I have had the chance to demo the f-one dream 3 12 meter LEI.
The kite is a mid aspect, turns very fast and has very good depower ability from the adjustable fifth line. Jumps are high/higher than previous model as it pulls quite hard when loading up, but i found the landings to definately be less floaty than the older models.. including the mach high aspect series. kite construction is good with all the struts getting slimmer yet again than previous models and they really are tiny compared to most other LEI struts I've seen. The kite is good to fly, no luffing tendancies and the fifth line sheeting system is a breeze to use with the kite airbourne.
The best part i would say is the bar and lines which are an improvement on the previous models for safety , with 3 different safety systems included. The lines go through the bar with enough room to be able to sheet in and out whilst turning the kite at the same time, but IMO the 5th line&safety system is one of the best ive seen so if your looking for a safe kite , the active five safety system is worth a look. A good intermediate kite . if you wanna look at the bar system www.f-onekites.com will load a popup that has good pictures.
thats all 4 now
Nice review 
wot's your experience? Wot board did you use? Wot winds have you had it out in? Are you Sponsered? Thanks
Im experienced, on a 122 Flx, wind was 12 - 20 kts both occasions, and i needed around 14kts on the 12 dream3 to maintain ground on the 122flx board
i would project a top end of around 22 usuable, but you could hold it to 24/25 if neede without hassles due the 5th line.
, and I have decided myself to go the f-one m5(higher aspect designed soley around the 5th line) rather than dream3 due its larger wind range, and innovations on the kite but havn't yet actually flown one.
not sponsered or selling them either
i have an f one m5, buy one, they offer a totally new experience, de power is amazing, lift is amazing, range is amazing and agreed the bar and lines are something else, by the way, I only buy slingshot for all other kites but i flew an m5 in boracay for 5 minutes and bought one straight after, these kites are big in europe but small here due to distribution and cost, let me know what you think when you take your new m5 out
mc
thanks for that... 1 question for you there.. i heard that cause of the eliptical tips , when you unhook and ride it's not necessary to pull the depower straps as the shape of the tips aviod the flaring when unhooking, have you found that true... and what size have you got, weight are you, size board you ride and wind ranges you've ridden in...
Cheers
this is very true, in 85 kg rinding 132, 12m kite, found it works more like a 10m kite due to the massive de power, I will be using a 13m fuel 17.5 machine and 12m f1 m5 in the collection, 17knots- 27knots will be the range for my weight ect.
let me know where you are getting it from ect, i'm interested
mc
quote:
Originally posted by mc
i have an f one m5, buy one, they offer a totally new experience, de power is amazing, lift is amazing, range is amazing and agreed the bar and lines are something else, by the way, I only buy slingshot for all other kites but i flew an m5 in boracay for 5 minutes and bought one straight after, these kites are big in europe but small here due to distribution and cost, let me know what you think when you take your new m5 out
mc
if you speak french, try www.kitesurf.fr/
thats where their made, and there is stack of info on them in there, that's where i got most of mine
Love your review DH. Would really like to hear about Raven, Hell Fish, Cross Bow, and Venom from someone like you.
The kite you fly sounds very cool. I did not like the hard landing aspect of it though. I'm seeking soft floaty gear. Everyone is claiming greater depower which is a nice development....less gear and smaller gear is the way forward.
Hoo Roo
.. I havn't tried any of those kites... though i think the Venoms would be alot floatier and softer than most of the LEI's as their shape " streatches and gives" during the jump, making them alot more of a softer ride,and given the ramies have a higher lift to drag ratio than the Lei's aswell i would try them if i wanted a soft ride , is the cross bow a cabrinha ??
Yea, DH the Cross Bow is a Cab., and I have tried the Venom once and what you say makes real sense. I had a very smooth ride, but the kite was a bit slow, but not so bad.
Thanks for that. I'm going to demo a CB come July I hope and I'll let you know, unless of course you get your hands on one first...more like and airplane wing...the new thing
although i said i wouldn't buy a dream3 instead of the m5, I have bought an 8 meter to take care of the higher wind range25 - 33... will let you know about it sometime next week
Found an awesome review on the m5, need to use google and convert german to english... pics are good too, I want 1 dammit!!!
www.mckau.de/kapetown/ml2.html
Can you send the link already converted to English, call me dumb but I can't seem to work out the conversion through your link Dan?
