Built by Hunter Brown and Paul DeBakker of Focus Kite Designs, the 2009 Hydra is a top notch stunt kite with no detail left overlooked. The leading edges are SkyShark P2X tubes, combining the stiffness and strength of P300 tubes with the weight of P200s. The end result is one incredibly sturdy kite that can be violently tip-stabbed without any ill effects. The leading edges use APA connectors for the spreaders and c-clips glued in place as stoppers. “I like to use just enough glue so I can still pull the stoppers off with my teeth.” — Paul DeBakker, August 2009
The yo-yo stoppers are integrated into the leading edge, rather than fastening on the outside, leaving the edge clean and smooth. Contributing to the already stiff frame, the Hydra incorporates a fiberglass stiffener inserted into the pultruded carbon spine, extending all the way up to the center tee, providing further reinforcement. There’s also a brass weight installed at the tail end of the keel, aiding the kite’s ability to pitch.
The Hydra also features a continuous Mylar panel along the trailing edge. According to Paul DeBakker, the stiffer trailing edge contributes to the kite’s low wind performance, by helping to maintain the sail shape when the wind pressure isn’t strong enough to do it naturally. To keep the kite from displaying a ragged, sharp mylar edge, the Mylar panel is sandwiched between two layers of Icarex. The Hydra also features small winglets, with micro fiberglass battens to tension the trailing edge near the wingtips.
The bridle features only a single point of adjustment, where the nose can be tipped back by means of adjusting a lark’s head knot at the upper attachment point on each side of the bridle. The section of bridle which crosses over the Avia B-Tweeny lower spreaders is sleeved, to help reduce wear.
My particular Hydra sees a lot of flight time over hard-packed clay soil and tall fescue grass, so I’ve managed to break or lose a couple of my winglet battens, but Hunter & Paul have been great about replacing them for me.
So, how does it fly ?
This kite is balanced like a precision chef’s knife. While it does feature a few tuning options (the aforementioned bridle setting, plus the removable spine stiffener and barrel weight), it has definitely been tuned to fly with the factory settings. In fact, in conversation with Paul he reveals that no matter what the wind conditions, he has not yet changed his Hydra off the stock settings.
It has a remarkably wide wind range, I’ve personally witnessed Paul flying it in 2mph and 18mph winds, the latter during his 1st Place Master’s Ballet routine at the Old Dominion Sport Kite Championship. Even under maximum wind conditions, the kite still maintains it’s light, balanced feel; it picks up speed, but it still doesn’t have very much pull.
Regardless of the wind speed, the Hydra is always ready to be put into a stall. As a freestyle kite, it transitions smoothly from one trick to the next, but definitely rewards proper pilot input. If you’re flailing around and hoping the kite will make you look good, you’ll be in for a poor surprise. The Cascade is a very good example of this, it requires three distinct, well timed inputs, otherwise the kite just limply drops from the ceiling to the ground. I’ve found that a fingertip touch is best in all but the strongest winds, particularly in combination tricks like the Jacob’s Ladder (done primarily with my wrists and fingertips, rather than by moving my arms).
The kite does have a very shallow backflip/turtle. Watching it in flight, it actually backflips a little deeper, then settles into a shallower position. According to Paul, he wanted a kite that wasn’t going to sit deeply in a turtle and be difficult to recover. The Hydra will easily pop out of the backflip if too heavy an input is given, and it did take me a little while to learn just how small an input is needed to spin the kite while it is on it’s back. However, ground-based pitch tricks such as the Flapjack and Roll-up Launch are standouts on this kite, because of that initial, deeper rotation. The Hydra rotates in a very tight arc around it’s center of gravity and can be rolled up multiple times.
Despite being built for freestyle, the Hydra still has elements of it’s precision, inherited from the larger Jinx which inspired it. It tracks across straight lines, has sharp square corners, and can execute a crisp snapstall that adds dramatic punctuation to a ballet routine.
Bottom line, if you’re looking for a hand-crafted, thoughtfully designed and meticulously crafted kite, one that will give you the best elements of both precision and freestyle flying, the 2009 Hydra is the way to go. While this kite is best suited to the intermediate to advanced flyer, the focus on giving proper inputs is essential at any skill level. I know there are a lot more tricks still locked up in my Hydra, and I can’t wait to get them out.
-Jared
