My thanks to Kent Kingston and Chris Shultz for the loan of this
early, almost production, model for photos and flying.
65°F
Bumpy 10-15 mph winds
2300 foot altitude
85'x175# Skybond line
2.4m (almost 8 foot) wingspan
Icarex
12 gm? tail weight inside spine
Dynamic rods
HQ fittings
This is a trick kite. The bridle comes set heavy, but has adjustment knots.
I ended up moving the towpoint about 2" (I like lightly set kites).
There is a 4 point bridle which can go between static or short turbo settings.
There is a keeper line and the nose is very cleanly done.
There is mylar in all the right spots.
The ferrule at the center-T and the rubpatch needed a little work, but I'll
chalk that up to the fact that this is not a production model.
The kite has a very fast reacting bridle and will spin stall to a landing dead easy.
In fact, one must be a bit careful to not over spin the kite.
Precision will be supplied by the pilot, not the kite. Perhaps with a bridle
change to wider towpoints this could be modified. The Crackerjack is quiet
except for a very noticeable whooshing in flight sound. Around 12 mph,
the kite gets quite noisy. Leech lines are adjustable, but I left them alone.
The kite is a bit wobbly until the sail loads up. But even when loaded,
the kite is touchy and is difficult to fly really clean lines.
It felt as if the kite was made to thrive in an unbalanced condition.
Definitely suited for tricks.
The kite is a bit slower than other trick kites (which I like) and allows the pilot
and spectator more of a chance to see the individual moves.
Cascades were noticeably slower than I would have expected.
Barrel rolls felt controllable to the point that I got a few backspins on purpose.
Not many kites will do both.
Spin tricks were decent and yoyos slow enough to really enjoy.
Jacob's Ladders, 540s, slot machines, (didn't get a Taz, but it's in there) axel takeoff,
all were done.
There are NO dead spots in flic-flacs. What a welcome joy that was. Slow flic-flacs
from any position were done.
And, I even got a few comete single rotations. This trick has been my nemesis
and the Crackerjack let me get away with a full rotation multiple times. That is
way better than I've done before. Don't know if it's me getting better or the kite.
The Crackerjack only comes in blue and retails in the low $200s.
HQ has made the Shadow and Infinity that I've really enjoyed. Now the Crackerjack
enters into more of a trick category.
If you're a trickster and enjoy watching the kite tumble at a pace you can
see and appreciate, give this one a shot.
Photos taken in my backyard.
Kite flown at my local park.
Fifteen photos (new lens arrived today) start at the link below:
