Armstrong A-Wing owners. Looking for all the latest feedback on the A-Wing. What is the verdict compared to other wings on the market?

There has been lots of posts on the A-Wing. Basically, they are powerful for their size, the 3.5 is like a 4+ and the 4.5 is like a 5+.

Their chart is pretty accurate. I'm a total beginner, with the 3.5 I needed about 17 or 18 to get up. With the 4.5, 14-15 is enough to get going.

Having the power bar is essential, they help me modulate the power a lot better. The bar is especially useful during starting. You can easily make one with a carbon paddle shaft and some velcro straps.

Lastly, Armstrongs are well-built, expensive and heavy! I got the 3.5 thinking it would be a small wing for me and a larger wing for my wife. She was unable to use it due to the weight. But the good thing about Armstrong stuff is that they hold value well and I was able to sell it on without much of a loss.

Very good power for size. Well built. Heavier than avg but not the heaviest out there. Windows are useless.

Picked up A-Wing 3.5

In comparison to the Slingwing V2 3.2 the A-Wing is much stiffer and less forgiving but feels much more high performance and is great for jumping. I like the windows and did feel like I was using them. The handles are great and much more comfortable and big enough to get hands in easy with gloves. The Power-Bar is a great add-on and feels great. I also like the 2 separate inflation points just feels more bomb proof then the little hose thing usually connecting the 2 bladders. Construction is amazing like all Armstrong products. Comes with repair kit and extra canopy material for fixes which is a nice touch. Comes with coil leash which I like and use on my other wings. Also comes in a nice bag and is easy enough to repack. My wish is a smaller 2.5 or and even 1.5 for high winds.

What's have they used for inflate valve. Have a wing (not mentioning brand) that has the two valve - seperate one for the strut (allows for rock hard pumping ) but to deflate you need to unscrew the entire valve head. Which is no issue until one has a wingmare and needs to deflate in the water. I can't see how you would avoid getting water in the bladders.
heavy hey ... that puts me off already. Lighter the better in the waves.

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eppo said..
What's have they used for inflate valve. Have a wing (not mentioning brand) that has the two valve - seperate one for the strut (allows for rock hard pumping ) but to deflate you need to unscrew the entire valve head. Which is no issue until one has a wingmare and needs to deflate in the water. I can't see how you would avoid getting water in the bladders.
heavy hey ... that puts me off already. Lighter the better in the waves.

You do need to unscrew the entire valve head to deflate which works well. I don't see why you'd ever need to deflate on the water but that's just me. I also use on fresh water and it wouldn't be an issue. I've heard that if you get salt water in the bladders you should just flush with fresh water and you'll be fine.
I really don't feel much of a weight difference and ride in windy conditions so weight is not much of a factor to me.

Lately after seeing Alan Cadiz talk about always riding powered even when wave riding my style is moving in that direction and a super stiff powerful wing seems to fit that style well.

Lighter wings I figured wouldn't twist in your hand nor flap as much on the waves - easier to hold horizontally. Why on earth do you need to be powered in waves? Isn't the idea to get on the wave and then foil it without the wing as much as possible ? Anyhow horses for courses. All good

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eppo said..
Lighter wings I figured wouldn't twist in your hand nor flap as much on the waves - easier to hold horizontally. Why on earth do you need to be powered in waves? Isn't the idea to get on the wave and then foil it without the wing as much as possible ? Anyhow horses for courses. All good

I think weight isn't much of a factor when flagging on a wave. Good wing design that offers neutral flight characteristics and no oscillation is most important. I think weight can be an issue in light wind when you need to hold the wing up to get going but that's about it.

I'm finding if I stay powered I'm able to hit the lip and turn harder as I've the wing to stabilize myself. Also able to push the foil harder breaching and recovering again because holding the wing stabilizes you. I also like to jump in the pocket of the wave. I should note I'd only ride like this with foot straps. I'm finding this more exciting and would just prone foil if I want to just surf the wave.

So many options with this sport it's awesome!

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foilthegreats said..

eppo said..
Lighter wings I figured wouldn't twist in your hand nor flap as much on the waves - easier to hold horizontally. Why on earth do you need to be powered in waves? Isn't the idea to get on the wave and then foil it without the wing as much as possible ? Anyhow horses for courses. All good

I think weight isn't much of a factor when flagging on a wave. Good wing design that offers neutral flight characteristics and no oscillation is most important. I think weight can be an issue in light wind when you need to hold the wing up to get going but that's about it.

I'm finding if I stay powered I'm able to hit the lip and turn harder as I've the wing to stabilize myself. Also able to push the foil harder breaching and recovering again because holding the wing stabilizes you. I also like to jump in the pocket of the wave. I should note I'd only ride like this with foot straps. I'm finding this more exciting and would just prone foil if I want to just surf the wave.

So many options with this sport it's awesome!

