Armstrong HS 1850

I’ve prone surfed my HS1850 (Uni Tail, 72cm mast, 60 cm Fuselage) for 6 sessions now. I’ve had a couple days of head high takeoffs, all the way down to waist high waves. For a wing with such a wide span, it has a smooth lift profile (not abrupt onset) – likely because of it’s thin thickness.

It pumps back out effortlessly – this is where this wing rises above the other Armstrongs. I have the CF1600 (I can pump it, but my technique/weight/age show when I do), the HS1550 (easier to pump than the CF1600, but it isn’t effortless), and a CF1200 (kite with this mostly).

This wing flies down the line. I need to get a GPS watch to be able to see how much faster (or slower), but it is predictable and sets up nicely. When you turn off an oncoming sectionAs you would expect, it needs a wider arc to turn – but it isn’t like night and day to the HS1550 – it really is the same motions, just not as sharp.

I also prone foil Go Foils (GL180, GL140, Iwa, M200, M280) and Slingshot HG (Infinity 76 and the Gamma). All of these work and are fun. But the Armstrongs have this “smoothness” to them, are the most predictable (and as such I tend to push these the hardest), and they need the least tinkering.

I do have the 232 rear stabilizer also (as well as the 50 cm fuselage) – but I like to really get to know a setup well (about 10 outings or so) before I switch it up so I can better understand the differences the changes make.

I weigh 185 lbs and consider myself to be a decent foiler.

Here’s a couple of pictures from one of the head high days