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9m Flysurfer Soul PMA Mod for better Performance

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Created by SaveTheWhales > 9 months ago, 24 Jun 2020
SaveTheWhales
WA, 1869 posts
24 Jun 2020 8:44PM
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Ok - Ive had the 9m Soul for a little while and although its good, I felt that it sat a little further back in the window and would be better if it flew forwarde more like the 8m does.
So I finally got round to adjusting the PMA knots on the Internal bottom side of the kite.
You can put your hand in the closest air intake - then do a u turn at the end and slide it back a bit until you find the hole that goes all the way to the wingtip and pull it through. I moved the larks head loop to the next knot about a 1cm at the 8 various points.
Got to 54 mins 50 secs in the video, he shows you how and where to find them...



First Test
8 - 15 knots on a foil.
still very stable and and just sits above you, no overfly, sits forward more in the window.
The bar input is slightly more sensitive and a bit more depower is needed.

Second Test:
15 - 25 knots On a Twin Tip.
Still very stable and if anything, behaved better than the standard setting. No problems with gusts, although it was only a 10 knot difference.. Much better for jumping higher as it climbs more vertically, the gusts just give you an extra Elevator lift very easily and as I thought, the Heli loops are better. From the back of the window you can fly it fast up to 12 and it will just stop there and wait for you, no folding twisting or collapsing. not that it did any of those things anyway..
Not sure why they didn't just release it like that Standard.. Perhaps for those areas with huge gust differences.
I did manage to mess up a few landings putting the kite in the water - damn I love the Souls relaunch !
I thought the kite was good before but now im like farq yeah bring it on.

Thanks Flysurfer design team - Im very impressed to have an extra tuning Option :)

Gilly3
QLD, 794 posts
25 Jun 2020 7:03AM
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Hey Clayton, what line length were u using?

Have u tried different line lengths?

I flew a 10m on 15m lines....was freakin awesome!!

SaveTheWhales
WA, 1869 posts
25 Jun 2020 5:45AM
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Im using 18m lines and 60cm bar - that lets me keep flying at the bottom of the wind range on the foil and fast enough turning for TT jump fun, rather than the regular slow foil kite turn & jump then backwards dangle plop into the water..
Have tried 24m 22m 20m & 15m - the 15 lines lines tend to put too much of a curve in the kite losing its projected area shape... I just change to my 8m Soul problem solved..

The 10m I always thought had enough bottom end that short lines would suit it well - good choice. I think if people were to demo on shorter lines - they would think differently about foil kites being too slow

Aspiremr
WA, 108 posts
25 Jun 2020 8:02PM
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Select to expand quote
SaveTheWhales said..
Ok - Ive had the 9m Soul for a little while and although its good, I felt that it sat a little further back in the window and would be better if it flew forwarde more like the 8m does.
So I finally got round to adjusting the PMA knots on the Internal bottom side of the kite.
You can put your hand in the closest air intake - then do a u turn at the end and slide it back a bit until you find the hole that goes all the way to the wingtip and pull it through. I moved the larks head loop to the next knot about a 1cm at the 8 various points.
Got to 54 mins 50 secs in the video, he shows you how and where to find them...



First Test
8 - 15 knots on a foil.
still very stable and and just sits above you, no overfly, sits forward more in the window.
The bar input is slightly more sensitive and a bit more depower is needed.

Second Test:
15 - 25 knots On a Twin Tip.
Still very stable and if anything, behaved better than the standard setting. No problems with gusts, although it was only a 10 knot difference.. Much better for jumping higher as it climbs more vertically, the gusts just give you an extra Elevator lift very easily and as I thought, the Heli loops are better. From the back of the window you can fly it fast up to 12 and it will just stop there and wait for you, no folding twisting or collapsing. not that it did any of those things anyway..
Not sure why they didn't just release it like that Standard.. Perhaps for those areas with huge gust differences.
I did manage to mess up a few landings putting the kite in the water - damn I love the Souls relaunch !
I thought the kite was good before but now im like farq yeah bring it on.

