Zephyr [zef-er]
- a gentle, mild breeze
- (initial capital letter ) Literary. the west wind.
- any of various things of fine, light quality, as fabric, yarn, etc.
- The Greek and Roman god of the west wind, considered the most pleasant of the winds.
After playing in a steady 5-8 mph Twilight Breeze (coming form the West no doubt) you’ll agree that these 4 definitions describe the Zephyr aptly.
The Zephyr flies like a dream. It feels smooth and steady, even in variable wind. It will try and go in any direction it’s guided. If the kite’s angle changes a little bit, it will gracefully flip over and still float, or crash trying.
After filling up the sail with wind (and designating one of many wind directions), a few “tugs” is all it takes to make this baby climb. Done incorrectly, the kite feels surprisingly heavy; if you fight the kite, it will barely get off the ground in lighter winds. Change the kite’s angle a little and lessen your movements, and the kite’s weight all but disappears [even in the lightest wind.]
This kite is definitely designed for an intermediate flyer or better. If you are still a novice, that’s ok: the learning curve is just more expensive (and time consuming). Just as mid-to-upper end Sport Kites ($50-$150) are a big jump from the $10-$20 Sport Kites; competition rated Sport Kites are a big jump from mid-to-upper Sport Kites. (The quality is better, the lines are better [if included]; the kites are a little more complex and delicate in general).
The first time I flew the Zephyr, I could feel its controllability. With the factory settings and recommendations, [bridle settings/loose leech line] the Zephyr will try to stay in the air, and is forgiving; it will turn over and stay floating, rather than dive to the ground (as long as there is a breeze).
The bridal can be set for Light/Heavy or Medium wind. Set it forward (toward the nose) in light wind for more lift but less response (1-6 mph). Set it back (toward tail) for medium winds to improve response and makes stalls/landings easier (5- 14 mph); set it FORWARD [again] toward the nose for heavy wind to reduce the stress on the frame and avoid breakage (15+ mph).
The Zephyr includes two line Sets: A light wind 50lb X 75ft. and regular 90lb X 100ft.
50lb x 75ft (1-5 mph?) – Great for light steady breeze; opens a much bigger window for the Zephyr than the 50’ line set (originally Prism was contemplating releasing the Zephyr with 50lb x 50 ft. –some of the pre release literature states that it will be 50lb X 50ft.) Don’t use the 50lb. X 75ft. line set if there are gusts or if you plan to “pop” the kite sharply- the weight of the kite will break one or both lines. After watching Prism Freestyle video, I tried the Zephyr with 50lb X 50ft – their recommended light wind line set. The kite was easier to keep in the air (and run 360s around myself) in lighter wind, but the window felt a little cramped.
90lb x 100ft (5-20 mph?)– It is fun to see the Zephyr out at this length. This line set feels good and solid, but not too heavy. The window is a nice size. I enjoy brining the Zephyr up to the zenith and letting it fall like a leaf to the base of the window, and then send it right back up to the zenith again.
A nice feature on the bridle: there are leaders, 30” or so, to protect your flying lines from abrasion when doing YoYo type maneuvers; this added length also seems to help reduce snagging or wrapping around the wingtips.
A nice feature for the wingtips: Prism includes some end caps (to keep your wingtips clean and covered). Careful, they will disappear on the ground pretty quick.
Fast Kite / Slow Kite -Adding the Spine weight (recommended for 8mph or better.)After adding the spine weight; it felt like I was flying a different kite. The slow floating type motions all but disappeared. The Zephyr becomes much more quick and responsive. This is great to change things up a bit; or try different tricks; or the same tricks in a new way. I didn’t have much luck with the spine weight in the lighter winds (felt like trying to make the E2 or Hypnotist fly in a zephyr (light breeze).When hovering about 3 feet off the ground, the Zephyr would suddenly dive toward the ground with the spine weight in. Upon doing a back flip, the Zephyr sits really far back with the spine weight, making YoYos and lazy Susan’s easier. With ground tricks, the Flapjack is much easier to do with the spine weight (it naturally sits far back like they tell you to do in the Freestyle Pilot video). In higher winds, the spine weight noticeably reduced the pull and speed; the Zephyr was a little more erratic than I prefer and needed to be tended more (like an unruly child)- but then again, I like to float in light wind (with a good kid).
The case seems to protect the Zephyr well. It has a small pouch for accessories and room for 3 line sets. The case itself can house 2 full sized kites and a 3rd kite (in its own case) can be held in place on the back of the case with the bungee design. Our case started to warp a little, so we filled the second slot with another kite. We are planning a trip to Berkley (to fly at the field) later this year and will update this review with our experience at the airport.
It is amazing how graceful the Zephyr is. It is completely maneuverable from any direction and feels really peaceful when it climbs. The trick is (for me anyway) to keep the sail filled with air, and lessen the angle of descent in low wind. As I improve, I keep the lines a little more taught as I swoop down (a little more gradually) and swoop back up to the zenith by pumping the lines. This keeps the kite light and airy near the edge of the window or in a cross breeze.The more I fly the Zephyr, the more I come to appreciate it. It likes to hover, and travels down wind (the downwind glide) really easy. I enjoy stalling it at the edge of the window and watching it float, it just flips on its back and stays there; everything seems to be in slow motion when flying this kite without the tail weight.
Another definition I found for the Zephyr: Something that is airy, insubstantial, or passing.I am referring to the delicacy of the Zephyr’s leading edge. I broke one simply repositioning the kite towards me prior to launching it. They seem a lot less solid than the Hypnotist or E2. Then again, those kites don’t float that well in zephyrs (light breezes). I rarely try coin tosses and haven’t tried a tip stab on the Zephyr because I don’t trust the leading edge to support much more than the kite itself. I have balanced the kite on an edge just fine, it sits there nice, and floats just inches off the ground in any position; I feel more confident practicing ground type moves with an E2 or Hypnotist or 3D. When I fly the Zephyr, it wants to float: that was what it is designed to do.
May zephyrs surround you always,
Air Skipper
