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Omega XS (Spirit of Air)

A smaller Omega for multiple pleasure

The Omega XS Is a new slightly scaled down version of the already successful Shuriken omega and Is designed as a more playful freestyle kite which still retains some of its larger brother’s precision ability.

CONSTRUCTION
The kite features a ten panel Icarex sail with an asymmetric black, white and one colour graphic and a frame, which is a mix of 0-Force tapered and standard pultruded rods.

The kite has a seven foot (210cm) span and a trailing edge kept taut with a tape (now customary from Spirit of Air) rather than a leech line, two sets of tip stretchers and a single stand-off.

The sail is very well sewn and all the seams are rolled; the Dacron on the extremely taut leading edge (kept tight with line rather than bungee) meets the sail perfectly without a hint of a wrinkle. There are Dacron reinforcements at all the relevant areas and the nose has seat belting for extra crash protection. The spine is held in place with a Velcro fastening. A trick line is provided.

The bridle is dynamic style and the fittings are from APA. The overall standard of construction is very good and the kite looks well put together.

FLIGHT TEST
The first things that struck us when flying the Omega XS were the kite's positive and surefooted feel. The XS retained much more of the precision abilities of the Shuriken than expected and in the relatively fresh winds during one part of the test, the kite tracked very assuredly and snap turned with liveliness.

The kite would turn very tightly if asked and showed a little oversteer when exiting a tight spin. In lower winds the kite lacked the same precision and was a little more hesitant, but it was still a reasonably good flyer and all in all the XS performed precision maneuvers very well for a two metre kite. In the trick department, the Omega XS was a very able performer, axels were very easy and flat and the kite went flat for flat spins and 540’s.

The XS was also easy to pop into a "poison ivy" and would stay on its back in the centre of the window until popped back or worked into a yo-yo. The relatively large sail area meant that the XS was not the quickest trick kite, but by the same token this made it quite forgiving to the pilot.

During one of our more hotheaded, over ambitious moments we did manage to break a lower leading edge spar, and the enormous tension and camber in the leading edge made us concerned that these spars might be a little vulnerable, although the crash was a heavy one.

We also noticed that the lower leading edge fittings slid up the spars after flights in higher winds and the twin tip stretchers push the lower spreaders upward during flight, although they have stoppers under the fittings.

CONCLUSION
The Omega XS keeps up the high standards of construction and finish already achieved by Spirit of Air throughout their range of kites.

It is a superbly made, well-finished kite which is a very able precision performer without compromising any trick capability.

The kite is forgiving enough for a less experienced pilot to start with but it has the freestyle abilities for today's top pilots.