Lighter wings feel better flagging especially when you must hold the wing up because you are going faster than the wind when turning down the line. Slingshot have 2 wings now, the freestyle bash and crash 'Dart' and the lighter wave oriented 'Slingwing'. Dart has big leading edge and a stiff canopy. Most manufacturers will follow suit if they are successful. Spencer boys rip on the Dart.
Would like to see video of you jumping in the pocket of a wave especially and overhead one Kai needs a tow to wing at Jaws, he gets a fair bit of airtime in the pocket
The Armstrong is like the Dart I think.

Here's what the Dart looks like. Seems like a different beast than the Armstrong wing to me.

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hilly said..

foilthegreats said..

eppo said..
Lighter wings I figured wouldn't twist in your hand nor flap as much on the waves - easier to hold horizontally. Why on earth do you need to be powered in waves? Isn't the idea to get on the wave and then foil it without the wing as much as possible ? Anyhow horses for courses. All good

I think weight isn't much of a factor when flagging on a wave. Good wing design that offers neutral flight characteristics and no oscillation is most important. I think weight can be an issue in light wind when you need to hold the wing up to get going but that's about it.

I'm finding if I stay powered I'm able to hit the lip and turn harder as I've the wing to stabilize myself. Also able to push the foil harder breaching and recovering again because holding the wing stabilizes you. I also like to jump in the pocket of the wave. I should note I'd only ride like this with foot straps. I'm finding this more exciting and would just prone foil if I want to just surf the wave.

So many options with this sport it's awesome!

Lighter wings feel better flagging especially when you must hold the wing up because you are going faster than the wind when turning down the line. Slingshot have 2 wings now, the freestyle bash and crash 'Dart' and the lighter wave oriented 'Slingwing'. Dart has big leading edge and a stiff canopy. Most manufacturers will follow suit if they are successful. Spencer boys rip on the Dart.
Would like to see video of you jumping in the pocket of a wave especially and overhead one Kai needs a tow to wing at Jaws, he gets a fair bit of airtime in the pocket
The Armstrong is like the Dart I think.

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hilly said..

foilthegreats said..

eppo said..
Lighter wings I figured wouldn't twist in your hand nor flap as much on the waves - easier to hold horizontally. Why on earth do you need to be powered in waves? Isn't the idea to get on the wave and then foil it without the wing as much as possible ? Anyhow horses for courses. All good

I think weight isn't much of a factor when flagging on a wave. Good wing design that offers neutral flight characteristics and no oscillation is most important. I think weight can be an issue in light wind when you need to hold the wing up to get going but that's about it.

I'm finding if I stay powered I'm able to hit the lip and turn harder as I've the wing to stabilize myself. Also able to push the foil harder breaching and recovering again because holding the wing stabilizes you. I also like to jump in the pocket of the wave. I should note I'd only ride like this with foot straps. I'm finding this more exciting and would just prone foil if I want to just surf the wave.

So many options with this sport it's awesome!

Lighter wings feel better flagging especially when you must hold the wing up because you are going faster than the wind when turning down the line. Slingshot have 2 wings now, the freestyle bash and crash 'Dart' and the lighter wave oriented 'Slingwing'. Dart has big leading edge and a stiff canopy. Most manufacturers will follow suit if they are successful. Spencer boys rip on the Dart.
Would like to see video of you jumping in the pocket of a wave especially and overhead one Kai needs a tow to wing at Jaws, he gets a fair bit of airtime in the pocket
The Armstrong is like the Dart I think.

I can't say I feel a difference when flagging the A-Wing vs SlingWing V2 but I'm also wearing a lot of gear so a few lbs here and there is kind of nothing to me. Maybe next summer when I'm just in shorts I'll feel a difference.

The Dart looks sweet! Love the SB videos, they're amazing!

I think you'll see that the Ozone V2 will be extremely similar to the A-Wing as I've heard the design teams are close. The prototypes I've seen look to confirm this. Even window shape is similar.

I post a lot to www.instagram.com/foilthegreats/ I'm on the Great Lakes so our condition are all wind swell from knee to a few feet overhead. I'm just an amateur so don't think I'll blow your mind with anything.

Those latest Kai Jaws videos are insane, so cool that our minds just keep getting blown.

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dejavu said..
Here's what the Dart looks like. Seems like a different beast than the Armstrong wing to me.

Ya, nothing else I've seen looks like that. Really interesting, hope they have a 2M.

foilthegreats -- I've seen your videos on Youtube (and the Silent Sports videos) -- great stuff!

Do you mind a few questions?

1) Is the Armstrong 100 cm. mast stiff enough?
2) How do you fit a Cloud 9 foil wing on an Armstrong fuselage?
3) Do you prefer the Armstrong wind wings to the Slingshot wind wings and if so, why?
4) Have you ever wind foiled (I do and I'm now getting more into wing foiling)?
5) How do you like the Armstrong 1250 foil wing compared to your Cloud 9 wings?
6) I'm thinking of moving from Sling Shot foils to higher aspect foils (Axis, F-One, etc.) -- worthwhile?

Thanks in advance.

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dejavu said..
foilthegreats -- I've seen your videos on Youtube (and the Silent Sports videos) -- great stuff!

Do you mind a few questions?

