Kites & kiting

[LaurieAG]

Hi Laurie,

;) :shrug: I keep the line staked to the ground, and use heavy gloves to work the line. The pull is so great that the kite is walked down, not reeled in. I have never had a spring scale to measure the pull on the line, but it is significant. My purpose is not to fly myself, but my video camera. ;)

 

:D That's the big ticket. We all experience this when we 'fly' a hand out a fast moving vehicle window. :)

 

Hi Turtle,

 

I bet you'd get a fair bit of lift in a strong wind as my small (2.8mx1.2m) stunt kite can drag me along skiing in a 30 knot breeze.

[LaurieAG]

That's a good idea Laurie!

 

Hi Freeztar,

 

About 10 years ago I was thinking of something trailer sized that would hold a kite, a generator, the reel and storage batteries. The only thing it needed was some sort of auto control mechanism that would allow the reel to control the kite safely.

 

Maybe Turtle would like to have a go at electricity generation after he sets up his box kite for a video camera? I wasn't really thinking about a box kite then but it would be perfect and a lot safer than a stunt (delta) kite., and you could use the tethers to move the electricity generated.

[Turtle]

..

Maybe Turtle would like to have a go at electricity generation after he sets up his box kite for a video camera? I wasn't really thinking about a box kite then but it would be perfect and a lot safer than a stunt (delta) kite., and you could use the tethers to move the electricity generated.

 

Mmmmm..........sounds like an invitation to :shrug:: :eek: :D;)

 

However, I was away thinking something along the lines of the way wave generators work at sea. :D The main kite line attached to a spring/piston setup on the ground that pumps hydraulic fluid to drive a turbine to drive a shaft to drive a generator to make electricity to put in the batteries in the trailer that Laurie built. ;) ..........:)

[Turtle]

Hi Turtle,

 

If you google 'hargreaves box kite' you get the following as well as a couple of his kite designs.

 

Hargrave, Lawrence - Hutchinson encyclopedia article about Hargrave, Lawrence

 

Are you going to get a lift out of yours?

 

Mmmm...I tried that link and got a page saying I needed a subscription!? The page also indicated Wiki had no article. :camera: :) They do, and here it is free: >> Lawrence Hargrave - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Workers must root out the idea that by keeping the results of their labors to themselves a fortune will be assured to them. Patent fees are so much wasted money. The flying machine of the future will not be born fully fledged and capable of a flight for 1000 miles or so. Like everything else it must be evolved gradually. The first difficulty is to get a thing that will fly at all. When this is made, a full description should be published as an aid to others. Excellence of design and workmanship will always defy competition."

 

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[DougF]

Well I decided to build a standard kite with my grandson (Dylan) and we had some good wind last week so we tried and succeeded in flying our newly maid kite.

[Turtle]

Well I decided to build a standard kite with my grandson (Dylan) and we had some good wind last week so we tried and succeeded in flying our newly maid kite.

 

Nice! I'm afraid however :doh:, that I'm going to need a few more details. :hyper: What kind of wood? What is the fabric? What does 'DX' mean? How are the seams secured? Did you bow it, or fly it flat? How high did you guys get it? Is that reel & string special for kites, or is it a contractor's line & reel?

 

Feeeedddd me! :D

[DougF]

Turtle

Nice! I'm afraid however ' date=' that I'm going to need a few more details. What kind of wood? What is the fabric? What does 'DX' mean? How are the seams secured? Did you bow it, or fly it flat? How high did you guys get it? Is that reel & string special for kites, or is it a contractor's line & reel?

 

Feeeedddd me! [/quote']

 

OK if you must know this is a cheep kite built with stuff I had lying around.

the wood is 1/4 in round dowel, one 3' and one 4' with a groove cut on all four ends to hold the string that wraps around the perimeter of the kite.

 

After tying (with string) the two pieces of wood together (center of the 3' piece and 1' 3" down on the 4' piece) I then tied a slipknot on the string that wraps around the perimeter of the kite, (at this pint in time the kite is flat)

then I took my trusty 3mm thick plastic, that I use around my screen room in the winter, and laid my kite frame on it and cut 3" bourder around the kite,

and a creasent cut at the ends of the sticks (this alows me to wrap the plastic over the string and tape it to the back of the kite while leaving the string free to move and accessable at the sticks) note: no tape on sticks or string.

