Dominic Moore was able to test the prototype of the new F-One Bandit 4.
I’ll keep it brief, and you didn’t hear this from me right, but the F-One Bandit 4 is nearing completion. It’s a little later this year; Raphaelle Salles and Silvan (boss and designer of F-One respectively) always make stacks of prototypes, and this year, they’ve surpassed even themselves.
I flew the 9m with a surfboard and twin tip in a good blow for about 1hour. I’ll be doing a full review in primo conditions this September on the F-One press trip in Mauritius, and the report will go into Kitesurf Magazine.
OK – so primary changes:
Design
1. Thee struts
2. Different C-profile. Not more C, not less C, just curved in different spots
3. A new bar with a re-designed safety is in the offing, BUT the 4 still works perfectly with the 3 bar
4. Wingtips are much more squared off
5. Not so fat in the middle, fatter in the tips, but still a delta.
In flight:
1. More urgency to the steering – many will prefer the Bandit 4 handling to the Bandit 3. Put this lively feel down to the wider tips
2. Easier to hit the boost button with it
3. Same massive wind range as the Bandit 3
4. Even smoother and more forgiving when powered / in choppy conditions than the Bandit 3
5. Better kiteloops; the Bandit 3 was good, but the 4 flies up even faster to the zenith and gives you a nice lift on the way down
In the short time I had to fly it, the 4 feels to have all the versatility of the 3, but the last few remaining quirks that were putting off die hard hybrid or C fans have been ironed out. I was most impressed with the direct feel of the 4 over the 3. I personally anticipate it will be an even better kite in the waves for this.
Brief details over. Expect the same stellar build quality and Dacron Force Frame and Integrated Struts, oh and EVO bridle. Here are a few shots I grabbed, REMEMBER THESE ARE PROTOTYPES so there are no graphics and that’s why there are so many bridle connection points on them.
