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AeroStar Raffle Update!
Wahoo, the kites are completed (see below) and everything is in
place to start the raffle! Chuck Harris mentioned that tickets will
go on sale starting January 1, 2008. For the first few days, these
tickets will only be available to registered forum members followed by an
open purchase period (and yes, you can register the same day you buy a
ticket!). The actual drawing will tentatively take place on January
9th. For the full scoop, refer to the 'AeroStar Lotto' section
of NoseDiver's
Stunt Kite Forum.
Oh yeah, we have concocted a mischievous twist for this raffle.
Anyone remember those old game shows like 'Let's Make a Deal'? After
selecting the wrong door, an unlucky contestant would get "Zonked"
by winning a bizarre and worthless prize (like a live donkey, adult highchair,
etc.  ).
Well, same concept here since I saved some Sano
#143 Fabric Scraps as a Third Runner-Up prize. It will work like this:
Four winners will be announced, but who exactly won which prize will not
be disclosed. After Chuck relays that info to me, all four prizes
will ship out the same day. The winners will be left wondering,
"Will a Sano SS arrive at my door or possibly some worthless fabric
scraps?". Yes, a little sinister, but talk about adding
suspense! |
Sano SS #143 - Grand Prize for the
January 2008 Raffle.
(Click on thumbnails for enlarged view.) |
Stryke #152 - First Runner-Up Prize
for the January 2008 Raffle.
(Click on thumbnails for enlarged view.) |
AeroStar Raffle kicks off 2008!
My buddy, Chuck Harris, established NoseDiver's
Stunt Kite Forum about a year
ago. More recently, he started offering a monthly raffle with some
great prizes. Chuck has been asking if I could build a contest
kite for some time now. It took awhile to clear my schedule, but
this
will finally be happening early January 2008. In fact, there will be
three AeroStar prizes up for grabs including: Grand Prize: Sano
SS (Loaded with EX Sail Upgrade, 'Black Diamond' Spreaders & Mylar
Laminate LEs)
First Runner-Up: Stryke Fighter ('Grey Fade'
Tri-Panel)
Second Runner-Up: AeroStar Hat
The kites are currently under construction and the colorizer simulations
are shown below. Since there will only be around 40 tickets
available, the odds of winning are quite favorable. I'll
occasionally post updates here, but for the full raffle guidelines, best
to check out the forum directly. And while there, make sure to register
and participate! Fantastic group of kite enthusiasts plus this forum
also provides exposure for custom designers and
builders. |
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Preview of the the Grand Prize for
the upcoming NoseDiver's Stunt Kite Forum raffle. |
These will be the First and Second
Runner-Up Prizes. Should be a fun contest! |
Have Sanos, will travel!
Steve Tapp contacted me regarding an interesting project he recently
completed. Turns out, he modified two of his Sanos so they could be
stowed in a suitcase when traveling (see photos below). Now this is
a guy who loves kiting! For anyone interested in trying something
similar, here are excerpts from Steve's e-mail:
"The travel Sano SS
and SSL framesets worked out pretty well. The lower leading edges,
lower spreaders and spine were all cut and ferruled into sections no
longer than 20". The extra weight of ~1/2 ounce does not seem to have
hurt the flying performance and may even help the momentum a little.
The LEs were the easiest as the upper sections are already ferruled just
below the YoYo stoppers. These sections and the bridle are the only
parts to stay in the kite at all times. The mid-LE sections now have
ferrules on the bottom and the interface protrudes out of the lower
cutouts 1/2" or so. By cutting the orginal lower LEs above the
APA fittings, a weak point was not created to help eliminate
breakage. The spine has one ferrule and is completely removed for
packing (the bridle's larks head connections are really helpful
here). The adjustable leech line is a pain to reconnect each time -
I may end up tying it off. The LSs were cut ~5/8" outside of
the outer ShapeShifter™ stoppers. I find that the sideways force
of the bend creates enough friction to keep everything together. As
a precaution, I have been adding a little tape though.
This obviously adds a bit of time to setup and take down, but a small
price to pay to be able to take a pair of my favorite kites to conferences
in carry on luggage. I have a soft briefcase and when in Dallas last
month, no one knew I was carrying two kites with me the whole time!
