KITES

Today's KITES are often huge hi-tech affairs made of space-age materials
such as carbon fibre and decorated in a range of colours. From kites so
large they can lift the people flying them off the ground to more delicate
models which just look pretty, these riders on the wind provide exciting
entertainment for the whole family! 

Kites in Ancient China 

Kites have made their appearance over three thousand years ago, in China. All the right materials were found there, for it's making: Bambou for the frame, and silk for the sail and bridle. It had a mythical and religious dimension. Later it was experimented as a science instrument for various researches. FromChina, the kite was reproduced throughout Asia, then later, in Europe, and now, in the modern age, in America, Australia and other countries.

Kites and Science

American diplomat and scientist Benjamin Franklin experimented with kites to investigate atmospheric electricity, and kite studies were also made by the American physicist and inventor Alexander Graham Bell. 

Beginning in the 1890's and continuing for about 40 years, box kites, consisting of two or more connected open-ended boxes, were used for sending meteorologic instruments aloft to measure wind velocity, temperature, barometric pressure, and humidity.

Kites and the development of Transport

On November 12, 1894, Lawrence Hargrave was lifted from the ground by a train of four of his "cellular kites". This was simply one stage in his quest for a stable lifting surface which could then be powered and used as a means of transportation. Hargrave was doing his utmost to invent the aeroplane! 

Hargrave developed several styles of kites and gliders, refined and developed the concept of curved surface wings, and also invented the rotary engine. He never patented any of his inventions, preferring them to be available for the advancement of mankind. He made scathing attacks on people who experimented in secrecy with the intention of profiting from their inventions, accusing them of trying to exploit humanity. 

On November 7 1903, Samuel Franklin Cody actually crossed theEnglish Channel on a vessel towed by kites.

Kites during War

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, kites were used for lifting military observers to heights from which they could observe the disposition of enemy forces. 

During World War II (1939-1945), kites were also used as gunnery targets. 

French Military kites have long been popular with kitefliers. Their lifting power and stability make them ideal for high altitude flying.

Links to History Sites

Here are a few other pages that are totally dedicated to the History of Kites and nothing else. They have some very interesting information if you care to find out how kites have developed into the modern affairs of today.

Stunt kites

are used to perform tricks and there are no limits to what this kite can do: 360, Axel, Backflip, Cartwheel, Cuckoo clock, Black hole, Helicopter, Walking, Pancake , Stall, Yoyo, all these and more are just a few of the many tricks that these kites, with a little experience of the flyer, can achieve.
Also called Sport Kites, stunters have revolutionized kiteflying in the past few years. Flying a stunter is much more exciting than traditional kiteflying. 

Ultralights need amazingly little wind to fly. Made as lightweight as possible with graphite spars, they're a bit fragile for inexperienced fliers to learn on. 

Quadline Kites have four lines, which give you all of its flight characteristics: speed, direction and pull. Quadline kites can move forwards or backwards, at the speed you choose.
Center pivot turns are done simply by making one side of the kite go forward and the other side backward. 

Power kites, 

on the other hand, serve a very different form of entertainment. They are strong, powerful flyers that are used to do various things. The most popular uses of power kites are buggying, kite sailing and kite jumping. 

These big kites develop a tremendous pull in strong winds. The sporting edge of stunt kite flying, Power Kites appeal to the risk taker who likes the pull and excitement at the max. The danger is obvious, but as with many sports, it's part of the appeal. 

Airfoils: Graceful wind-inflated airfoils, Flexifoils hold the World Speed Record of 120-MPS!
Flexifoil's are very physical kites to fly.
Their unique design and smooth, nearly silent flight provides an exciting flying experience quite unlike any other stunt kite.
Twenty years after their invention, they still seem like something from the next century.
Having just one fiberglass spar at the leading edge and no bridle, Flexi's are simple to set up and easy to fly in stacks. They can be stacked in the same or mixed sizes to develop even more power. 

Delta kites are easy to fly and make great first kites. Flying on the wind rather than against it, they soar on winds light enough to leave most kites on the ground. Semi-flexible construction lets them fly in a wide range of winds, shifting and swooping with bird-like grace at each change in the wind. 

These one-liners are for those almost windless days. 

Diamond Kites are one of the easiest kites to fly. They adjust automatically to gentle or fresh winds, and their long tails make launching a snap, even in gusty winds. 

Box Kites are fascinating structures that, with a good wind, can fly like they always have: steady as a rock. Their open centers add stability while making them unusually light on the line. 

A - Upper Vinyl Wing Connector
- connects Upper spreader to kite frame
B - Stand-off
- keep the shape of the kite, by connecting the sail to the spreaders
C - Lower Vinyl Wing Connector
- connects Lower spreader to kite frame
D - Centre Spine Vinyl Connector
- connects the line to the sail and spreaders
E - Bridle Cup
- a loop that attaches the lines to the kite
F & G - Lower and Upper Spreaders
- Rods that give the kite its shape
H - Spine
- Some kites have no spine eg. Flexi-Foil
I - Nose 

The sail of the kite is the cloth that is put around the kite's frame. It's made from a rip-stop, high performance fabric, such as nylon or polyester. 

