Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwEU1oqinTk
Ok here we go then a review of the new X Flights from Unicorn Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Oh did I mention I hit a 180 with these, well I did lol. Hey I don't hit that many so I will shout out a bit about it and you can see it in the video above too, nice to catch one on video, its a rare thing so savour it! Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
I got these when I went to the Unicorn launch in June, so many thanks to Unicorn and I have been using them about a week or so now.
The system is available to buy as a full kit with stems body and flights which retails for £7.80. The wings and body are available for £2.99 each and the stems are £3.59.
As we all know there is many moulded flight systems available these days so I guess we don't really need another one, but who cares, its nice to have lots of choice right? And we are Nutz are we not? so we always want new things to try Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Unicorn already have other moulded flights available in the Supertrue and they have had them in the past (nova plume for example) long before others have in recent times so its not like they are copying off others but I guess just pandering to the market of more of the same but in a slightly different way.
Whats different about these is they are the first 3 piece polymer flight system, comprising body, wing and polycarbonate stem. I am not sure if having 3 pieces in an advantage in itself but I guess the thing is you can interchange the colours of the wing and body to suit your own style albeit within the range of colour options available which at present is black, white, clear, blue and red.
I think one other advantage is you are more likely to replace just body and wings rather than the stems, unless your very unlucky and need to replace a stem too.
One other possible advantage is the fact the wings can be removed and stored flat, so unlike other moulded flights they should be easier to store in your case just like a regular poly flight.
I show a close up of the flights been assembled in the video but its very simple, the body inserts into the stem and on the body is a slot/channel which has some very fine notches, the wing has some very small nubs which locate into the notches on the body, you just slide the wing into the body slot and make sure it clicks into the little notches.
Once assembled you have a nice 90 degree angled flight and one that can rotate but is not so loose that it rattles.
The wing itself has a very slight play left and right and this probably helps when having contact with other darts in the board.
The top and bottom edges of the wings of the body and wing are slightly thicker to aid in durability and I think overall the plastic they are made from seems quite tough and durable but surprisingly the long stem setup was almost exactly the same weight as my medium nylon stem and poly standard flight, so should be no difference in affecting the balance of the dart.
I would say the long stem x-flight is closest to being a medium normal stem and the medium X-flight is likely closest to an inbetween with the short x-flight been slightly longer than a normal short but I have posted a pic of the measurements below so you can compare with your own setup.
The design of the flights is very intricate and finely made, I was not sure if such a design would be strong enough to keep the flights in place from impacts, I was expecting the wings to keep coming loose which would get very annoying but they did not, they did when my dart had a heavy impact on the floor, but it just came out of the notch on one side and I very quick push and it was back to a perfect 90 degree angle again.
On the whole I have not had any problems with them so far, they seem quite tough and durable and if you watch my video above you can see how the flights rotate on contact at times. I would say the rotation is a little more free since using them for a while but its still not loose enough to rattle on its own and still needs a bit of force to rotate. I will keep you posted if it does get more loose though.
But as with all these moulded flight systems I think a lot is on the users personal opinion on whether its any good for them or not, I cant say if they have improved the way my darts fly, although I have had some nice groupings its very hard to say if they have made any difference, in fact they feel just like a usual set up would be for me which is not a bad thing I guess.
One thing I have always liked about the moulded flights is their ease of use, these are easy to set up of course but there is others that are very slightly easier in that respect, but there is not much in it as to moan about.
I think for some people having a system like this that's easier to store could be a winner but I think it would be nice to see them priced a little cheaper. The full kit is reasonable and comparable with others but if you did not want the black and white or long stems then you have to buy the 3 separate parts which comes to just under £10 but if it lasts well then it may not be so bad, will have to see how long they last though Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images. May be the price could be cheaper with less packaging?
On the whole I have been happy with them so far, they are a nice looking flight and the clear stems help to set it off and its nice to have some personalisation options, I will just need to try them for longer to see how they fare and if the way they fit together holds up, I am hopeful it will from what I have seen so farGuests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Everything comes in these packs with a description on the back of what each item is:
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Assembling the flights is easy:
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Perfect 90 degree angles:
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Ready to fly!
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Darts set up with normal medium nylons and standard flights and long X-flight stems and flights:
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Normal medium nylon and standard flights and long, medium and short X-Flights lengths:
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Weight is near identical:
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Oh did I mention I hit a 180? LOL Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images. (got to milk it, may be last one I hit the whole year! )
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Edit:
Some one on Facebook has told me of a problem they noticed with the X-Flight stems, they said the stems did not sit right in their barrels and as I had 3 sets I decided to check them more closely.
Now bear in my I have very bad astigmatism so its not easy for me to spot such things but the long stems I used seem to be fine and the short stems look ok too but 2 of the medium stems were quite off centre when I tried them.
I tried them on a few barrels to make sure and also put them on some lined paper which helped me see it but there is a definite angle to the stem i.e. not straight.
I don't know if this is because my sets are early production sets or what but if any one has got some or ordered them and waiting for them then let me know if yours are ok, its a pity if they are more out there like that as the system seems quite good so far, I hope its just an early production glitch Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
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