Mojo
Review by Hunter Brown
Manufacturer: Blue Moon Kite Company
Wing Span: 90 inches
Height: 46 inches
Wind Range: 2-16 mph
Approx. Price: $279.00
To many flyers' delight, Ken
McNeill, designer of the famous AirFX, is back in the kite making
business. His new company is Blue Moon Kite Company and the Mojo is the
first in a line of new kites.
The Mojo is built to the highest standards. All of Blue Moon's kites
are hand built and it shows. The sail is 15 panel, Toray ripstop
polyester. The seams are taped and sewn together with a multiple zig zag
stitch. Mylar laminates and Dacron are used to reinforce areas that
could wear or stretch. The nose is constructed with webbing and Dacron.
The leading edges are finished with 1 oz. ripstop while the trailing
edge is cleanly finished with a rolled strip of 1.5 oz. ripstop. The
Mojo is 
framed
with G-Force rods and APA fittings. The bridle is what Ken calls a Turbo
Z bridle. It is a standard turbo bridle with an extra leg that runs from
midway down the upper leg to midway down the leg from the T. This leg
gives extra control in certain maneuvers and also keeps the long turbo
bridle from getting caught on the tail.
A significant design feature is its 3D sail which means that there is
some shape to the sail, it is not just flat. Ken learned this "broadseaming"
technique from the high-performance spinnaker companies, and was used
with great results with the
AirFX.
The construction of the Mojo is of the highest caliber. It is obvious
that this machine is a labor of love.
Now we know the kite is built well but how does it fly? The kite is
very stable in flight and quite predictable. It's speed is medium to
fast, and turns are sharp. When coming out of spins, there is little to
no oversteer and the kite will lock right into a good straight line. The
Mojo does elegant sideslides and dramatic stalls. Tip stab capability is
impressive, and the frame holds up to them with excellent absorption.
All the regular flat maneuvers are easy and have a lot of float. In
light wind you can pull off some really graceful flying with beautifully
flat axels and 540s. The Mojo locks into a fade very well and flips down
out of the fade with ease. It is possible to flic flac but it does take
finesse. When you do get the feel for it, the flic flacs are slow and
graceful also. I found slot machines took a bit more attention and that
it wasn't much of a backflip kite. Both are definitely possible, they
just took a bit more attention. When it is time to step things up 
and
get more aggressive, the Mojo keeps right up with you. It handles hard
snap turns and snap stalls with no problem. Fast axels, cascades,
fountains, and driving tips stabs come flying right out of the Mojo's
book of tricks.
I flew the standard model of the Mojo in both light and strong wind.
In strong wind I found it had a solid pull, seeming to hold a lot of
wind. It performed well while executing stalls, corners, stabs, axels,
and other radical maneuvers. Of course, it was faster in the higher wind
as well. In light wind it was a dream. This is attributable to the 3D
sail. It handled very nicely in about 4 mph of wind but would fly in
less with ease. I found that I preferred the bridle right above the
marks. I felt this
improved precision. This is my opinion of course.
My experience with the Mojo was enjoyable. It was a pleasure to fly
because it was very predictable and performs most of the modern tricks
with grace. It is designed with the single and pairs competitor in mind
and exhibits all the characteristics of a modern competition kite. The
construction is exquisite. If you have ever owned a kite made by a
professional kite builder you know there is nothing like the quality of
a hand built kite. The Mojo should suit many types of flyers. It is
stable, predictable, and elegant for the calm and relaxed flyers, yet it
can be quick, snappy, and surprising for the aggressive flyers. We are
glad to see Ken back and we look forward to his next creation!
The Mojo is available from Blue Moon's website at http://www.bluemoonkites.com.