 

now it looks like a kite, but were not done yet now I put the bow in it,

I tied a string to one side of the 3' stick and pulled it around the other side to creat 2" bow in the center (CAUTION: you don't want to brake your stick) I realy like a 3" bow but the wood was old, use your own judgement.

 

now I need a cup of Java

 

this is where we took a perment marker and put the D X on the font then took some plastic friendly paint and painted it (PS the marker will bleed though the paint and it sticks to the plastic) let paint dry drink a cup of Java :hyper:

 

I then tied some string to the stick through the plastic at 9" down from the top of the 4' stick and leaving some slack in the line went down 2' and tied it the same way, to this string I tied line and reel in a maner that I can change the angle of the kite. (and yes it is a contractor's line & reel)

 

I then took 8' of some pink flaging I had lying around found the mid point and tied it to the kite for a tail.

 

we got it up about 75' before the wind gave out.

 

the D X is a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) logo WWE: Homepage

for D Generation X Degeneration-X Merchandise - Degeneration-X Toys & Action Figures, DX Clothes & More - WWEShop.com

The boy is a BIG fan.

[freeztar]

Great post Doug!

 

to this string I tied line and reel in a maner that I can change the angle of the kite. (and yes it is a contractor's line & reel)

In which manner did you tie the string to allow you to control the angle of the kite?

[Jet2]

Kite is the perfect combination of Art and Science...

 

1221 Shots: [big Bird]

 

I just saw an exhibition of classic Chinese kite painting in Beijing two days ago. This one is taller than me!

[Giles Corey]

I rarley fly kites, but this is as inspired to do so, as I have ever been. :shrug:

~Giles Could Fly?

[freeztar]

I rarley fly kites, but this is as inspired to do so, as I have ever been. :shrug:

~Giles Could Fly?

 

I feel the same way! :hihi:

 

External enthusiasm is always a good motivator!

 

When I was a young lad, I bought several kites of the pre-assembled kind (polyethylene and balsa wood (maybe bamboo?)). It's great to see these "new" designs manifest from the more experienced amongst us.

[freeztar]

Kite is the perfect combination of Art and Science...

 

1221 Shots: [big Bird]

 

I just saw an exhibition of classic Chinese kite painting in Beijing two days ago. This one is taller than me!

 

And it flies?! :shrug:

 

The paintings are beautiful. :hihi:

[Jet2]

And it flies?! :shrug:

 

The paintings are beautiful. :hihi:

 

 

It surely can and it's been flying high for thousands of year.

 

Every year there are various kite festival holding in different cities throughout China. Here are a few links for your reference:

 

Weifang Kite Festival - Chinese Kite Festilvals - Asian Kite Festivals - International Kite Festivals

china kite on line

Chinese Kite Festival

[freeztar]

It surely can and it's been flying high for thousands of year.

 

Every year there are various kite festival holding in different cities throughout China. Here are a few links for your reference:

 

Weifang Kite Festival - Chinese Kite Festilvals - Asian Kite Festivals - International Kite Festivals

china kite on line

Chinese Kite Festival

 

Wow!

 

That red star kite looks like the coolest kite I've ever seen!

 

Thanks Jet2! :shrug:

[Turtle]

It surely can and it's been flying high for thousands of year.

 

Is it silk? Do you, or anyone, know the earliest known example of a kite in the world? :) Just read the link...never mind. :cheer:

 

You all have me jazzed too! All talk, and no wind! :cheer: Anyway, Freezy you asked about attaching the flying line to the bridle to set the angle of attack. I can't tell what Doug did by the photos, but I have made you a vid of my method for an adjustable connection.

 

For the same kite, a light wind will need an angle of attack steeper (main plane of kite surface closer to vertical), and in a stronger wind, a shallower angle of attack. Typically this is a field adjustment made on the fly (:cheer:) and no time to want to fiddle with a tough knot.

 

Now if....oh yeah...the vid... :hihi: ..........:shrug:

 

YouTube - Lark's-head & ring kite bridle attachment http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1swWaHd54I

[DougF]

freeztar

In which manner did you tie the string to allow you to control the angle of the kite?

 

I tied a slipknot to the looping string on the kite (see photo) if I slide this knot down a inch or two I can get better lift at liftoff (I use this in lower wind) and I slide it up a inch or two in stronger wind as it has a tendency to jump right up to altitude. :shrug:

 

(Note: this is only a small adjustment that allows you to change the angle of the kite in relation to the string holding it.)

 

[DougF]

Thanks for the video Turtle you are right on the money.