Photo by: Kirby Pople
Republished from Fractured Axel.
I recently bought one of the new freestyle kites from R-Sky, the “Toxic S” and thought I’d write a short review.
Construction
I currently have a few R-Sky kites and I have previously heard of some build quality issues. I have no significant issues with this kite or with any other of their kites.
My previous acquisitions have not perhaps been up to the build quality of the Benson/ JoE kites but they have been very good bar the usual tinkering that is required with most new kites.
Whilst there is nothing ground breaking in terms of the construction or materials used in this kite though there are some notable points:
- The panel layout really works despite the mylar panel in the centre of the panel layout.
- It feels as if there is a built in leech line of sorts in the trailing edge a la Fury .85 which is a welcome addition. However this is neither tensioned to the wing tips or spine but is sewn in and does absolutely nothing to stop any sail vibration. I have added my own and this has transformed the kite and made it much better to fly (I would strongly recommend doing this on this particular kite).
- The bridle is a standard 3 point and you will probably need to add a section to stop tail wraps (as with every R-Sky kite I have seen).
- I have had to glue the stand-off caps on … so no big deal.
The std ‘s’ kite is advertised on their web site to have Skyshark P3X lower leading edges and lower spreaders and P200 uppers. However mine came with P300 LLE’s (I can’t tell what the ULE’s are made of … I think P200), P300 lower spreaders, P200 top cross and 6mm spine. This seems fine to me and the frame is nice and rigid. The dimensions are 225x87cm which is a good size and aspect ratio for this type of freestyle/ trick kite. To me the dimensions seem to make sense and this add to the overall appearance of the kite.
The tail weight is in the spine and not the barrel shaped weight used on the NSE. I think it has been glued there so it will be interesting to try and remove it. Overall I am impressed
In Flight
Anyway enough of this monkey business, how does it fly ?
This kite is marketed as more of a trick/ freestyle kite than a polyvalent kite. The tricks capability is impressive and it can track well too. I did not find one trick that it couldn’t do with competence. Axels are better than a lot of other R Sky designs, fades are steady and controllable as are turtles which are not overly deep as with some of the other French kites. I think with a bit of practice this might be capable of a rising turtle.
Yo-yo based stuff is great fun and the kite wraps up reasonably quickly. 540’s and slots are a breeze (no pun intended) and the kite has the ability to do slow floaty ones or fast flat ones. Combination’s are flowing and impressive. Wap do waps and yo lazies are fun. I am still learning the comete but this is within reach. The kite turns just inside it’s own wing tip too. Overall, very nice.
The hand movements required to trick are somewhere between the small JoE and DS movements and the titanic Nirvana ones so it is easy to ‘dial into’ without too much adjustment if you fly these regularly. The same is also true of the kites tricks/ precision bias. It’s not a super radical freestyler but it does want to be flown and tricked.
Wind Range
I have flown the kite from a whisper up to about 15 mph. The action starts at about 3mph as you would expect. I haven’t flown it in very heavy wind but I have no reason to suggest that it won’t fly in over 20 mph winds. Its low wind performance is quite impressive for std kite I would say not dissimilar to the DS std.
Conclusion
Do you need one ? Perhaps, it depends what’s in your bag at the mo’. I think this is one of those kites that would be on your A list as it suits a number of moods, has a big wind range and is great fun. It’s therefore an easy option. I think it is worth serious contemplation and I have not regretted my purchase :biggrin_wp:
I would also like to say a big thanks to Martin at the Bristol Kite Store who is always very helpful.
Update
I thought it prudent to provide a further update on the Toxic ‘s’ now I’ve had a bit more time with it.
The style of the kite with it’s straight leading edges, aspect ratio and shallower sail (I would say that the standoffs are 5cm-7 cm shorter than most other similar kites) make the look of the kite almost ‘elementesque’ (ignoring the sail panel layout). However it does have the conventional trick characteristics of other kites which means that you can easily pick up and start performing tricks without worrying about inputs producing unexpected results.
The kite turtles and fades nicely and has great balance. Although it can cut a square corner it does have a freestyle bias and is seriously good fun. 540’s, Yo–Yo based tricks and Jacobs Ladders are particularly satisfying.
The kite for me lies between the Nirvana and DS/ Talon territory (yes I know there is quite a difference between these two types of kites) with an emphasis on the latter. The only other addition I would consider making in addition to the leech line and anti snag leg addition to the bridle is reinforcing the area where the top cross meets the spine which tends to wear out quickly on R Sky kites.
It is going to continue to be flown regularly which is perhaps the biggest complement one can pay and testament that it continues to be both versatile and very good fun.
-Harv