Condor Competition?

Since the invention of the one-piece flight and stem system for darts of the Condor dart flights system out of Japan a few years back, many have tried to replicate this innovation.

Now I’m not talking about a moulded or fitted flight like the Cosmo, Robson, L-Style or 8flight systems that are available in the market today. But the one-piece flight and stem system that screws straight into the barrel and away you go….play on.

The benefits of these one-piece flight and stem systems are that there is no flight and shaft separation during play, so you don’t have to pick up your fallen flight every now and then. There’s also reduced air resistance given that there is no joint between the flight and the shaft making it easier for your darts to group much closer together than a normal setup of a separate stem/shaft and flight. Not to mention the fact that these one-piece flight and stem systems greatly reduce, or in some cases completely eliminates “robin hoods” where the point of one dart lands and sticks into the flight or shaft of another dart already in the dartboard.

Currently there is a multitude of companies around the world who have tried to make their own one-piece system. This includes the K-Flex by Target along with Fox Smiling, CyeeLife darts and other unbranded versions out of China with their own one-piece versions.

But the drop recently by Winmau Darts out of Wales of the Fusion “Integrated Flight & Shaft system” is probably one of the best yet that I have seen in recent months. The Fusion is a mix between the Condor AXE (which is rigid and doesn’t bend at all) and the Condor Zero Stress (which provides a lot of flexibility and give). The Winmau Fusion has a little give when hit by the following dart thus minimizing deflections. So why is this better than either of the Condor versions? The Fusion is tough enough that it will take the hit from the following dart and allows it to run down the shaft to provide tight grouping but has enough give that it doesn’t ricochet that subsequent dart away, as can happen with the Conder AXE at times.

The other benefit of the Fusion is that it is priced cheaper than the Condor AXE by about four or five dollars a set which is always nice.

There is talk in the darts world that other versions of a one-piece flight and shaft system are on the cards by other darts companies around the world, but for now even though it is early days, the Winmau Fusion is looking like a popular option to the Condor’s.

Straight Arrows everyone

Paul Webber

Owner – Bullseye Darts