The flying lines of the kite are the lines that are used to control the kite.Types are: spectra, dyneema and kevlar.

Flying Fun

BUGGYING : A stack of dual line kites are used to pull a small go-cart along. Strong winds are required to reach maximum speed. Because the best place to fly a kite is on the beach, buggying becomes less dangerous because of the sand as a safety landing for both the kites and the flyer.
Buggying is done on pavement, hard packed beaches, dry lake beds, and grass. Even ice! 

KITE SAILING : A stack of kites are used to sail on water. They act as the sail to a kite sail boat. Why are kites used?
For the simple reason that they are the fastest form of soft water sailing known to man.
Kite sailing is truly an emerging technology sport. There will be huge advances in the near future in both technology and technique in this exciting new field. 

KITE JUMPING : Is generally regarded as one of the more dangerous forms of power kiting. In kite jumping, the pilot uses a very large kite to lift him/herself off the ground for brief periods. Kite jumping would not be so dangerous if not for the inevitable landing which is difficult to control. 

Many people have not only been injured by doing this, but alsocrippled and killed.
Think twice before you attempt this, or speak to someone that has experience and ask them to help you. 

Once you have become experienced enough and feel confident enough to try something really different, then try an attempt at Night Flying. Kite lights use bright LED's visible for hundreds of feet. 

Another way to put more action into your kiteflying is to make use of a parachuting Bear.
The ultimate line climber, the ParaBear is one brave teddy! Launched from his nylon-sailed line climber, he floats to Earth beneath a 2 foot diameter nylon parachute. Reset the launcher on your kite line and up he goes, eager to jump again.
Teddy needs a Delta or Airfoil for a lifting kite. 

Safety Precautions

Flying is great fun, but it can at best become a nuisance to the unconverted, so please be considerate to others and remember that buzzing over peoples heads may look like fun but can be extremely dangerous. So if you want to show off your new found skills, don't do it at the expenses of others. 

Play hard but play safe - nothing stops the fun faster than an injury! 

Important things to remember when flying your kite: 

1. Don't fly near people, especially young children
2. Don't fly close to roads, landing a kite in a road could cause a serious accident.
3. Keep away from overhead power lines.
4. Don't fly near airports.
5. Don't fly your kite in winds stronger than recommended.
6. Although it is unusual for dogs to attack kites while still in the air, always make sure that there are no dogs around when you land your kite. They are known to run away when a kite lands but in some instances they have been known to grab the kite and run away with it.

Tricks 

Once you get used to the controls you can start thinking
about spins and other more advanced tricks:

A Spin: 
When doing a spin, pull one control line or the other (depending on whether you want the kite to turn left or right) and keep pulling until the kite has completed the spin. 

Immediately after the spin, bring your hand back to its original position and the kite will again fly in a straight line. Although you will now have a twist in your lines the controls are exactly the same. Pull left, turn left, pull right, turn right.
To remove the twist, simply spin the other way. 

Jump stall: 
Start with the kite just off center of the wind, in a wingtip stand.
Next, spin the kite into the wind like you were going to land it onto it's opposite tip. When the kite is flat on it's belly during the rotation (nose away), you quickly pop both hands towards you, causing the kite to pop open facing down. Now lightly let one line out so the kite can rotate around pointing the nose up. Now hold the kite in a stall, and slide it out to one side.
This trick is ideal for light wind flying, and requires a kite with a deep sail. 

Helicopter: 
Fly the kite to the top of the wind window (overhead).
Pull both hands to bring it past that point. This will stall the kite.
Extend your left hand (immediately) to initiate a left rotation float. You will have to move forward so that the lines stay under the kite as it floats.
To end this trick, point the nose down and pull the kite back into the wind window. 

What is Radical?

Radical maneuvers are the turns, dives or straight line passes that are normal sport kite maneuvers. Until fliers discovered the radical side of kites, kite designers considered "radical" kite behaviour to be a defect and tuned it out of their kites. Now it can be the basis for winning in competition. 

Some radical tricks: 

Snap Stall: The Kite stops downward in midair.
Axle: The Kite drops forewards and pivots horizontally around it's center.
Feather: The Kite floats on its back parallel to the ground. 

Preparing to Launch

1. Unroll your lines directly upwind and make sure that both lines are of equal length. 

2. Attach lines to clips on the kite 

3. With the kite lying on it's back and with your back to the wind, take up the slack on both lines and pull the kite gently into an almost upright position. At the same time as taking a couple of quick steps back, pull evenly on both lines and the kite will fly to its maximum height. Using gentle movements steer the kite around by pulling left and right. 

Landing your Kite

1. You will have noticed by now that when you reach the side of the wind the kite slows down considerably. This slowing down will help you to land. 

2. Fly to the end of the wind, either left or right a couple of meters above the ground. As the kite reaches the end of the wind turn it upwards and at the same time take a few steps towards it. This action will take all the speed off the kite and it will land gently in an upright position. 

3. Now place the lines on the ground and unclip from the kite to prepare for winding up. On no account walk around with your lines after landing unless you want to spend the next few hours undoing the birds nest which you will now have!