photo of a French Connection dual-line sport kitecitroen_frontWhat a great name! Owing to the fact that the French flyers are flying in higher winds and developing both kites and techniques to do this, the name “French Connection” was genius. And like a Citroen Automobile, there is plenty of “chrome and do dads” hanging off this kite, including yoyo gliders, yoyo bars, roll up cage, and adjustable or removable tail weight. It has that French over worked design look. Kind of gimmicky, but it all has a purpose.

I know and respect Dodd Gross. In the past Dodd has had a reputation for producing kites that were not yet “done”. The first buyers of a new line might have a less than completed kite as Dodd continued to work the kite and tweak it. But the French Connection seems to be a complete and finished product. And it flies very well. It is definitely a trick kite, not a traditional stunt kite. It could even be said to be a lousy traditional stunt kite with all those do-dads. But that is not why it was made. It was made for tricks.

What you first notice are the weights. It reminds me of the weights in a weighted handle fishing pole, the Chuck and Duck type. This kite has weights that a deep sea fisherman would envy. You could surf cast with these puppies. And not just one weight, but two. A purist could argue that building a kite and then having to add weights wherever the design was not balanced seems poor designmanship. Unlike other kites Dodd has designed, here he made one, worked it some more, and then tweaked still some more. Where you took a quarter and taped it to the base of the spine of Dodd’s Pyros or Cherry Bomb, here the quarter, or I should say, multiple quarters are already there in the form of weights. This is the evolution, or the end result of all that tweaking on Dodd’s part and improvising on the flyers part. But now it is done, and done for us!

citroen_sideBut if the French Connection is the future, Where are we going? Are sport kites going to start looking like stock cars that are hardly stock? ladened down with spoilers, and front air damns, and roll bars. It seems so, at least for some. Others like Lam Hoac, of Sky Sport Design, and Mark Reed of Prism Kites, vent kites which need to be used in higher wind. Lam adds weights also on the spine. But they are long tubing that is visually part of the spine, not large washers like the French Connection. Somehow, I like my kites to look like kites, not race cars. I like the vented kite appearance. But both have a place in the world of Stunt Kites.

If the French Connection has one flaw, it is the jointed spine. The spine is made of two separate pieces, one sleeved over the other to form a joint three quarters of the way down the spine. This is done to facilitate changing those big weights without having to remove the entire spine. This kite was designed for the advanced flier. So you are going to say it will never take a nose dive crash. But if it does, the spine is finished. You can’t let anyone who is the least bit novice or intermediate use this kite! NEVER. Don’t even think about lending this one to your significant other, unless they are an excellent flier. If they crash your French Connection, the relationship had better be strong. This could be a relationship show stopper. Because the spine will shatter at the joint. That female sleeve over the male end is paper thin. I let a friend fly this kite at Delta Park field as we do every Monday night. He over stated his abilities. One nose dive and the French Connection looked like the crashed Concorde. Neither take nose dives well. Neither are designed to. But you need to be aware of this when you fly.

citroen_back

In Summary: For the money, this kite is a bargain. You get plenty of gimmicks, good trick stuff, and the next evolution in kite design. I just wonder if as this stuff evolves, will it get more and more Frankenstien-like. Clear back in the 1960’s the Citroen car could raise and lower so you could get in without having to step very far. It could balance the load with the airbag suspension. It was way ahead of it’s time. But it was funky, fragile, expensive to maintain, easily broke down, and hard to get parts. Am talking about the car or the kite, I can’t remember.
Mike Hale

  • New Tech Kites, French Connection
  • Skill Level: Advanced
  • Wing Span: 90”
  • Wind Range: 3-20 mph (practical is 5 mph plus)
  • Speed: Moderate to Fast
  • Pull: Medium
  • Frame: P-200 wrapped graphite
  • Except the center spine which is (surprise!) P-100
  • 20 grams removable tail weight
  • Sail: .5 oz Polyester ripstop
  • Flying lines: 80’ X 150# Spectra, straps and winder
  • Case size: 36” (Can carry on airplanes)
  • Parts: Available from retailers (not from manufacturer)
  • List Price: $149.95-$159.95, includes Dodd’s Flight School book and DVD