FiZZ BOX OF TRICKS
++++++++++++++++++

The new trick kite  from FiZZ is called the 'Box of Tricks'.  It's a very
high apect ratio delta, a little under 8' I guess.  As I posted
a few months ago, this is a very radical trick kite!  I'm no
master-class flyer but this kite had me managing a whole load
of tricks for the first time. This kite seems like it was made
for axels, and I managed a double axel (first ever!) without any
struggle.  Also a yo-yo (turtle-flips) easily, again a first
for me. I couldn't manage a cascade, but it was fun watching
Tim Benson do it with ease.  Sheesh, more practice tom...  ;o)
The only thing it took me a little while to get used to were
leading edge launches, which need a slightly different approach
due to the high-aspect ratio.

It's a carrington sail sparred with 6.0mm Exel carbon, and
although it's not designed as an UL, it was having no problems
in 2-3 mph winds last night.  Build quality and the graphics
are to the usual exceptional Fizz standard (the sail has a
3-d box graphic on it - real neat!)

This kite is about finesse, it will respond to the lightest
touch.  At the same time though, it feels solid in the air
and not twitchy.

I'm bound to be asked how it compares to the Stranger so I'll
say so now.  Both kites exhibit a wild radical nature which,
as discussed elsewhere, will redefine some of the boundaries
of trick flying.  Both are equally capable in this respect but
they have quite different flying characteristics.  I like the
Stranger, but I find it skittish and with too much over-steer.  The
Box of Tricks has a far more confident feel in the air without
sacrificing any radical edge.  It also has that great capacity
to recover in the air from just about any fouled up position!

A great kite - I can highly recommend it.

Price in the UK is 95 quid.  I hope to stick a photo of it
on a web page sometime soon.



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In article 9844@minster.york.ac.uk, tom@minster.york.ac.uk (Tom Jackson) writes:
>You might recall I posted a short note about the new Fizz/Tim Benson
>trick kite four or five months ago.  Well last night I was at a
>Fizz fly-in session over at Leeds and had the opportunity to
>fly the production model and a couple of their other new kites
>(Tim Benson has been busy!).  One of them was a NEW PHANTOM!
>
>BOX OF TRICKS
>+++++++++++++
>
>>A great kite - I can highly recommend it.
>
I agree totally!

>Price in the UK is 95 quid.  I hope to stick a photo of it
>on a web page sometime soon. 
The graphic on this kite is gorgeous.

I managed to get hold of one of these kites 2 weeks ago and since then
work on my PhD tends to occur only when there's absolutely no wind!

I'm pretty much a beginner when it comes to flying (only been at it eight
months) but I've had no problems flying this kite at all.  I've also managed
to axel it quite easily - its ad campaign should be "Even I can axel it" as I've already
heard several people (including me) say it.  I've seen Tim Benson fly and it really 
looks amazing: he does loads of tricks I don't know the name of!  Aswell as doing
the fancy tricks it also feels very smooth and is almost silent compared to my
Fizz Tempo.  

Another thing I like about the kite is that I hardly ever have to go and set it up 
as if it does come down (which isn't that often as it recovers well in the air) it's
dead easy to flip it onto its back and relaunch.

So the view of an `intermediate novice' is that its a great kite which allows 
those of us who haven't spent years honing our skills (not yet anyway) do
radical tricks and have lots of fun


Cathy

Disclaimer 

I have no commercial connection with Fizz kites and these views
are mine not those of Cambridge University.



---
Cathy McClay
Engineering Department
University of Cambridge

Email	cmc@eng.cam.ac.uk
Phone	0223 332798
Fax	0223 332662