... it gets very wet and very soggy.
• Stay away from "that" end of the beach :(
• Want a Psycho4 now! But what size?
• Ozone Megatron loop is hard to activate with frozen hands!
• Self-rescue with a FS is no worse than LEI; in fact, probably easier.
• Balls on the mixer may not be the best solution ... going back to the knots.
• Check the RHS of the mixer and release that twist there ...
Showing posts with label psycho3 13. Show all posts
Showing posts with label psycho3 13. Show all posts
Monday, March 7, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Was it worth it?
The wind was forecast for a miserly 10 knots but I thought it'd be nice to test out the Speed 2.5, post-repairs and tweaks ... it was a nice sunny day - what better way to spend it?
Got to the lake about 2:30 and dragged my SA2.5 over the road ... set up, launched and got a run out and back before the wind fell off and I had to walk up the beach. Sat around for a while waiting for the wind to come back up, but it didn't so I gave up. Wound up my lines but left the SA2.5 on the beach.
Went back to the car and got out the Psycho3 13 and all the bits'n'pieces I'd ordered for it. Took it over to the beach then started setting it up - connecting lines and whatnot. Ordered a lineset from FS which came with the full length of 12, 6 and 3m - unlike the FDS that was on the kite originally :( so like my SA2.5, I have to use the FDS with shorter lines ... nuts!
Finally got it all together and launched!
Hmm ... FDS is now too short. Landed and added the frangible link bit. Better. Kite still wants to back stall so I trim it a bit ... WOW this things fast for a foil! And pulls hard too ... gonna be good!
Sun is falling but the wind's picked up so I land the Psycho3 and launch the Speed2 and take a few tacks on the board ... running out of beach so I come ashore but drop the kite and the fucking FDS line loops and knots itself around the other lines so I have to run away securing the kite and sorting that out before I can walk back up the beach.
So the answer is - yes :)
Got to the lake about 2:30 and dragged my SA2.5 over the road ... set up, launched and got a run out and back before the wind fell off and I had to walk up the beach. Sat around for a while waiting for the wind to come back up, but it didn't so I gave up. Wound up my lines but left the SA2.5 on the beach.
Went back to the car and got out the Psycho3 13 and all the bits'n'pieces I'd ordered for it. Took it over to the beach then started setting it up - connecting lines and whatnot. Ordered a lineset from FS which came with the full length of 12, 6 and 3m - unlike the FDS that was on the kite originally :( so like my SA2.5, I have to use the FDS with shorter lines ... nuts!
Finally got it all together and launched!
Hmm ... FDS is now too short. Landed and added the frangible link bit. Better. Kite still wants to back stall so I trim it a bit ... WOW this things fast for a foil! And pulls hard too ... gonna be good!
Sun is falling but the wind's picked up so I land the Psycho3 and launch the Speed2 and take a few tacks on the board ... running out of beach so I come ashore but drop the kite and the fucking FDS line loops and knots itself around the other lines so I have to run away securing the kite and sorting that out before I can walk back up the beach.
So the answer is - yes :)
Thursday, December 23, 2010
I am the Bow-tie freakin' Master!
Toddled off to the lake today to have a play with the Psycho3 13 ... why not, it's holidays and I've got nothing better to do! Didn't take board or togs cos I figured it was too cold, but it was actually quite nice down there and no colder than the last time I was on the lake. Oh well.
Wind was supposed to be good but was shifty as hell, going all the from east to west at one stage! Gusty too.
Checked out the Psycho and put it up. Bridle had a little tangle so I had to put it down. Sorted that out and up she goes - much easier in the very light wind than the S2 19 (or even what I remember of the S1 17) but that's to be expected with a smaller kite. Got a good feel for it in light to moderate wind and it certainly will be a fun tractor! Need to tidy up the bar ... packed up, started to head back to the car but then stood around for a while shooting the breeze with Miyachi. The wind picked up so I thought, "Why not haul out the Synergy 19?" which I did.
At first the wind was good but then it dropped off, and I thought the wind would be too light to even fill let alone launch. Picked up again and I got a good fill. As I tried to launch the wind shifted so I struggled to get the kite in the air - was running around from north to west and back again to stay upwind of the kite.
Note this well - got it into the air despite not being 100% inflated on the ground AS ALWAYS and managed to get it filled on the way up to the zenith but then the wind dropped and I lost control.
Bow-tie. Managed to untangle it from the bar though - can't remember exactly what I did, but noticed that I might be able to get it LE down so pulled a rear line to do that, that just relaunched by the standard method. That worked the other 2 times I bow-tied :D who says you can't bow-tie a Synergy?
Wind came back with a vengeance - HOLY FUCK what a difference pulling the straps up and shifting the VPC makes! Had everything set at 1/2 for so long ... all tight and it's a mighty beast! Had to watch the jumps cos they were getting silly high and the landings were rattling my teeth! Massive long scuds took me from one end of the beach to the other until I hit a bank thing and got lobbed over it!
Wind died off, but by working the kite I kept it in the air while the guys out on the water with the LEIs were swimming in.
Excellent CarlTB stall landing and after switching the VPC lines to the opposite position (don't like it) a painless relaunch was enjoyed.
Great afternoon, now worn out and have sand in mysterious places ... and am thinking about Chargers now!
Wind was supposed to be good but was shifty as hell, going all the from east to west at one stage! Gusty too.
Checked out the Psycho and put it up. Bridle had a little tangle so I had to put it down. Sorted that out and up she goes - much easier in the very light wind than the S2 19 (or even what I remember of the S1 17) but that's to be expected with a smaller kite. Got a good feel for it in light to moderate wind and it certainly will be a fun tractor! Need to tidy up the bar ... packed up, started to head back to the car but then stood around for a while shooting the breeze with Miyachi. The wind picked up so I thought, "Why not haul out the Synergy 19?" which I did.
At first the wind was good but then it dropped off, and I thought the wind would be too light to even fill let alone launch. Picked up again and I got a good fill. As I tried to launch the wind shifted so I struggled to get the kite in the air - was running around from north to west and back again to stay upwind of the kite.
Note this well - got it into the air despite not being 100% inflated on the ground AS ALWAYS and managed to get it filled on the way up to the zenith but then the wind dropped and I lost control.
Bow-tie. Managed to untangle it from the bar though - can't remember exactly what I did, but noticed that I might be able to get it LE down so pulled a rear line to do that, that just relaunched by the standard method. That worked the other 2 times I bow-tied :D who says you can't bow-tie a Synergy?
Wind came back with a vengeance - HOLY FUCK what a difference pulling the straps up and shifting the VPC makes! Had everything set at 1/2 for so long ... all tight and it's a mighty beast! Had to watch the jumps cos they were getting silly high and the landings were rattling my teeth! Massive long scuds took me from one end of the beach to the other until I hit a bank thing and got lobbed over it!
Wind died off, but by working the kite I kept it in the air while the guys out on the water with the LEIs were swimming in.
Excellent CarlTB stall landing and after switching the VPC lines to the opposite position (don't like it) a painless relaunch was enjoyed.
Great afternoon, now worn out and have sand in mysterious places ... and am thinking about Chargers now!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
There's a Psycho in my closet!
The Flysurfer Psycho3 13 I bought used from an Italian in the navy arrived yesterday ... unrolled it today to pack it up nice. Bar needs a bit of attention but for the price, the kite is in great condition! Enjoy the pics :)
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