I here and read about this new brand of kite ECLIPSE has any one got one or had a chance to ride one, and whats your opinion about them......????.........
And yes this most prob could be under "gear reviews" although I think this one looks half decent for a new brand. And considers an all rounder review..........CHEERS

Young bull,

A few shops in Brissy will be getting their demo soon.
There are reviews here and there but generally there are only two people who have gotten kites due to them selling out so quickly in the US.

There have been a few riders here who have tried my kites in Sydney that are pre production and have good things to say. Padi in brissy will have kites soon.
For reviews go to the eclipse website and forum for riders reviews OR kiteforum for reviews from some international riders.

Thanks

there are reviews popping up on forums about these kites.

It's interesting how the Thruster is claimed to be a hybrid.
most Hybrids are flat kites mated to 5th line setups. This one seems to be a C Kite mated to a SLE bridle.

How the wheel turns?????

kiteforum.com/viewforum.php?f=200/component/option,com_videos/task,show/id,1312/Itemid,30/

Know any good piers to try this out on?
or Sand dunes maybe

Freed.

Kite boy will be riding them soon, I'm sure he'll be able to give a biased opinion.

hows it goin i havent got them yet but dimitri is sending a 6 nano and a 9 nano as well as a 12 thruster for me when i get them i will happily let you demo them

I am waiting for my demos too. Anyone wanna try them in Brissy please register now

quote:

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Originally posted by kite boy

hows it goin i havent got them yet but dimitri is sending a 6 nano and a 9 nano as well as a 12 thruster for me when i get them i will happily let you demo them

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yeh padi is a better option as he is on the same side of the country as you

Cheers Sburlo, thats what I like a review with details. would like to know when you go on a good strong wing day and what the kite was like.....And anyone with a thruster those details would also be GREAT.....Cheers for everyone's response..

I've got my hands on a 6m Nano to try out.
had a fly in barely 6-8kts at Pt Danger, Saturday.

only 20m lines with it but first impression is it's a nimble kite.

Of course a 0ne Pump 3 strut 6m kite is bloody easy to pump up.

the consensus of opinion from the locals that checked it out was thet it was well built. I would say Built to the Same standards as my 06 Matrix which is probably over engineered.

Nice feature of the Bar is a different grip profile for each side of bar so you should be able to know which side you have hold of without looking. Plus the word "NO" on the bottom to tell newbies they have bar upside down.

I'll have to find a lightwieght to really test this one out though.

We are waiting on getting a try of a Thruster as well but have been told they don't leave Factory till 15th, so by time they get to importer and then to us could be a couple of more weeks.

I should have my hands on a 12m Thruster for demo in Perth......all being well.....in the next three weeks or so.

There has been a lot written about these kites, especially on kiteforum.com

The pictures i have seen show a well built kite with a very clever simple straight forward bar.

looking forward to playing soon.

It's amazing how there's all this hype about how quick and boosty blah blah, the Eclipse Thruster is.

Sounds like they have just caught up to my 06 Impact[}:)]

Freed.

I got to demo a 14m and a 10m from a guy who is thinking of importing them into NZ. 12-18 knots of wind, 1m on-shore waves.

In a nutshell, looks like a Bow hybrid, flies like a C kite. Very, very turny. I was using a 9m Rhino7 at the time, the Rhino7 is faster but the Eclipse 10m is turnier. Rhino7 9m had slightly better low end than the 10m. The 14m was the best for the conditions, but the throw is very short and I was running out of depower in the gusts. I couldn't depower enough on the wave face either.

Very nice unhooked and kite loops were fast and relatively gentle. A C-kite jumping technique worked better than the bow kite sheet in and boot method.

I was rather impressed. My one reservation would be the depower. At least the flagging lines are on the front and are reachable.

Simon

SimonP,
I hope you enjoyed the experience.

the consensus of opinion is swaying in the direction of people wanting more depower range on the Thrusters. I actually like it, but I also used the adjustable stopper on my 06 Matrix to shorten the bar throw to even less than the eclipses. I just dig in and edge.

On my own 12m Thruster I have used the extra length of line under the neoprene cover at top, to lengthen the CL line. I plan on using the extra length to cleat off the cam cleat, so it stays up there until I want it without limiting bar travel.

For those that like more depower range either don't cleat off the stopper or while you have the knot undone, remove it. The extra depower range will be equivalent to pulling in depower strap about 140mm. Don't forget to also tie another knot in the red leaders attached to the tri-ring swivel, in order to shorten the front lines back to the original length.

My personal Bar also has a mini 5th line style safety leash that runs from a leash attachment ring at the suicide leash point, thru the bar and to the top of depower strap just below swivel. Now when you disconnect from CL and let bar go, kite drops and depowers much like an SLE. the down side of this is that it interferes a bit with setting the cleat but you get used to it.

Of course we need to remember the Thruster is the high performance Eclipse kite, those looking for normal BOW/SLE characteristics should be looking at the Chameleon. Or if comparing wave performance in 9m or less kites look to the Nano 6m or 9m.

I will be aiming to have a 12m Thruster at St Kilda Today mid afternoon.

want a try? just come and ask.

They are all here in Brisbane! Anyone like to test them please contact us. Just need wind now!

Hey Padi,

Can you tell us about the kite construction and general opinion?

I guess you haven't flown them yet ?

No wind yet mate, standing by lol. Have around 6 people in the queue too lol. But I have like 8 demo kites here in the box so enuv for everyone

I wish I had that 16m Thruster on Monday.

sounds like blantant pimping here..

Flew the 16m Thruster yesterday on the beach, barely 5kts and I was totally shocked with the amount of power that kite generated. The only other kite that managed to fly at the same time was a Peter Lynne Foil. Dead easy to relaunch downwind (simply pull centre lines and it launches like a foil lol!). Kite is light weight, and light bar pressure (probably the lightest 16m kite bar pressure I have flown to date), turns very fast (feels like my 14m Waroo). Quite impressed in the end despite of a fairly ordinary bag construction and bar quality, it turned out to be not another ordinary kite. Kite construction/quality seems ok, not over or under. Would have liked it with a bit of creative graphics tho. May need to keep an eye on the plastic pulleys on the LE but interesting to see how it supports the LE, unlike other SLE designs. One way valves worked well all round. Dont appreciate the non-union system, but then it probably wouldnt fly in such light winds if it had a spider installed.

I'll have the 10m, 12m, 14m & 16m on the beach today if anyone is keen to try. Give us a call. Will be at beach from 11am, wind is up already - woot!

Demo kites in Brissy for the last weekend. Anyone keen to try please contact us.

Have you tried the Nano yet Ral?

quote:

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Originally posted by RAL INN

http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2340889

pictures here of 08 nano 9m and Thruster 14m.

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I have a Nano 6 here which belongs to The Eclipse rep.
But have only flown on the beach.
loaned it to Sparrow for a week and he was impressed with how it flew but wanted more wind.
I'm 95kg and use a 125x39 board so I'm looking for serious wind.
looks like serious wind tomorrow for our Pt Danger to Barwon heads down winder. my heart says take the 9m ImpactSL which is wicked fun or bite the bullet and test the Nano.

the Nano 6 is fast but very controllable and grunty, heaps of power range. that's the beach flying feel and on 20m lines. It really feels like it wants to be in waves(take that as just a feeling not as fact).

I think the Eclipse rep may have an 08 Nano meeting him in Fiji, fingers crossed.