Untitled - KiteLife

Among the various stunt kites tcreach the shores of the U . S . in the lasscouple of years, the Big Brother andits companion, the smaller Little Sister,are insofar as we are aware, theonly entries from France . The creationsof Julian Wolfe Patrick, theyare unusual both in design andflyability .We were first made aware of thisnew line of products last summerand they have only recently becomeavailable for general distribution. Our initial reaction to the BigBrother was quite positive . What immediatelyimpressed us was that thekite was virtually soundless in flight .Further, it handled wind speeds itthe low single digits very comfortably .The graphics were pleasing and thegeneral quality was very good .When we learned about the retailpricing, however, we decided thatwe had better take an even closeslook . . . a $450 price tag is going to puta sizeable dent in ANY wallet! Whattranspired was several months o1very close observation .The Big Brother has a number o1items in the plus column . The workablewind range seems to be fromnear 2 to better than 20 MPH . . . thebest performances gained were itthe area of 9 . Interestingly, we havenever had to make a bridle adjustment. Getting the kite to make noiseof any great amount is a problem,Flyers intrigued with high decibellevels will find the kite boring if notunnerving .Off-wind, the Big Brother ranks withthe best that we have ever flown .We found it controllable to an extremelyhigh degree . Virtually anyground work in our repertoire washandled with ease . Downwind,much of the same . . . square corners,odd angles, both tight and sweepingturns were smooth and concise .Landing and relaunches presentedno problems either. Factually, perf ormance-wise, the Big Brother simplydidn't give us many negatives .There is a small element of oversteerthat should be noted that shows upprimarily in undercut turns done offwindthat can put the kite into anose-up float .MODEL : BIG BROTHERFABRIC WEIGHT : .75 Oz . ripstop nylonFRAMING MATERIALS: graphiteWIND RANGE : 2-25 MPHCONFIGURATION: delta-type (99 inch wingspan)SKILL LEVEL : intermediate/advancedMFGR'S SUGGESTED RETAIL : $450.00 (appx.)MANUFACTURER : WOLFE DESIGNSThe kite flies extremely lightly . Thiscan prove an initial difficulty if youare used to more "weight" on theend of the lines . Most certainly, it is aproduct for the finesse flyer . Althoughit will, and has, taken some veryheavy-handed treatment, the BigBrother prefers careful control .There are a number of reasons forthis particular flight preference . Theyalso go a long way in explaining whythe Big Brother flys as it does . Fromappearances, the kite has beenspecifically designed to use standoffsas sail stretchers . When they areinserted, a degree of camber is impartedto the sail which gives theleading edge a recurve shape . Thetrailing edge has, likewise beenmade in a subtle curve . The centerpanel of the sail is cut more generouslythan many other products,lending to the kite's excellent handlingof low wind situations . Further,it is attached around the spine by aVelcro-type fitting enabling the flyerto make tensioning adjustments astime stretches the surface . Subsequently,the face presented is threedimensionaland taut as well .From a quality standpoint, all sailseams, save the leading and trailingedge are both wave and straightstitched . The leading edge, comprisedof two layers of ripstop, isdouble straight stitched . The trailingedge is similarly done . Spars are heldinto the vinyls by way of an insertmade of neoprene which seems towork very well . The same setup holdsthe lower spreaders in position in theT-fitting .There are no retaining vinyls usedon the leading edge to retardspreader movement . . . this is somethingwe'd like to see changed . Thestandoffs, which are made of hollowgraphite are fastened to the sail bymeans of tie-wraps like one mightfind at an electrical supply store . Thearea is reinforced by no less than 10layers of fabric . At first we doubtedthe durability of the fittings but after200+ logged hours of air time, theyhave come up none the worse forwear . All in all, this is a very solid kite .The Big Brother is not a kite foreveryone . . . by the same token, however,the Mercedes-Benz was notdesigned as a mass-consumptionauto . The price tag cannot be ignored. Neither can the potential forperformance . We're inclined toagree with whoever said : "You getwhat you pay for ." This one's worthit!CB/SB