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harveystubbs
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Opera UL for sale or potentially whole set - SOLD

Thu Jun 14, 2018 4:00 pm

I am considering selling either my opera UL or the entire set.

The UL only will be £150

or

The set £400

Plus postage.

Really nice kites, made in Italy. Capable of wap do waps, tazes etc

Photos and details to follow
Last edited by harveystubbs on Wed Aug 01, 2018 9:42 am, edited 2 times in total.
 
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harveystubbs
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Re: Opera UL for sale or potentially whole set

Thu Jun 14, 2018 4:01 pm

UL

[url][url=https://flic.kr/p/VsJB4q]Image[/url]IMG_0427 by H STUBBS, on Flickr[/url]
 
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harveystubbs
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Re: Opera UL for sale or potentially whole set

Thu Jun 14, 2018 4:02 pm

The Sail is a mixture of icarex and airx. Add in the silver wing tips and centre t and this is a somewhat surreal mix of materials. The same guys are behind challenger sails. This version is bespoke and fits between the Standard and the light. It’s a great balance of trick and precision and does both well. There is a sense of occasion when you to fly this kite.

Old review below from Smithkites.com which now is sadly no more for the light version.

Specs
Wingspan: 2.3m (90.5") Height: 33 in Pull: Light-Medium
Weight: Light Skill: Intermediate-Advanced
Wind Range: 3-11 mph (light) Frame: Skyshark P200 with 3pt Spreader
Sail: Airx 600 Icarex PC 31 Lines: Recommend 75-125 ft, 90#
Origin: Italy Accessories: Storage bag
History
The Andante was the 12th kite I purchased. The kite is the first full fledged freestyle kite from Marco Chini of Italy, and he has made quite an amazing set of kites for his first attempt. He has come out with three high end trick kites in the Opera series, the Allegro (standard), Andante (light) and Adagio (Ultralight). All three are excellent trick kites, and I hope to eventually procure a full set. GWTW is the US distributor for this kite, and I managed to pick up one of the first batch used from a fellow flier.
Construction
The kite has a very unique construction. The large O in the middle is quite attractive and the kite will backspin close to the center of the O. The Airx 600 material is a fairly new material not available on any other kite I'm aware of. It has an interesting sheen to it. I was originally concerned about its tendency to wrinkle, but it has held up very well over time. The Andante has a lot of mylar reinforcement in key places, and a unique foil material on the tips that flashes in the sun when tricking. The upper LE connectors are covered to prevent lines catching and it has R-Sky style yo-yo stops, which happen to be my favorite type. The bridle is a light reverse turbo variety. The kite only comes with one standoff, vice two for most other modern kites, but it performs beautifully. There is a lot of detailed work in this kite - the way it is constructed and the way it is reinforced. Clearly it is made to last.
Tuning
So far I've been flying the Andante stock. I have not had to add any additional tail weight, as the balance on this kite is excellent. The reverse turbo bridle performs well for both precision and tricks, and is adjustable for wind conditions via a knot on the upper outhaul.
In Flight
I have not had as much time as I would like on this kite, but the experience to date has been all positive. If I had to sum up the Andante in one word, it would be balance. The kite simply is perfectly balanced. It sits in a solid fade, nice deep turtle, and transitions beautifully from position to position.
Control throw overall is moderate - it does not require as large an input as the Nirvana, but inputs are not small and twitchy as some other kites. I have flown it side by side with the Nirvana and Nirvana UL and had little trouble transitioning from one input to the other when switching kites. However, the moderate inputs are enhanced by the overall sense of balance. Though you can yo-yo it or backspin it with relative ease, the balance of the kite lets you stay in control the whole time.
Precision is excellent - it will carve a line or a corner as well as any other kite I own. There is no oversteer or overrotation at all.
When tricking - again this kite is all about balance. It will do the axel based tricks, 540's, and other flat maneuvers either slow or fast with ease. It does retain the slow grace of a full size kite when you want it, or with a little more input you can snap it into a trick quickly. Fades are very solid, and the kite backspins very easily. Personally I love to watch the Opera series backspin since they tend to spin right around the center of the 'O'. The Andante will sink into a deep and stable turtle (again excellent balance) and also transition out with ease. Yo-Yo's are quick and easy (due to the high aspect planform) and require only moderate slack input which is very nice for those who don't want to run downwind to do one. The JL is pretty and stable thanks to the nice transitions and excellent balance this kite has.
Wind range is low to moderate. I would put this kite in the "light" category but not the "ultralight" category. It requires about 4mph to trick consistently, and I would probably pack it up for winds much over 9 mph just because it is not a high wind kite either.
If I had one complaint about this kite, it is the fact that it is an "in-betweener" - not light enough to fly on really light days, but not heavy enough to qualify as a standard kite. In the 4-8 mph range it is amazing, but it probably does not get out of the bag as much as it could because I tend to fly light kites like the Adagio or Nirvana UL on a light wind day, and pull out the standards once the winds consistently get to around 5 mph. Still I've never been disappointed when I do pull it out - the Andante is a great kite!
Overall Impression
Marco Chini of Italy has produced a winner in the Opera 23 series! The Andante is one of my favorites in the series because it has beautiful balance, excellent precision, and can do all of the tricks I can. It is a beautiful kite to fly and flies like a dream. I am now trying to find some way to get the Allegro so I can complete my Opera set.
Pro
• Unique, but robust construction
• Outstanding precision and trick performance
• Outstanding balance and transitions in all positions
Con
• A bit of an "in-betweener" in terms of wind range - not really a UL and not really a standard
Rating
• Overall: 10/10 - A world class trick kite
• Precision: 10/10
• Tricking: 10/10
 
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harveystubbs
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Re: Opera UL for sale or potentially whole set

Thu Jun 14, 2018 4:02 pm

UL spec

Upper Leading edge - P90

Lower Leading edge - P1X I believe

Lower spreaders - G Force UL

Spine - 3pt
 
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harveystubbs
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Re: Opera UL for sale or potentially whole set

Thu Jun 14, 2018 4:02 pm

The std is Grape (purple) and the SUL is mango and light grey
 
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harveystubbs
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Re: Opera UL for sale or potentially whole set

Thu Jun 14, 2018 4:26 pm

Specs for each kite

Opera 23 Allegro std- Icone white ls, p200/300 le
Opera 23 Adante ul- G force ul ls, P90/P100 le
Opera 23 Adagio sul- 3pt ls, pt2 ule, P90 lle, 3pt spine
 
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harveystubbs
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Re: Opera UL for sale or potentially whole set

Mon Jun 25, 2018 9:41 am

Here is the standard

[url][url=https://flic.kr/p/28r3FGy]Image[/url]Opera 23 kite by H STUBBS, on Flickr[/url]
 
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harveystubbs
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Re: Opera UL for sale or potentially whole set

Tue Jun 26, 2018 10:15 pm

£140 for the ul

£390 for the set
 
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harveystubbs
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Re: Opera UL for sale or potentially whole set

Wed Jul 04, 2018 3:16 pm

£135 for the ul

£380 for the set
 
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harveystubbs
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Re: Opera UL for sale or potentially whole set - REDUCED

Fri Jul 13, 2018 11:08 am

£130 for the ul

£370 for the set
 
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harveystubbs
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Re: Opera UL for sale or potentially whole set - REDUCED

Fri Jul 13, 2018 3:43 pm

£130 for the ul

£370 for the set
 
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harveystubbs
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Re: Opera UL for sale or potentially whole set - SOLD

Wed Aug 01, 2018 9:42 am

SOLD