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Traction EX (Concept Air)

DESIGN/CONSTRUCTION
The Traction EX is a sophisticated elliptical plan form parafoil whose looks owe something to the paraglider world. The standard of construction was excellent although the weight of cloth used made the kite feel a little heavier than some of the others on test. The internal risers were made from a very stiff ripstop and felt very strong. The Dyneema bridle was well attached and a sleeved Dyneema (paraglider bridle) line set was provided along with handles this was a genuinely ready to fly package. The handles were a solid design and included adjustment and anchor loops.

STATIC TEST
The Traction EX took off fast and soon proved to have a have a great deal of raw power. The kite's forward speed was fast and it generated a lot of overhead lift. On the edges of the window the kite's power 'was much reduced and the wing-tip had a tendency to collapse, leaving the kite feeling heavy. The kite performed best when moving fast around the centre of the window.

BUGGY TEST
In the buggy the kite would produce traction when flying with forward speed. but once stalled it was difficult to maintain momentum. The testers felt that the Traction EX would be the sort of kite that would work best (like the Peel) when very "powered up" The dominance of upward lift made it difficult for the less experienced flyers to get much speed from an apparently very powerful kite.

CONCLUSION
The Traction EX was certainly the most powerful of all the kites tested, but the direction of the pull was dominantly overhead. This made the kite good in the static test for small jumps (the novice tester really enjoyed it) but it was difficult to get any real speed in the buggy even from the experienced pilots. The kite was a sophisticated design and a well put together ready to fly package, which has already enjoyed competitive success in kite skiing events.