Cheers
mc
sorry, the translated link is too long to copy out of IE, go to www.google.com.au , click on language tools, scroll to bottom of page where is says translate webpage/websight, type in the address from my last post, make sure you select translate german to english, and walla
I have just received a dream 3, 8 meter, will review within a few weeks hopefully :)
well.. I havn't reviewed it in the air yst but will say this... kite construction looks great, trailing edges reinforced/ attatchment points same, struts are thinner, and are streamline connected to LEI , much smaller thanthe 12, the kite looks like it's a lower aspect than the dream 3 12, I say looks, i could be wrong, but it's a deep 8 meter, and also looks more like a 9 or 10 meter from the previous years sizes, manufacture says 23- 34 kts,
bar is awesome, 45cm has been slimmed down and has all the features the other sizes bars have ie 2 chickenloop sizes, (1 for hooked or swap to larger one for unhooking), 22 meter lines+ 3 extensions, 5th line depower ajustable swiveling cleat, UPS hook for hooked in big jumps with UPS minni bar loop for hooking into. 5th line pull/push swap in/out stopper safety , or run through the UPS swivel to hook 5th line to your suicide leash...
I'm looking forward to testing out and seeing if the performance matches the features!
Wow, this kite comes with a lot of extras, sounds cool. Good, little high wind machine.
I finally got to ride it today, wind was gusty, from around 14 - 22-23 kts I estimate. The kite turns like a demon, like most small kites, but i think it is a bit faster still than most I've seen... most guys were out on 13's/12's and 11's, while i was on the Dream 8 meter.. I was very suprised about how much power you could make with this small kite when you need to, ( im 77 kgs, on a 122 board)... I estimate i was definately going upwind in around 17-18 kts, something i did not expect for an 8 meter!, 5th line sheeting cleat works a treat as i was using it abit when unhooking in the 24 kt gusts coming through.. This kite will go very well in the waves I think because of it's great speed and great power making ability... kite loops are .. in 1 word "scary" as they are the fastest I've done, BUT are pulling slightly less than i get on a larger kite ( 12 meter), downloops are good , overall this kite has made me have some more respect for smaller kites, and i think I will use this 1 alot more than I initially planed.... No negatives yet....I just wonder what it's gonna go like in 34 kts?:)
don't get white ones, they get really dirty!,
.. i hav the m5's now aswell...havn't tried them yet, but my girly did and said the 12 flew very smoothly in light wind, and the 10 was as fast as my 8dream which is V fast. Relaunch was very good using 5th line when it crashed in light gusty wind.
build is very similar to the dream3 ie, same ultra thin struts, leeding edge is slightly skinnier than most 12 meter leeding edges, but the struts are tiny compared to most. the attatchment points are all reinforces, and the front lines attatch to the elliptical front edge, are kind of sewn in to it somehow.. the tab just pokes out from the blatter/canopy seam. which is good...
Big change from the old m3 kite is the fully eliptical tips, and the trailing edge, the entire trailing edge colour is heavy duty material, don't know how much, but ive worked with spinnakers and it feels like 1.5 oz , with 3/4 ounce on the rest of the canopy , in the cantre, the reinforcement is about 6" , it grows to around a foot half way to the tips, and when you get to the tips, the whole canopy is this heavy duty stuff. if you look at the graphice of the kite and see the trailing edge graphice, that colour is the entire reinforced panel.... I guess this will give reall strong Trailing edge to prevent deformation, and stretch when overpowered and of course give you more durability. it is on both 10 and 12, and i guess on the rest of the sizes
the bar, which i talked about up the top of the dream post is the same. I have changed my chickenloop to the unhooked one, and found out the donkeydick unscrews, then you unscrew the UPS hook, and change loops so basically you can change to either big, small, donkeydick or not, whenever you want by unscrewing the donkey, and using a 10mm spanner for the nut beneith it.
other than that.. I hope i can try them out this weekend!, I'm taking them to cairns aswell if any1 there's interested, can put you in touch with people to get them for you.