I did find a park nearby and was able to get in two great sessions along a
nice lakeshore. Pretty cool!"
As
a follow-up, I called Steve to get some questions answered and clarify a
few details. It was not necessary to purchase any new spars.
Rather, a total of 5 new ferrules were added (1 pair on the LLEs, 1 pair
on the LSs and a single ferrule for the spine). Each leading edge is
now comprised of 3 spar sections while the spine and each of LSs consist
of 2 sections. Since the LEs and spine are straight Sky Shark 'P'
series, very easy to ferrule with .240". In this case, he chose
to use solid carbon.
But, how in the heck did he ferrule the tapered 'PT' LSs? Steve
experimented a bit and found .220" Avia pultruded carbon was a fairly
close fit internally. After cutting to a length of 2.5", he
carefully sanded these ferrules into gradual tapers. This took a
little time, but in the end produced a shape that closely matched the
conical geometry of the spars. If you lack the patience for this, I
suggest replacing your tapered LSs with linear 'P' series. I haven't
tested this Sano LS configuration, but P100 for the SSL and P200 for the
SS should work well. |
Travel Sano - Hmmm, this could be a
fun winter project!
(Photos courtesy of Steve Tapp - Click on thumbnails for enlarged view.) |
A tribute to Shane!
Just finished a build that evoked memories of my
good pal, Shane Hill. As many of you know, Shane passed away earlier
this year (to learn more, see the Kitelife
article). Just a few months prior, I made Shane what would turn
out to be his final AeroStar - the custom Sano SS shown below. More
recently, I was fulfilling a long standing promise to another friend for
an SSL ultralight. The owner, Michael from Virginia, and I were discussing
Shane and what a special person he was. Almost immediately, he
expressed his desire to have a similar layout as a tribute. Out of
respect, I did not want to make an exact duplicate. Accordingly, we agreed
to substitute the larger '2K5 Star' logo with a traditional star rub patch
framed with an appliquéd halo. For
Mike's new toy, I really took the Midnight Blue & White theme to the
extreme! This SSL features special blue trailing edge binding, white
tail Velcro and is even capped off with a blue nose assembly. In
other words, not one spec of black fabric to be seen - definitely has a
custom, handcrafted look. On the maiden flight, I'm confident Shane
will be looking down with a nod of approval and a huge grin on his face! |
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Shane Hill and his custom White
& Midnight Blue Sano SS. |
Mike's new Sano SSL inspired by
Shane.
(Click on thumbnails for enlarged view.) |
June Stryke Auction launches!
The Stryke
#151 Auction is now active on eBay. This is a quick 5 day listing
which wraps-up on Friday 6/29 @ 12:00 PM PST. Assuming a domestic
shipment, this fighter should arrive prior to the July 4th
Holiday! As shown below, the first "Penta Panel" Stryke
came out terrific. Very nice balance of colors coupled with a sleek
appearance. |
Click on the image above to open the
Stryke #151 auction page.
Good luck and happy Fourth of July! |
Preview of Stryke Auction for June!
As Independence Day approaches, several people
have suggested a Patriotic-themed AeroStar auction. Yep, sounded
like a great idea to me and the selected model will be the popular Stryke
Fighter. But after debating on various R/W/B layouts using the current
Tri-Panel and appliquéd designs, I was left uninspired. While they
looked great, all of them have been done many times
before. Seeking
something fresh, decided to up the ante by offering a 5-Panel sail layout
(see simulation below). This Stryke is currently under
construction and the eBay auction will start sometime during the last week
of June. This should give enough leeway to ship the fighter and have
it in the winner's hands for that maiden flight on July Fourth!  |
A preview of the first
"Penta-Panel" Stryke Fighter.
(Coming soon - watch this page for the official auction announcement!) |
Say "Cheese"! 
Several new pictures have been added to the Customer
Photos page. Thanks to everyone who submitted these
images! If anyone else would like their photo to appear on this
site, simply e-mail a JPG attachment (replacements for existing pictures
are welcomed too!). Oh yeah, due to concerns over potential SPAM issues,
I opted to remove all customer e-mail links from this page. If there
is a certain individual you wish to reach, please let me know and I'll
relay the contact info. |
AeroStar Sportkites Customer
of the Month.
