Airush Lift Review - in detail.

The longer detailed review of the Airush Lift from kTwo in the UK. Full walkthrough of the kite - design, flying, setup, characteristics and feel, from Mike Birt who was one of the team riders on the original Lift back in 2002.
For a more detailed walkthrough on the construction used in this and all Airush kites (year model 2020/2021) please see the following vid;
• Airush Kite Construction

[@juliusznowakowicz9382]

i sold my pivots and went to test couple kites to look for next level. one of them was airush lift and it is the winner. i cant stop thinking about it. i fully ageree that this kite is engadeing and in a indescribable way, but i didnt feel it to be easy, quite the oposite. maybe our previous kites and being used to them have something to do with that. in my observations its harder to time a downloop just right and its not so stable in gusty wind but the feeling when you do everything right on that kite is so amazing, so revarding that taking a challange of getting used to the lift is a great fun on its own

[@ktwo-surf]

If felt easy compared to what I was using the season before! There are some quirks - they don't like light winds, and the high Y is important depending on board type and weight, but still loving the things, 9 months on from the first time I flew the protos. This session was yesterday... kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4G5iWOMlK2ampo

[@franciscoramoncleriguesrov7187]

Muy buena explicación gracias por compartir, y que tal funciona la tabla twintip con quillas para surf 🌊?? Gracias

[@ktwo-surf]

It's a bit heavy for sure and needs to be powered, but it's agile, more so than any of the other boosting kites I have tried, so it's easily possible.

[@markclements833]

Hi any news on the new airush union V6 looks a more all rounder to me, tend to ride on south coast UK but also north coast Devon and Cornwall for wave action. I have AR waves at the mo but too focussed on wave does the union sit between the lift and wave? Also much changed on the V6 compared to V5?

[@ktwo-surf]

Hi Mark, yes indeed the wave is a full-on wave kite - and the Union is at the more focussed end of the TT power riding spectrum due to the c shape and fixed bridle, it's definitely not a wave kite in any way. The V6 version has a slightly beefier le in the wing tips for stability in hard loops, but aside that it's the same pattern, so you will feel hardly any difference between V4-V6. I think the kite you are looking for is the session - have you read the test report on it in kiteworld? It is quite something. Not a kite I would normally ride personally, but the report made me want to go and get one! It comes with fixed and pulley bridle option, does wave / freeride / foil and boosting. Test here; magazine.kiteworldmag.com/issue-106/test-airush-session-9m/

[@Kiteboy98]

can you fly it on the duotone click bar ? on the high y its 6-7 meter

[@ktwo-surf]

Yes, and it works well on the V1. You may have to swap the pigtails - not sure if duotone are the opposite way arround to the rest of the industry, but the geometry is identical. For your info - V2 and V3 (soon to be released) are low Y..

[@kryszczuk]

Just bagged two sessions on my new Lift 9m. In comparison with the Union v5 the steering is quite sluggish. It does jump well and has good glide, better than the Union. But does it go higher... not sure. Union is so much faster in the same size that you get a more explosive boost. The lift seems to also have the nasty habit of backstalling instead of drifting after a fast landing - gotta bring the lines into tension immediately after a landed loop else you get a very unpleasant yank after a backstall. Did you test the characteristics of the kite on the two settings of the bridle attachment points on the main tube?

[@ktwo-surf]

Sounds like you need to take it out in a lot more wind. I agree the Union has more punch, but the truth is that the lift will take 2x the wind the union can, and in the winds where the union starts to overpower the lift starts to sing. In those kind of winds it's impossible to back stall. In light winds yes - the lift is heavy and has a very flat profile so unless you keep it going fast it will stall out easily. Also - remember to use the high Y conversion if you are taking the lift to the limit of it's top end for stability. In winds that you can use the union in, the the jumping will be comparable - more glide maybe, but when you have to put the 9 Union down then the next 10-15 knots above, the lift just keeps on going to another level..

[@kryszczuk]

@@ktwo-surf well I was out in some 25kt gusting 30kt, which should sit right in the sweet spot of the kite, according to the kite specs on Airush website. Interestingly enough, I just compared the specs and the Union 9m is recommended for 15-33kt while the Lift 9m for 14.5-32kt... which is almost the same but if any, opposite to what you suggest... I tried the high Y setup but couldn't see any difference.. but I wasn't at the top end of its range as you suggest. It's true that the Lift is much more manageable when maximally depowered than Union is. Depowered Union moves like a fat cow - but then you don't have to depower the Union so much because you can send it to the edge of the wind window by edging (much like with Razor). Lift doesn't seem to fly forward as much as the Union, which is strange considering its high aspect ratio and flat profile.. I will try the different bridle setting today. Fixing the bridles more towards the wingtips should expose more wingtips and give it maybe a notch more agility and less backstall (like it was the case with Union v3)...?

[@ktwo-surf]

I have seen the 9 lift in 45k at 10 degrees and stable on the high Y. The Union can go nowhere near this - simply lifts you off the ground on full depower - It's a radically different kite. The Union is efficient, but size for size has 15kt missing on the top of the windrange easy. High Y makes the kite feel very different - slower turning but more solid on high depower.

[@Jochumvideos]

Thanks for the video. I've heard these kites are on the heavy side compared to let's say duotone, is that true? Nevertheless, seems like a really awesome kite!

[@ktwo-surf]

It had a fantastic test in the kite mag - took gold. Is it not light - well, it's certainly not built for low weight to excel in light winds, and if you compare it to an Ultra for example. Infact the profile is quite flat, and between that and it's weight it's easy to stall out in light winds. That said it's fast turning and develops power through the turn so you can get speed and keep it if you know how to ride, so it's bottom end is pretty good providing you are efficient. When you use it powered though the weight is gone, you don't feel it at all. Remember the build on these things is exceptional - full load frame and it's cleverly done, so you don't get strength through mass. I can't speak for Duotone's physical weight, but the lift is a more expensive, intricate kite to build and in this category weight is least important IMHO..

[@Jochumvideos]

@@ktwo-surf thanks for the reply!