Review: Jim B kHiTe US Correspondent.
Photos: Paul May www.snapstall.de

Introduction

The Quantum Pro, Prism's entrant in the currently fashionable style, is characterized by the usual features: 2.4m wingspan x 1m in height, straight leading edges pulled in at the upper spreader, yo-yo stoppers included as a flyer installed kit, and of course a weight system.

Construction

Build is Excellent.

The sail is Polyester, heavily re-enforced, with some Mylar, and an incredibly intricate re-enforcement skein of Dacron radiating out from the spine. The sail panel layout along the leading edges seems to be aimed squarely at limiting stretch. The standoffs are long. They have to be: this is a deep sailed kite. They are also fairly close set. The sail seems to have been designed with pulled in leading edges in mind: adding 2cm to the upper spreader brings the leading edge straight; add any more and the sail deforms severely.

The bridle is an adjustable Dynamic affair with Three settings from light touch (more dynamic) to aggressive (less dynamic). There is also an unofficial setting one can use which yields a Three point bridle. Frame is P200 leading edges, and spine, with 5PT lower spreaders, and an Avia .2200 for the upper spreader.

Weight System

The weight is in the form of an aluminium centre tee which can be augmented with an optional weight system comprised of an armature which fits through the centre tee and thumb screw which together weigh in at 17gm, and in addition, three weights of 20, 40, and 60gms respectively. There is also a pair of carbon rods that fit in grooves in the upper spreader connectors to combat hang ups.

Multiple Yo-Yo stops

The stopper kit is comprised of two APA spreader standoff holders, molded in a heavier composition, and twelve small cable ties, two of which are used to attach the stoppers. The others are used to provide small back up stoppers to the main ones. They work very well. A word on attaching stoppers with cable ties: it pays to fill the keyhole with gap filling CA to aid in keeping them from being pulled off by the line on occasion. This is certainly not the most secure method, but it is an easily maintained system and the CA fix will increase the useful service life of the cable ties.

Style

The Quantum Pro's sail layout is striking with interesting graphics and only a small amount of Mylar represented by a series of 'window panes", delineated by the aforementioned Dacron skein, fanning out across the sail below the upper spreader.

Stock colourways are currently limited to: White leading edges with black tip insets, black spine panels in Dacron and Polyester, Gray centre panels and two coloured panels a bit outboard the spine, which can be had in red, yellow, teal, blue, or purple. The generally lighter colours in the stock sails do a wonderful job of showing off the intricacies of the design to good advantage. This kite has a strong presence in the sky.

Flight

The kite was flown in winds running from a low of 4 to a high of approximately 15 mph (6 - 24 kph), for about twelve hours total, on three occasions.

The first thing noticed was that, in keeping with the overall package, the bridle is very much in the current style: wide placement tow points set heavy, necessitating, as with kites of this type, a smooth flying style in lower wind; pumping the lines will rock the nose and stall the kite. Sweeping the lines, and above all, moving will yield better results; but then, the QP, or any of these sorts of kites, is not about low wind finesse flying: the QP is a pitch monster and it rewards an aggressive style of flying.

Tail Logo

General flight characteristics are very good: tracking is strong: snap 90's sharp and crisp with small hand movements. Spin radius is very tight: just outside the centre tee tight. Yes. That tight. It becomes apparent why when you go for a rollup. The QP does essentially a snap rollup. Blink and you will miss it. This requires very little slack in the lines. In fact, it is possible to do a 540 without giving slack with the offside hand. What is good about that? Well, it is easily possible, because of the small spin radius, and tight rollup pattern, to execute a nose down rollup, on the deck, and still have time to turn the kite up and fly away. This is very cool. The QP is full of little moves like that.

Of course it is a tuning choice on the designer's part there, but an interesting one that leads to extremely consistent rollup combinations and, with the judicious use of the weight system, this consistency can be had throughout the wind range.

On the weight system. It is really well done. This reviewer found no use for the 40 and 60gm weights, and barely a use for the 20gm one, due to not having a chance to fly the kite in anything ballistic; but there is no doubt in my mind, from my experience with the 20gm weight, and the re-enforcing evident in the sail, that Mark has those big ones in mind for big winds. How big? Stay tuned.

Yo-Yo Glides

What's the downside? Oh, the usual; backspins take allot of work to make nice, axels are okay, what you would expect with a straight leading edged kite, set heavy, and weighted; no better or worse than the other offerings in this class. The 540's are pretty decent.

The other downside is the QP is set very heavy. Tuning can only ameliorate that so much. It is very much wanting to go on it's back at the drop of a hat. I think that's good. You might think otherwise.

Conclusion

This is why "Try before you buy" is especially important these days, if at all possible. All these kites, the Nirvana, Viper, Transfer, Fury, 2.3, QP, and others, do pretty much the same things, in their own ways: personal preference is really the only thing separating any of them.

So there you have it: whether you feel Prism had abandoned the advanced flyer in it's search for market share, or had simply gone in a different direction with the I2K, they are back with a serious contender in the QP. Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it.