(Saw this chap's pic on the 'Net and couldn't resist photoshopping in a
kite! LOL) |
May Sano Auction now live!
The Sano
SSL+ #135 Auction has just started. This 7 day
eBay listing will finish on Weds 5/23 @ 5:00 PM PST. This is only
the second "Beach Ball" layout completed. Notice the color
groupings along the trailing edge panels (fiery impression on the left;
chilly appearance on the right). The new Black highlights over the
White panels really does wonders for the overall aesthetics as well!
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Click on the image above to open the
Sano #135 auction page.
Sorry, the beach ball is not included!  |
Preview of Sano Auction for May!
Yep, I've been MIA and opted to take a two month
break from kiting (see March & April updates below ).
Didn't design, build or even fly a kite the entire time! That hasn't
happened in like 15 years and it did me some good. You know, new perspective
on life, blah, blah, blah... This
past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend a wonderful kite festival in
Ohio. Despite the abysmal weather, it was great to fly again, catch
up with my kite pals and see several AeroStars in the sky. Made me
realize how much I love and have missed this sport! So,
with my new found inspiration, I'm going to spend a little time in the
workshop again. Below is a virtual depiction of the next
creation. Quite colorful, don't you think? Credit goes to
Steve Tapp for first designing this custom layout for his Sano
SS #048. He calls the color scheme "Beach Ball" which
is quite fitting. As shown, the enhancements of the black pinstriped
seams and an appliquéd star halo will be icing on the cake! Check
back for an announcement when the eBay auction will start (around mid-May). |
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A preview of the upcoming Sano SSL+
#135 Hybrid. |
February Stryke Auction underway!
The Stryke
#150 Auction is now active on eBay. This 7 day listing will end on
President's Day (Mon 2/19 @ 12:00 PM PST). A first for any Stryke is
the "Swoosh" color layout as shown below. The Fl. Yellow
& Black panels were oriented in an asymmetrical fashion, thus
producing a very unique appearance. Oh yeah, lots of folks liked the
star patch on last month's fighter, so you'll find that on Stryke #150
too! |
Click on the image above to open the
Stryke #150 auction page.
Good luck to all the bidders! |
January Sano Auction has begun!
The Sano
SS-EX #132 Auction has just started. This is a 7 day
eBay listing which will end on Weds 1/24 @ 12:00 PM PST. Really
pleased with the colors on this one! It also just occurred to me
that #132 is the first auction kite to incorporate yellow in the
sail. Over the years, Fl. Yellow has always been a popular sail
color - not sure why it's taken me so long to finally offer
it! |
Click on the image above to open the
Sano #132 auction page.
Best of luck on the bidding! |
Preview of first Sano Auction for
2007!
Last year, all the Sano auctions were either for
SSZ or SSL+ editions. To kick off the first Sano listing for 2007, I
decided to offer up an SS version. From the feedback I've gotten,
the original SS is still a coveted model while also having the widest
usable wind range. This
Sano is currently under construction. After completion in the next
few days, the auction details will be posted on this page so check back
frequently! Pictured below is the colorizer image showing the sail
layout. These three colors are superb together and the 'EX' sail
upgrades only make it better! Also displayed is a "teaser"
construction photo of the actual kite. |
A preview of the upcoming Sano SS-EX
#132.
(Click on thumbnails for enlarged view.) |
First AeroStar Auction of 2007 has started!
The Stryke
#148 Auction has just gotten underway. This is another 5 day
eBay listing which will end on Mon 1/8 @ 11:00 AM PST. Like last
month's "Stealth" fighter, this Stryke is also a monochromatic
Tri-Panel. But, instead of Charcoal, I opted for an all White
"Ghost" layout with Royal Blue trim. The sail also has a cool little
upgrade. Can you spot it? |
Click on the image above to open the
Stryke #148 auction page.
Good luck and Happy New Year! |
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Wishing everyone all the best throughout 2007! If you would like
to access earlier AeroStar News/Updates, a link to each archived year is conveniently
located at the top of this page. |
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