Peter Lynn Vapor Up Close

The first Peter Lynn Vapor race kite has landed in Australia and is available for demo!  With the arrival of the new kite and the Peter Lynn Race Team excelling at every discipline we decided to take a closer look at the Vapor race kite focusing on the build method and quality behind such a fast kite.

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Kite Bag

The bag is simple, with a simple strap on the back.  As professional pilots competing will need at least 8 or more of these kites to cover all wind ranges a minimal bag is desired.  The bag whilst being simple, is still made from quality materials and doesn't feel like plastic and light weight.

Peter Lynn Vapor Kite

The new kite has distinct Peter Lynn colour scheme, similar to the Peter Lynn Core and Peter Lynn Reactor II.  The kite is a high aspect ratio race kite, minimising the trailing edge drag allowing pilots to push further upwind and reducing the kite falling back in the window at high speeds.  Before the kite is even in the sky it has a distinct look and profile to it.

Panel Work

Each panel is neatly stitched and aligned, with precise accuracy throughout the whole canopy.  The cells are stitched vertically down the seams and there's no "sway" in the stitching, it is extremely precise and meticulous. With each panel folded and sewn internally it protects the stitching by hiding it from exposure.

Vapor Logo

The logo is printed on to the back of the canopy, defining and unmistakable with all graphics making way for the word "Vapor."

Trailing Edge

The trailing edge of a kite is more important as it is at the furthest point back on the kite and is the final point of the canopy's drag.  In some cases the trailing edge is sewn together from one piece of Dacron or ripstop that spans from corner to corner.  Peter Lynn have decided with the Vapor to segment the trailing edge stitching, to keep the graphics of the kite running all they way to the back.  In doing so they have had to pay extra attention to the finish which also means a bit more work on each kite.  In this case each and every segment of the trailing edge is uni-formally cut and sewn on to the trailing edge, taking the colour scheme to the very end of the kite whilst not sacrificing efficiency of the canopy.  The stitching is perfect, with no sway and always uniform across the whole trailing edge.

Inside the Cells

You can see inside the cells all the internal work that goes in to holding the kite together.  There is a few cross ventilation holes, and in the middle three cells there is cross bracing between the cells to compensate for no bridle points through the middle of the canopy.

Leading Edge and Cells

The leading edge is once again meticulously finished, with every fold and stitch.  Peter Lynn has used the same method that dates back to their roots with the nGen, and that is to fold and stitch the leading edge cells.  This increases the strength of the cell opening and assists in keeping the profile of the cell, however weighs significantly less than using a Mylar reinforcement to keep the shape of the cell.

Dirt Outs

The dirt outs are small and minimal, reducing weight by reducing the required amount of Velcro.

Bridle Wingtip

The bridle throughout the main body of the kite is minimal, with minimal tabs and points.  The highest concentration of sewn tabs for the bridle is on the wingtips.

Bridle Junction

The bridle junction or fork is kept small and minimal reducing drag and potential for bridle snags.

Bridle Tabs

Individual bridle tabs are all sewn in to the seam and reinforced throughout the kite with patches sewn in.

Bridle

Overall the bridle has been kept extremely minimal, however using both clever design and quality materials so there is not a strength reduction whilst reducing the amount of drag on the kite at high speeds.  The load coming through the top bridle, with the design of the bridle showing a top line bias meaning the kite has less load through the rear of the kite and bridle and therefor needing absolute minimal bridle on the trailing edge.

Handles

The handles that come with the Vapor are the standard Peter Lynn colour coded handles. 

Lines

The lines we received on the Demo Kite are not the standard Peter Lynn lines, whilst the quality is excellent and these lines are super-strong we will be changing them down to the standard lower drag lines for the flight review to come shortly.  The lines supplied here are the ones that were used on the Mad Way South buggy challenge through the Sahara by the Peter Lynn New Zealand Team where total strength, not performance were key.

Quality Control

Even after all the premium materials and design technology has gone in to the kites, they are checked and signed off by hand to ensure every kite that comes out of the factory is certified to meet all of Peter Lynn's own quality guidelines.

Overall Initial Impressions

The build quality of the Peter Lynn Vapor is superb, they have reduced weight and drag in both the canopy and bridle, whilst using both intelligent design and also premium materials to avoid any loss in durability and strength.  The finish of the over all product shows meticulous attention to detail, from every stitch to every fold in the kite.