This article was taken from the June 2012 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
How we tested
Aeronautics expert Paul Lavin sought out the breezes of the Hawaiian islands to fly the kites, where gusts of between 17 and 24kph made for some spirited flying. Scores were awarded for design, build, ease of launch, controllability, tricks and flying style.
HQ Salsa II
Stunt kites, such as the Salsa II, are all about low reaction-latency and high speed -- so you'll need to stay aware of other fliers and spectators. The instructions were not helpful in getting the kite set up. If not tensioned correctly, the Salsa would go into a death spiral, crash and require considerable effort to untangle its lines. Once sorted, the Salsa II was easily the fastest and most agile kite in the test.
Wired: Fun and fast
Tired: Very twitchy
5/10
£60
Spirit of Air Revolver
Undemanding to assemble and fly, the metre-long Revolver is a modified traditional box kite with ripstop sails and long fibreglass stiffeners. A twist in the parallel airframe encourages rotation in the air and the additional sails help keep it airborne when the wind drops. The boxy shape looks ungainly on the ground, but turning through the sky, this kite elicited many favourable comments from passers-by. Its stability in the air in a variety of wind conditions makes this a good choice for young kite pilots.
Wired: Easy to fly
Tired: Difficult to pack in a suitcase
7/10
£24
HQ Symphony 2.2 Aqua
The Symphony 2.2 Aqua was the best all-rounder -- spar-less construction and two control lines meant that it was durable and not so powerful that it was tiring to fly. It also makes a compact bundle, squeezing down to about two litres. Its size means the 2.2 surrenders some of the manoeuvrability and speed of the smaller kites, but it was still capable of performing impressive stunts.
Wired: Stable, solid and dependable
Tired: A slow flyer
8/10
£80
HQ Symphony Beach 1.3m
The Symphony Beach folds out from almost pocket-sized to a 1.3-metre kite. It has no rigid spars and uses two control lines, making this an excellent introduction to airfoil kite flying. Its small size makes it suitable for lighter-bodied and younger kiters, and it can be flown for long periods without arm-tiredness. Construction quality was compromised by a loose line -- simply fixed, but not a good first impression.
Wired: Fun; take-anywhere size
Tired: Poor build
6/10
£25
FlexiFoil Rage 3.5m
Suitable for beach flying -- if you have lots of space -- the Rage can also be used for kite surfing and snow surfing. This kite is not for novices, as the tremendous pull of the Rage could put you into the treetops. That said, if you know what you're doing and have the required upper-body strength, it is manoeuvrable and fun to fly. Its four control-lines demand careful setting up -- launching with crossed lines is a recipe for tangles.
Wired: Versatile
Tired: <span class="s5">Not for novices
7/10
£265
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
