Arch Angel 8' - DRAFT
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danr@crash.cts.com (Dan Rubesh)  Sun, 20 Dec 92 03:07:54 EST

Manufacturer:       Dyna-Kite
Materials:  sail
Spars

Wind Range:         
Span:         8'          (240 cm) 
Height:         
Type:         Delta 

The newest entry from Dyna-Kite, and their first venture as far as I 
know into the delta wing stunt kite arena is the Arch Angel.. I first 
saw the magazine ads quite a while back, and soon found that the ads 
were somewhat premature, so I've been bugging John at Dyna-Kite ever 
since to send one out for testing.. The long awaited Arch Angel 
arrived last week and I just had a chance to give it some air time 
this afternoon.. 

The sail is 3/4 oz ripstop, no big suprise there.. The frame is AFC 
2300 graphite, using reinforced vinyl tubing at the spreader 
connection points, and the standoffs are snap attached to the sail ala 
Dean Jordan, but are also threaded through a tab of sail material 
that's attached to the trailing edge apparently to act as a retainer 
for the standoff should it come detached from the kite. 

The flight characteristics are smooth and stable with no sign of 
oversteer which should make it a great kite for someone ready to step 
up from the diamond wing designs or as a first kite for someone that 
wants to jump in at the big wing level.. The only handling drawback 
that I found was a slight tendency to pull itself out of the air with 
a bit too much control input at the extreme edges of the window, but 
was mostly able to recover with out an 'unplanned landing'.. I'll see 
what improvments I can make via bridle tuning, as the wind today 
wasn't really conducive to much tuning, (too variable and choppy). The 
turns are just a shade inside of the wingtip. 

The pricing is quite attractive for an 8' graphite framed delta as it 
should sell at the $120-$130 ballpark level. There are plans to bring 
out 3/4 and 1/2 versions (6' and 4' respectively) later down the road, 
I'm told.. 

Ob. Disclaimer:

I am a stunt kite dealer and carry some of the above mentioned
product(s). As such, my opinions may tend to be somewhat subjective.

Good Winds and Tight Lines!!
Wind Wizard