Windwing Rage II and Outrage Impressions

[OliverG]

Hi Ollie

I live in South Africa and also bought Windwings in December: Rage 8&12 ans Outrage 14. Generally I share your opinions, here's my views:

Outrage 14: Physical kite, pulls hard. I like to use this kite on flatwater, I have it rigged up with the jumpstart system which makes relaunch very easy. Kite is very stable in the air and flies well. If it has a weakness it's a lack of "nimbleness" that makes it feel kind of heavy handling, but that is also just a high aspect thing. I originally thought kite loops would be a problem, but they're actually pretty easy in light wind, the kite just does a kind of tight stalled turn high up without delivering much power. It will be a different story in strong wind for sure!! It's very stable and actually very easy to fly as well.

Rage 12: Probably my favourite. I originally rigged the rage's with jumpstart and then later took it off and converted them to straight hard line. For some reason the jumpstart seemed to dull the feedback to the bar when jumping which made it hard to feel where the kite was when jumping. Relaunch is really easy because they're such fat rigid kites, so for me it's not really an issue. Kite is nice and smooth in the window, not extremely fast like some of the modern kites, but definitely nimble enough. Has a very nice habit of squirting to the front of the window when you get hit by an uber gust. My wife, who's learning, loves this kite because it's so easy to dump power on, it also doesn't stall easily which is good for beginners who tend to oversheet. Good kite for waves.

Rage 8: Super fast like a bumblebee on Redbull. For me (87kg) good for 30 knots plus, low end not bad either, around 20 knots. Very fast and quite a handfull as a result of this, but good fun. Makes nice Horror-zontal meg G kite loops.

Kite construction is top notch, however I don't like the bags much. I don't like bags with Zippers, I'd rather have the simple North style Condom bag where you slide the skinny end of the kite in first.

Anyway, that's my 2C

Zulukite,

Thanks for your feedback. Great observations on all counts, I have all those kites and have flown them so I tend to agree with you, especially on the Rage II 8m. I've never seen a bumblebee on RedBull, but this would be it. Fun, crazy little kite!

The Outrage 14 is a physical kite. That's a good way to describe it and it doesn't have the smoothness of the Rage II's, but makes up for it in other ways.

Ollie

[gilloux06]

Hello Zulukite,
very interesting post but I have THE question ; why don't you use the SAFE on your Rage II 12m kite ?

[Guest]

Ollie,
I just got a very lightly used Rage II 14, thanks to your encouragement. It's an '04, so it didn't come with the SAFE bridle. On Windwing's website, they say that the SAFE system won't work well with other manufacturers's bars. What do you think about this. I had just gotten a new Liquid Force bar to use with my 12 (now deceased). It seems quite similar to the WW B bar. Do you think it's worth spending the $22 on the bridle if I'm not going to buy a WW bar, or are they just trying to get people to buy their bars as well as their kites. I mean, the bars seem great and next time I buy one I'll probably buy a WW, but I don't need one now...

Thanks,

Paul

[OliverG]

Ollie,
I just got a very lightly used Rage II 14, thanks to your encouragement. It's an '04, so it didn't come with the SAFE bridle. On Windwing's website, they say that the SAFE system won't work well with other manufacturers's bars. What do you think about this. I had just gotten a new Liquid Force bar to use with my 12 (now deceased). It seems quite similar to the WW B bar. Do you think it's worth spending the $22 on the bridle if I'm not going to buy a WW bar, or are they just trying to get people to buy their bars as well as their kites. I mean, the bars seem great and next time I buy one I'll probably buy a WW, but I don't need one now...

Thanks,

Paul

Paul,

The Windwing bars have an extended sheeting range beyond that of most bars. I think it's between 16-18" or so which enables you to get the most out of the SAFE bridle system. It is possible to use another bar, then you just don't realize the full range and depower while using the SAFE bridles.
Get the bridles, hook them up and give your bar a shot with it, you'll realize some benefit, just not the maximum and you can always get the CC bar later if you so decide.

Let me know how it works out.

[charlie]

got my new kite today a wind wing rapture 12m w/cc bar 50cm
frist impresstions is this is a nice kite. not a toy but a tool.
i have to learn to drive it. it can be a hand full but also soft and forgiveing
i can not wait to get it into better wind, i
rode it in holeie gustie sh^& wind.the kite did well, better then me!
so the depower is funny ,you have to figure out the suttlie tees of it, you can slame the power off ,just to want some of it back .......like right now,all in all,,,,,, I LIKE IT !
nice job wind wing.
rode alameda in like 0 to 30 rode for a wile, 2hr 4to 6
O the bar has a natral feel, but the depower, you have to get used to the action of it like a power tool.
thank you wind wing

[OliverG]

Charlie,

Nice. I'm eager to get mine. If I don't get it soon, maybe I can try yours. :)

[dewey]

Charlie was awsome on the rapture!!!!! Hey, how's that thing work anyways???????

[Guest]

Interesting reading all this.

I am thinking of getting a ratpure 12 and 9. For the low end either a Rage 14 or 17, but I'm not sure which would be best. I weigh 77 kg, and I have a cabal SX51 skimboard for light wind which I am just adding straps and fins to. The board will plane in any wind you can still keep your kite flying in. I can easily go upwind with a high AR 17m (slow turning) kite in 8 knots.

Anyway, what is the experience with the low end of the Rage 14? Id rather get away with it if possible for 7 - 17 knots .

Thanks for any input.

[OliverG]

Interesting reading all this.

I am thinking of getting a ratpure 12 and 9. For the low end either a Rage 14 or 17, but I'm not sure which would be best. I weigh 77 kg, and I have a cabal SX51 skimboard for light wind which I am just adding straps and fins to. The board will plane in any wind you can still keep your kite flying in. I can easily go upwind with a high AR 17m (slow turning) kite in 8 knots.

Anyway, what is the experience with the low end of the Rage 14? Id rather get away with it if possible for 7 - 17 knots .

Thanks for any input.

If you plan on using your skimboard for your light wind days, I would say no problem as the Rage 14 is pretty grunty and has great low end. But, that is down to maybe 10 knots or so, and only with a skimboard. Realistically, I'd say the 14 with the skimboard would be suited to maybe 10-18 knots or so. If you go with the 17, you would be guaranteed success with the light winds and the Rage II's turn faster than any high AR 17 and have lots of range.

Hope that helps.

[dewey]

I was able to make the 12m outrage work with a 128 board in light winds today. I went out at about 5:30 at alameda when everyone else was on a 12 -16m kite. I think the outrages will build power once you get them moving. Should work great on a skimboard. The wind meter says it was 5 - 15 with a average of nine!! I'm sure it was a little more in the water. I'm also pushing 200lbs.