Thanks Flysurfer design team - Im very impressed to have an extra tuning Option :)


Too funny, seems like Amin told you why they didn't release it like that on KF. Looked good out there Thursday though. Nice.

SaveTheWhales
WA, 1869 posts
25 Jun 2020 8:28PM
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Im guessing hes thinking more along the lines of places that have huge 20 - 30 knot gust variation conditions, people throughout different parts of the world have often spoken of it - as being their normal conditions. A bit like us here in winter squalls getting thrown over the handle bars.. fair enough.

In general though, if someone doesn't know how to do the long & short mixer test adjustments - then tweaking it inst really going to make much difference with uneven rows of bridles.

Rock on the weekend with some fun weather rolling through and jump the doona's

Stu101
131 posts
4 May 2021 6:40AM
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I'm getting funny behaviour with our 9m. Not behaving at all well in gists and yanking me. Wondering if that would help.

weebitbreezy
617 posts
4 May 2021 6:31PM
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Might do? If you look at the Soul user manual (page 20), it suggests that shortening the PMAs on the top skin should make it slower and more stable. Chances are that you would lose some performance though.

I'm assuming you have checked the mixer and the bar settings first though? Bear in mind that the soul isn't any better in gusty conditions than an LEI. If you come off the water and everyone is complaining about the gusts then it might just be the conditions?

Stu101
131 posts
10 May 2021 1:04PM
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Did you leave the pma's changed or did you put them back? I have an issue with our 9m. It yanks in gusts and Miss behaves. The mixer shows all lines even and the lite has only been used maybe four or five sessions. Just doesn't fly right. Very unstable. Bit annoying as feels like a waste of a lot of money. Any ideas on the bridle adjustment to try and correct this. Some one said adjust bu 1.5 on one and 1cm on the other but not sure which line to adjust?

weebitbreezy
617 posts
10 May 2021 7:50PM
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Foil kites take a while to bed in. Often 7-8 hours of flying time. The mixer may need to be adjusted a couple of times during that bedding in process. You don't say how many hours its been flown (4-5 sessions maybe)

I don't have enough experience to diagnose a problem with a kite in gusty winds from a description alone. From my experience, all kites yank you in gusty winds - and high performance foil kites are no exception. What isn't right about it? Why do you say its unstable? I'm not challenging you that there aren't problems, its just that no-one will be able to help from that statement. Is it overflying? Are the tips collapsing? Is it steering in one direction more than the other? What difference between gusts and lulls in wind speed? Is the direction of the wind changing in the gusts?

If its a new kite then maybe start by going back to the dealer for help?

If its a used kite then you may have discovered why the previous owner sold it and it may be worth contacting him to find out how he damaged it (though you might be lucky - the mixer on my soul was connected with a twist - a simple fix and probably the reason the previous owner sold it).

ibahary
2 posts
29 Dec 2021 4:21AM
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I tried this on my 7m Soul a few months ago before flying it for the first time. I loved the kite like this and it was super stable! I often get additional lifts at the height of the jumps. Scary, but amazing!

I never tried the kite before making the adjustment so I'm not sure how the 7m flies with the standard settings... however I just made this adjustment to my 10m Soul after using it on factory settings for a few months, and can attest that there is so much more lift with the PMA adjustments!

Question.. Has anyone tried this on a Sonic 3? I have the 13m and I'm considering giving it a shot...

Since it's a higher performance kite, I'm not sure if it will be stable with this adjustment, or if there will be much benefit ?

Stu101
131 posts
18 Jun 2022 8:42PM
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Can you tell me what exactly you did to the 10m soul? I would like to try it on mine.
also how much better it the 13m sonic 3 compared to the 10m soul. Was thinking of the 11m sonic 3 as looking to get a bit more performance and hangtime than the 10m soul.
is the 13m sonic fast enough? Better boost and hang? Many thanks.



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"9m Flysurfer Soul PMA Mod for better Performance" started by SaveTheWhales