The Parafoil Kite

An Engine For Many Extreme Sports

For a good overall picture of the parafoil kite scene back in 2007, see the big information table below. Prices change, and a new kite comes onto the market from time to time, so this info is obviously out of date now.

However, have you seen anything like this table anywhere else on the Web? I don't think so! Out of date or not, it tells you a thing or 2 about foil kites.

The cheapies are at the top of the table, and are not necessarily of much use to you as a traction kite! Ok for a bit of a slip'n'giggle out on the frozen lake with someone's old pair of skis or toboggan, maybe.

Serious about going cross-country under parafoil kite power? Look towards the bottom end of the list...

Price US$	Manufacturer	Name	Type	Sizes (sqr m)
<100	Brookite	Sky Witch	2-line	0.6
	Brookite	Sky Wizard	2-line	0.8
	Flexifoil	Buzz	2-line	0.8
	Flying Wings	Mighty Bug	2-line	0.5, 1.0, 1.5
	HQ	Bongo	2-line	1.2
	HQ	NPW 5	2-line	2.4, 3.4, 4.4
	HQ	Symphony	2-line	1.2, 1.4, 1.8
	Ozone	Imp 07	2-line	1.0
	Spirit of Air	Power Foil	2-line	1.1, 1.4
	Thunderbird	Speed Foil	2-line	1.0
	PKD	Buster	4-line	0.7
	Rhombus	Firebee	4-line	1.0, 2.0
	Feed The Rat	FTR	depower.	2.0, 3.0
100-199	HQ	NPW 5	2-line	6.9
	HQ	NPW 9	2-line	3.4, 5.3, 7.6, 12.0
	HQ	Rush	2-line	1.3, 1.8, 2.6
	HQ	Symphony	2-line	2.2, 2.7
	Ozone	Imp 07	2-line	1.5, 2.0
	HQ	Beamer III	4-line	2.0
	New Tech	Ballistic	4-line	2.2, 3.6
	Ozone	Imp Quattro	4-line	1.5
	PKD	Buster	4-line	1.4, 2.0
	Rhombus	Firebee	4-line	3.0, 4.0
	Feed The Rat	FTR	depower.	4.0
200-299	HQ	NPW 9	2-line	15.0
	Ozone	Imp Trainer	2-line	2.0, 2.5, 3.5
	Gin	Zig	4-line	1.0, 2.0
	HQ	Beamer III	4-line	3.0, 4.0
	HQ	Beamer TSR	4-line	1.8
	New Tech	Ballistic	4-line	4.9
	Ozone	Imp Quattro	4-line	2.0, 2.5, 3.5
	PKD	Buster	4-line	3.0, 4.0
	Spirit of Air	Cyclone	4-line	2.0, 3.0, 4.0
	Feed The Rat	FTR	depower.	5.5
300-399	Gin	Zig	4-line	3.0, 4.0, 5.5
	Gin	Yoz II	4-line	1.8
	HQ	Beamer III	4-line	5.0, 7.0
	HQ	Beamer TSR	4-line	2.5, 3.6
	Flexifoil	Rage	4-line	1.8, 2.5
	New Tech	Ballistic	4-line	6.2
	Ozone	Samurai 2	4-line	2.0, 3.0, 4.0
	Ozone	Razor	4-line	2.5
	PKD	Buster	4-line	5.5
400-499	Flexifoil	Rage	4-line	3.5, 4.7
	Gin	Yoz II	4-line	2.6, 3.8
	HQ	Beamer TSR	4-line	5.0, 7.0
	Ozone	Samurai 2	4-line	5.0
	Ozone	Razor	4-line	3.5
	PKD	Buster	4-line	7.0
500-599	Flexifoil	Rage	4-line	6.0
	Gin	Yoz II	4-line	4.8
	Ozone	Razor	4-line	4.5, 5.5
	PKD	Buster	4-line	9.0
600-699	Gin	Yoz II	4-line	6.2
	Ozone	Razor	4-line	6.8
	Gin	Yoz II UDS	depower.	1.8
	Ozone	Access	depower.	6.0, 10.0
700-799	Gin	Yoz II	4-line	8.5
	Ozone	Razor	4-line	8.5
	Gin	Yoz II UDS	depower.	2.6, 3.8
	North Husky Ltd	n/a	depower.	7.3, 11.3
800-899	Ozone	Razor	4-line	11.0
	Gin	Yoz II UDS	depower.	4.8
	Ozone	Frenzy	depower.	5.0
900-999	Gin	Yoz II	4-line	10.6
	Ozone	Frenzy	depower.	7.5
1000-1099	Gin	Eskimo	depower.	4.0
	Gin	Yoz II UDS	depower.	8.5
1100-1199	Gin	Eskimo	depower.	6.0
	Ozone	Frenzy	depower.	10.0
1200-1299	Gin	Yoz II UDS	depower.	10.6
	Ozone	Frenzy	depower.	12.0
1300-1399	Gin	Eskimo	depower.	8.5
	Ozone	Frenzy	depower.	14.0
1400-1499	Gin	Eskimo	depower.	11.5

Try this

alternate list of kites

if you're not living in the U.S.

Did you notice some groups or categories in all that parafoil kite data? Here's what I saw...

2-line stunt kites for flying in the park, with steering ability but not much power for traction sports
bigger stunt kites, with more useful amounts of power
small 4-line traction kites that could be used to snowkite, for example
low-end de-powerable parafoil kites, tough and ideal for beginners
more expensive 4-liners, quite good to snowboard or buggy with
mid-range de-powerable foils, perfect for snowkiting
most expensive large kites, stable with smoothly controllable power over a very wide wind range

Hope you got something out of all this parafoil kite info!

A four-line yellow and black parafoil kite in flight.

Photo courtesy of Benjamin Griffiths.

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