I'm in New Zealand, so we are at the opposite season to you - hoping that things will improve and we get more good days in the coming months, while you move towards winter!

Yes, small kites can be great fun, especially when you fly lots of them, as I did here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rouYkIiHorKSp5o . That Octopus is quite versatile - it doesn't need a lot of wind to fly, but is also good in strong winds without pulling too hard, unlike some other octopus designs.

It's very sad, Mark, that almost all of Into The Wind's designs are no longer made. We were promised that most of them would return when ITW found a new factory to produce them, but with a few exceptions they seem to have given up on that idea. I think cost is a big factor, and any that do return will be at far higher prices than before.

You're probably not far out with the wind estimation, Richard, although I didn't measure it. I sometimes check the readings from our local weather station when I get home, as I never use my wind-meter that I've had for many years.

Skydog make good quality items at reasonable prices. The dragon you mention is smaller than the ITW ones were, but is an excellent kite.

It's unfortunate that the Cobra, and its two sister kites, are no longer made, like most of the Into The Wind products that kite-fliers used to love.

Thanks for watching, Vikram!

Simple is often best, Craig, and they don't get any more simple than the Pop-up!

Glad you like them, and thanks for watching!

Nice to know, Evan!

We've had much worse, Ron, but I don't usually bother in high winds. Years ago I sometimes did, as in this old video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n3fTfph5dr2Cprs .

I hope we have a good summer here to give me the chance to fly often, David. So far this year has been a poor one for flying, and I've done far less than usual.

I've not had any problem with them so far, Colin. The glue idea is a good one. I bought an American product called Fray Guard which does a reasonable job and is basically a modified glue.

I've never done that, Colin. But I have a large Edo kite which came with tails made of very thick brown string (or maybe thin rope!) It didn't appear to work very well on the kite's one and only flight. I replaced the string with fuzzy tails, but have yet to fly the kite a second time. It has so many immensely long bridle lines, which got hopelessly tangled on the first flight, that I'm almost scared to try it again. Your assumption about the paracord is probably correct. The weight and drag of the cord might make an effective tail, but it wouldn't add any attraction to the kite so wouldn't be my choice. I do use paracord for the tie-downs for my kites, and it's good for that.

No worries, Colin, I doubt if many people bothered and it's a very unofficial kind of thing. Good to know you're now a Trilobite owner - it's a great design.

Every kite-flier needs a Trilobite! Make sure you get the genuine article - there are a lot of rip-offs now that modify the design and not for the better. I'd recommend a Trilobite 7, or 10 at the most. Anything bigger is expensive and not comfortable to fly in strong wind. My 10-year-old original T7 is still my most flown Trilobite.

@@JimNicholls ..thanks for the tip Jim!.. something to look for over the winter months here..

A pity you couldn't have been there with your kites, Carl. Peter was unable to be there either, so I was left to do a solo effort which couldn't match up to what we could have achieved together. Conditions weren't good either.

Ma Qinghua is a very clever man, and his designs have certainly become very popular, the simple bridle, as you mention, probably adding to that. I hope you have a dry day soon to show off your collection and maybe upload a video.

Yes they certainly are, Dewey. Glad you enjoyed it.!

You are right, the 16 is definitely at its best in light wind, and I usually keep it for that. I regretted putting it up this time, but as you say, it's self-limiting and made it very clear that it wasn't going to stay up long. I was actually happy that it came down on its own, as it saved me the effort of pulling it down in that strong wind.

@@JimNicholls That is good to know. With my first Trilobite on hand I was surprised that there were very few reinforcements. The 16 has as few reinforcements as the 10. Do you know from which size on they are built with the reinforcements that can be seen on the 64? Self limiting behaviour of course helps. I never heard of Trilobites being ripped apart though.

@@_plinse Sorry, I can't help. My biggest Trilobite is a 16, and I have no knowledge of the bigger sizes.

I'm glad you enjoyed it, Vikram.

That's right, Glenn, and I remember you were holding back until mine had flown as we were unsure if such a novel design would even fly, and concerned about the quality of it. We were, of course, pleasantly surprised on both counts, and soon wanted more than just one. That first one arrived a few days after my 70th birthday, and now I'm facing my 84th coming up in less than three weeks - how time flies!

They are fantastic kites, Craig, so easy to fly (when conditions are good), no assembly needed, and great value.

Bad luck, Ken, but they are fun to fly at any time, not just one weekend in the year.

@@JimNicholls oh I agree. I couldn’t have flown this weekend anyways. It rained today and we had no winds yesterday. Oh well.

I don't like to be beaten by a kite!

Trilobites are great kites!

Glad you enjoyed it, Richard!

@@JimNicholls I don't say it enough, Jim: I appreciate your videos!

Gusty wind is never good to fly in, but the smaller Trilobites fly well in a strong smooth wind, and pull quite hard too. Better luck next time, Nick, and thanks for commenting.

Thank you, Bill, but I'd have preferred some slightly better conditions. The weather is what it is, and we have to make the best of it. You had a very busy weekend, as befits the person who, I think, first thought of the concept of an annual Trilobite Day (now Weekend). Well done!

Glad you think so!

As you know, Ron, there are some much bigger ones around now, but I would never go bigger than the 16, and all sizes are fun.

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

I hope you have better luck with the wind soon.

It certainly is unusual, and very effective. Thanks for watching!

Glad you like them, Evan, and thanks for commenting!

I think we might be past the danger of more snow, Dewey, as spring has warmed up again, but it was a bit hard on all the new-born lambs in the fields.

You're right, it is certainly based on the Lynn design.

None in Christchurch, Bill, and I hope we won't get another cold spell like that now we've passed the equinox, but our weather is quite unpredictable. I remember one Christmas Day in the 1970s when my parents were visiting from England and it was colder here (in mid summer) than it was "back home" in Sussex.

You have out-clevered yourself this time, Carl, and your research is faulty. The Magic Flute featured in a video uploaded on 28 January 2023, see: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZ7XpJuthdCXrdk . I think it has also appeared more recently, but I don't have the time to check.

It was luck, really. The fuzzy tail I'd fitted got hung up on something and the kite suddenly flew perfectly, so it was clear that it needed more drag to be stable.

Thanks, Craig. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Thanks for watching, Richard!

We didn't get any in the city, Ron, but it came close. We don't often get snow in Christchurch, but there have been some heavy falls in the 52 years I've been living here.

It's certainly unusual, Sheryl, and very effective.

Thank you!

Thanks, Evan!

Thank you for another of your good ideas.

All the lines I use are of braided dacron (polyester).

Thanks, Dewey. We thought it was goodbye to winter, but then it came back briefly. Not too bad now, so I hope that spring will not be interrupted again.