Slingshot Fuel 13 test
Door:
Wake
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27 May 2003
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15:55
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4902
Hits
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7 Reacties
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| On the beach
Make: Slingshot Model: Fuel Flat sail area: 13.4m2 Projected sail area: 9.9m2 Aspect ratio: High Extras: Adjustable carry bag, pump, repair kit, instructions, 57cm control bar. Recommended wind range: For 80kg+ riders 14 – 24 knots ; for 60kg+ riders 12 – 20 knots. Design/Finish: The design is as pleasing as the look. The Fuel is really well detailed, it’s a beautifully made kite with great reinforcements. The inflation valve velcros are very useful with a velcro loop to pull for deflation, also including a no-leak safety valve. There are 2 semi-rigid battens, 5 inflatable battens and a double-valved leading edge. The control bar is also well finished but is lacking one or two details such as quick releases on the harness loops (manufacturer’s decision). The de-power works using a combination of clamp and pulley. There’s a wrist leash for the kite fixed to one of the rear lines, removable. Long leader lines, roughly 8 metres. Target market: The 2003 Fuel is the 2002 with improved wind range, faster air speed for riders looking for big performance. There are multiple tuning possibilities for speed, manoeuvrability, power and lift. |
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On the water
Actioning the safety system: Tested near the beach without too much power. If you’ve got a quick release hook you action that and the wrist leash does the rest. No quick release and you need to unhook then let go of the control bar, the kite is held but rendered neutral by the leash. Re-launch: Bear in mind it’s a 13m2 kite, not too difficult for reasonably experienced riders all the same. Power: Good power and great depth of power for a 13m2! The tuning really changes its handling, you can soften it down or really crank up the power. Stability: The Fuel is very stable, as much in the jump as at the zenith. A bit less so in lumpy winds. There are more supple, forgiving wings around, wings you can recover more easily but we had no complaints. Flying/General handling: The Fuel has two tuning principles as far as wing attachments are concerned (full manufacturer’s explanation available soon on Flysurf.com). The rear attachment points correspond to the wing’s flying speed: further out you attach, the faster your wing will fly. These adjustments actually mean something, they’re efficient and they offer a great choice of personal tunings. The Fuel 13.0 has great lift which you can boost further using the adjustment described but you sacrifice a little in handling through gusts and there’s a power increase. It’s fast and very pleasant for a 13m2. If you’re riding over-powered it pulls hard and tires you quickly. Wind range: Efficient de-power but at this size the Fuel is nevertheless a high power wing. |
| Conclusion
General description of the wing, sensations, feelings… We’ve spoken a lot about the adjustment/attachment points for the good reason that they really do help tune the wing. A great wing for anyone in a moderate wind. It’s fast, stable and powerful depending on your tuning. In a big wind it pulls hard and becomes less comfortable. Very good lift, you feel that the wing is always looking to max. You could say that the Fuel 13 fits between the super-supple smooth wings and the real power monsters. The 13.0 is intermediate in terms of power and forgiveness. Comparison to last year’s model: The 2003 Fuel is much more forgiving with an improved de-power system. Still very powerful, specially the bigger sizes, over 13m2 and generally big sail conditions. Pluses: Its flying speed and the multiple adjustments making for great custom tuning. Flysurf.com advice: If your first impression isn’t overwhelming keep on trying, you might need plenty of adjustment time according to the size and the tuning options. Recommended skill level: Not too over-powered whoever you are ; experienced to expert level. Target market fit: As far as aspect ratio goes the manufacturers say “High Aspect Ratioâ€, but are they talking more about its performance because the ratio isn’t that big in fact. It’s a high performance wing with more de-power than last year. Check out those full tuning explanations! The testers’ verdict in a sentence… Boris, 30 years old, 73kg: "High performance with that good speed and I think the aspect ratio makes it very accessible." Fred, 35, 83kg: "It’s a very good compromise between a wing that’s soft and one that really pulls. Tuning options mean you can fly how YOU want. Less comfortable when you’re over-powered, it pulls and you get tired." Caro, 33, 63kg: "The 11.0 Fuel was a sheer joy, the Fuel 15.0 was a bit of a physical puller if the wind got up, still manageable though. The 13.0 sits bang in between the two !!!" Jerome, 30, 65kg: "It’s a really good wing but not one I’d buy. I like wings that pull hard but I really didn’t ‘flash’ on this 13.0. Maybe I should persist and try more of the tuning options. I loved the 11.0 and even the 15.0 both of which are quite different to fly. I would leave the 13.0 out if I was buying a Fuel range!" Test conditions Wind strength: 11 – 25 knots, gusty Boards used: Fanatic AC/DC 50/50, Wipika Edge 146, F.One TT175, TT Deska/Marek 138, TT Sailboard Tarifa 140 Test panel: 63 – 83kg, expert level Tester’s usual wing choices: Naish X2 8, 12 and 14, Wipika Airblast 8.4, Takoon Skoop 11.6, Naish Aero 10 and 14. For more information about Slingshot: www.sskiteboarding.com |
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Nieuwslink:
flysurf.com
Volgende/Vorige Items
Jaime
27 May /
2003 /
16:16
ik heb de 15 en de 11, met de 13 heb ik nog nooit gevaren maar over de 15 en de 11 ben ik mega tevreden :)
Ik denk dat ik er een 7 bijwil....iemand advies?! :)
Eric
27 May /
2003 /
21:40
13 meter is een super kite. Lekker constante power en snel sturen. De 7 heb ik helaas nooit mogen ontvangen maar wel gevaren. Geleend van ee nteamrider.Ook super. Al die slingshots zijn gewoon perfect. Hier in SA hadden we ze al toen ze net uitkwamen dus ik heb er het hele SA seizoen mee gevaren. 7,9,11,13,15. Lekkkkeeer_/-\o_
-DAVE-
28 May /
2003 /
12:46
Ik wil alles! 7 9 11 13 15 17 en 19 dan ben ik tevreden en heb ik me doel bereikt, nu alleen even een hoop geld scoren!
Dave is selfsupported by: Hanglos, Apple, Slingshot, Kitecinema, Naish, MCCormick, Daf , Seat, RedBu
-DAVE- had een 5 sterren sessie in Wijk aan Zee met maar liefst 16 - 23 knots op zijn SlingShot Fuel (2006)
Eric
28 May /
2003 /
13:25
ABN-Amro in de buurt? Bivakmuts en gaan.... Neem gewoon je bar mee naar binnen.
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