1) Is the Armstrong 100 cm. mast stiff enough?
2) How do you fit a Cloud 9 foil wing on an Armstrong fuselage?
3) Do you prefer the Armstrong wind wings to the Slingshot wind wings and if so, why?
4) Have you ever wind foiled (I do and I'm now getting more into wing foiling)?
5) How do you like the Armstrong 1250 foil wing compared to your Cloud 9 wings?
6) I'm thinking of moving from Sling Shot foils to higher aspect foils (Axis, F-One, etc.) -- worthwhile?

Thanks in advance.

Thank you, I have lots of fun making!

1) Is the Armstrong 100 cm. mast stiff enough?
Yes

2) How do you fit a Cloud 9 foil wing on an Armstrong fuselage?
It's a modified 80cm Armstrong fuse.

3) Do you prefer the Armstrong wind wings to the Slingshot wind wings and if so, why?
I've only had a few sessions on the A-Wing but I like the stiffness and how well it works for jumping, also the handles are great.
The SlingWing is way more forgiving and just overall much easier to use.

4) Have you ever wind foiled (I do and I'm now getting more into wing foiling)?
No, only prone foil surf experience.

5) How do you like the Armstrong 1250 foil wing compared to your Cloud 9 wings?
The 1250 is amazing and so smooth. It's currently my favorite prone foil wing. Need to try the 1050 and 850 next.
The Cloud9 are also so good, super surfy but still great glide. I can't really decide what I like better on the wing because they're all so good.
I'm also using the KDmaui stabs on the Cloud9 and have ordered for the Armstrong. They are really great and highly recommended to up performance.

6) I'm thinking of moving from Sling Shot foils to higher aspect foils (Axis, F-One, etc.) -- worthwhile?
For low wind situations yes for the extra glide and speed but for high winds I like to use mid aspect small surfy wings. SlingShot is about to launch a bunch of new options. I believe an adapter will be available for the current system.

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hilly said..

foilthegreats said..

eppo said..
Lighter wings I figured wouldn't twist in your hand nor flap as much on the waves - easier to hold horizontally. Why on earth do you need to be powered in waves? Isn't the idea to get on the wave and then foil it without the wing as much as possible ? Anyhow horses for courses. All good

I think weight isn't much of a factor when flagging on a wave. Good wing design that offers neutral flight characteristics and no oscillation is most important. I think weight can be an issue in light wind when you need to hold the wing up to get going but that's about it.

I'm finding if I stay powered I'm able to hit the lip and turn harder as I've the wing to stabilize myself. Also able to push the foil harder breaching and recovering again because holding the wing stabilizes you. I also like to jump in the pocket of the wave. I should note I'd only ride like this with foot straps. I'm finding this more exciting and would just prone foil if I want to just surf the wave.

So many options with this sport it's awesome!

Kai needs a tow to wing at Jaws, he gets a fair bit of airtime in the pocket
The Armstrong is like the Dart I think.

Yer but Kai was on a shortboard.

foilthegreats -- thanks very much for answering my questions (you're way ahead of me in both skill level and gear knowledge). I have to say that when I go wind foiling it's really hard not to just pump up a wing and forget about the sail.

The Phantasm foils certainly look interesting.

I finally had the opportunity to try the Armstrong A-Wing 3.5. For reference, I've been riding an Ozone Wasp 5m V1 and Konrad Wingman 4m V2. I rode the 3.5 in winds gusting to 35 knots and lulls of 12-15 on the inside. I'm 200 pounds. The A-Wing pulls like a truck for its size, is very stable and solid feeling and drifts very well. My Konrad in comparison is the best drifting wing I've tried but has nowhere near the stability of the Armstrong wing and constantly motors in the leech heading upwind in the upper range. The softer feel of the Konrad makes it super nice in the middle and lower power band but it doesn't like being pushed hard overpowered. The A-wing feels like it wants to be pulling most of the time so is more physical to ride. The V straps are well placed and are a good diameter (the Konrad's V straps are way to skinny to grip comfortably for long, powered upwind runs). I'd be happy owning any of these wings as a quiver but rate the A-wing as a pretty amazing V1 effort. If the V2 A-Wing can shed some weight without a big penalty in durability and performance it'll be amazing.

I'm a rank beginner and have just a half-dozen sessions on foil with the wing. I'm 73 kgs/160 lbs plus wetsuit and started with the 5.5M A-wing on a friend's suggestion. I was way overpowered on a nuking day and had a hard time keeping the foil (Slingshot i84) in the water until I put the mast all the way back. I picked up a 3.5M A-wing when I saw forecast for more high winds. Damn, that little wing is a pleasure to handle compared to the 5.5. I also picked up an Armstrong foil set-up with 1850 (handles speed way better) & 1250 (which i haven't used yet) to replace the SS. I need to work on gibes and switching feet but i am hopelessly hooked. I guess I'm now an Armstrong fan boy but the quality of their stuff is top notch so no regrets. I am stoked for the day when i can wing on the 4'-11" SKT board!

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dejavu said..
Here's what the Dart looks like. Seems like a different beast than the Armstrong wing to me.

Turned the auto translate on, fre$king hilarious. LMAO