Prism Kites has had reports from Isotope and Mantis owners that they were having trouble getting them to fly stable without wandering back and forth. It took a while to diagnose the problem because whenever we'd get a kite back to check it would fly perfectly- frustrating! After much detective work we finally figured it out, and kites in production from summer 2015 onward were tweaked to address the problem. Here's what you need to know- please pass the word if you hear from someone having trouble:
Mantis: The Mantis flies nice and stable as long as the Velcro at the end of the spine is tightened enough to put a downward bow in the spine when it's assembled. If the Velcro is loose and the spine has no bow it will reduce stability, especially in stronger winds. That info is in the instructions for the Mantis, but there is now a printed tag sewn right onto the Velcro to remind customers as they assemble the kite.
Isotope: The early Isotopes had a similar issue with spine tension, but with the opposite result- of all the rotten luck! For the Isotope, the kite can be unstable if the spines are tensioned very tightly with the tail Velcros during assembly. This flattens the sail too much for stable flight and the kite can wander back and forth in stronger winds. To fix it in production last summer we shortened the Isotope spines slightly so it would be impossible for a customer to pull the Velcro too tight.
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Thanks to Prism Kites for this information. These issues are related to kites in the first run of production, early last Spring. Great Canadian Kite Company didn't receive kites from this manufacturing lot but we have received customer service calls from those who purchased this lot from other kite retailers. We have provided this info and sure it will help you really enjoy your kites!
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