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Matchbox (Benson Kites)
| Specifications | |
Name: |
Matchbox Benson Kites 198 x 79 cm 76" 5 - 25 mph 7 panel Icarex P31 5.5 mm Structil 42 cm 5.5mm structil standard 61.25 5.5mm structil standard 54 cm 5.5mm structil standard 70 cm 5.5mm structil standard 61 cm 5.5mm structil standard 20 cm 3mm carbon rod Standard 3 point 10 to 25 mph 80 to 150 lbs / 30 - 50 feet about £90 |
In the area of trick kites, many are called but few are chosen. Many kites are built and called anything from X2 Zero to the Twilight Zone. Few are chosen and get the consumer thumbs up to the extent that Tim Benson’s early Box of Tricks has. Tim was one of the first into the trick kite scheme, with not one but three kites, of which the Box was probably the biggest early success. The only trouble was that all the fun stopped in a wind over 12 mph as the kites were really built from the light to moderate end of the scale. With their striking but asymmetric graphics, venting was never going to be the solution. But now there is one.
For those who are too young to remember, Matchbox was a brand of die-cast toy cars that all kids craved 20 years ago to line up alongside their Corgis and Dinkies. This matchbox reflects its namesake in so much as it is a scaled down version on an already successful product. It is identical in almost every respect to the larger original except that, where the "Box" image is made in the kites centre by black panels, white panels and a colour, the black and white have been switched around creating a slightly different "box" graphic. In scaling down the "BOT" Tim Benson now has a kite you can fly in a bitching wind, something not really seen since the days of the legendary Scorcher. It will pick up okay on short light lines at about 8 mph but really gets going once you cross the 10 mark. Top whack is nearer 25 mph. The frame is nice and stiff, made from thin walled but strong 5.5mm Structil carbon. Spreader ends are reinforced where they meet the centre moulding. Leech and trick lines are fixed in place n the tip. It’s basically ready for fun as soon as you get it out of the bag. What we have here is a superbly conceived package guaranteed to entertain.
| Good Points Trickability |
Bad Points Not for low wind |
| Verdict Ease of use Reliability Design Price/quality ratio Performance in its category Packaging |
4/5 3/5 3/5 4/5 4/5 3/5 |
Click here for another review of the Matchbox.
Kite Passion Magazine - May/June 1997
