Untitled - KiteLife

When you've got a successful kiteon your hands, it seems only fitting tointroduce an update now and then .This is exactly what Mike Simmonshas done to his basic Skyhawk . Thisnew version carries the same basiccenter panel design with the changesshowing up on the outer wings .Unlike its predecessor, the Hawk IIis equipped with dual standoffs .butwith a twist : the outboard of the tworuns from the trailing edge to an extensionof the lower spreader vinylon the backside of the sail . This is thefirst adaptation of this type that wehave seen in some time . It is faintlyreminiscent of the old Vertical Visuals . The Griphon intent here seems tobe that of a sort of "battenless batten" . It works . . . kind of .Like most of Skyward's line, theHawk II works the ground with ease .Turning, likewise, is in the above averagecategory even with the presenceof significant oversteer . Likethe companion NLK, NBK, and RBK,the II's oversteer is engineered in .It's also designed to be easily controllable. It accounts for the kite'sability to float, or sideslip, with comparativeease . It also accounts for asomewhat diminished wind window(about 155-160 degrees) .By comparison to other kites in theline, the Hawk II is a fist full . Even inbreezes of 10-12MPH, the pull can besubstantial . Although the kite is a fairperformer, it is a heavy flyer . Thisquality doesn't persist on a proportionalbasis out to the edge of thewindow . On the sides of the wind,the II is quite light in its touch but canbe tentative in its execution . Wewere unable to place the kite on theground with great precision, althoughgetting it there was certainly not adifficulty .Launches are accomplished easilybut can be a bit provisional at thesides of the window . Our model hadan obvious preference for thedownwind side . Takeoffs after pullingthe kite into a wingstand wereeasier, by far, in that direction .MODEL : HAWK IIFABRIC WEIGHT : .75 oz. ripstopFRAMING MATERIALS: graphite (AFC 2400)WIND RANGE : 2-30 MPHCONFIGURATION : delta-type (102 inch wingspan)SKILL LEVEL : intermediate/advancedMFGR'S SUGGESTED RETAIL : $175 .00MANUFACTURER: SKYWARD KITESSquare and angular turns werehandled cleanly and without fanfare. The Hawk II goes through thesepaces nicely but with a heavy hand .This is not to imply that the kite isslow. . . it's not . . . but it's no speeder either. We suspect that the sparringutilized would make these evenbetter in high wind situations .There is a modicum of noise producedby the Hawk II . It comesmainly from the fact that the outerportions of the sail are not held in ataut position by the outboard standoffs. Again, it is a nice resonant buzzthat many will enjoy .Workmanship on the "II" is quitegood, but there area couple of minoritems that need to be addressed .First, the outboard standoffs need tobe capped on the upper ends . Ourskept wanting to force their waythrough the holes in the vinyls createdfor the wing spars . Secondly,we'd like to see the vinyls themselvesbeefed up a bit . The sparring of theHawk II is on the heavy side, so thepotential is certainly therefor higherwind usages . The present vinyls arethin-walled and give in to distortion inthose situations . (Subsequent checkswith Skyward have informed us thatthe vinyl problem has been dealtwith) .All of that notwithstanding, theHawk II is a kite that loves to fly . Thereis also something to be said for thecomparative pull generated . Evenbreezes in the mid-teens will give theflyer a fair tug . In the speed department,the Hawk II is slightlyabove average . These two itemscombine to produce a kite that isquite capable of giving the flyer agood afternoon's exercise . Oncethe winds pick up, we have a feelingthat this could turn into a real workout.The Hawk II is a second generationkite . It's reasonable to expect thatthere be improvements made in thebasic design . . .and there are . Flyerswho enjoy ground-work as part oftheir flying routine will find an ally inthis kite . The built-in oversteer maytake some getting used to, but thepayoffs are worth the effort!CB/SB