How To Build A Paper Diamond Kite

Building your own kite is easy, but proper design and materials are important components to consider. Structural materials should be strong, lightweight, and durable. Balsa strips are the most frequently used, but lightweight fiberglass poles and quarter inch dowels may also be considered. This article will describe how to build a kite and will tell you the materials needed to make a diamond paper kite

The covering materials should have similar qualities. You may use tissue, wrapping paper, or newspaper. Ripstop nylon used for making tents can also be considered if it is not too heavy.

The kite line should be strong and lightweight, at least thirty pound test. Kite line is best, but mono-filiament fishing line will also work. Please do not use wire, as it conducts electricity. This could be disastrous if your kite encounters a power line, or if you fly the kite in bad weather.



There are a number of ways of getting neat kite designs. Some are available in the internet. Your local library probably has books on the subject. The Walter Foster book - Making Kites can be found at some craft and hobby store.

Making a kite is a good project for a kid’s group because it can be an educational and fun experience. The diamond kite is the easiest kite to build, and is probably the oldest design in use. To make a small diamond kite you will need the following items which are available at a hobby or craft store:

1. 2 balsa strips approx 3/16 Inch X 3/8 Inch X 36 Inch
2. Craft tissue - 20 Inch X 26 Inch
3. Kite string - 30 LB test
4 Cellophane tape or glue stick
5. Scissors and sharp hobby knife
6. Colored markers, crayons, - if you want to decorate the kite
7. Crepe paper
You may decorate the tissue paper first if you like. Use markers or crayons to put a design of your choice on the kite. Keep the design as close to the center of the paper as possible to ensure it is visible.

Cut one balsa strip to 26 inches long with the hobby knife. Cut the other one to twenty inches long. Notch both ends of both strips with the knife. Lay the balsa sticks perpendicular to each other, shorter one divided in half about about nine inches from the one end of the longer one. Lay the balsa sticks perpendicular to each other, shorter one divided in half about about nine inches from the one end of the longer one. Tie the two together firmly with string, or wire twistums. Outline the structure with some of the kite string, running the string through the notches, and pulling tight. Tie firmly! This completes the framework for the kite.

Lay tissue on a flat, clean, dry surface. Lay kite frame over the tissue and pull the corners of tissue tight, folding the edges over the string. Cut the tissue with the scissors allowing about an inch overlap. Tape, or glue with glue stick, the overlap to the tissue, pulling it tight.

Using a short end of string, form a loop on one end and place in the notch of one end on the shorter cross piece. Gently bow the piece, tying the other end of the string to the other end of the short crosspiece. Remove the twist ties holding the two structural pieces together to avoid breaking the cross piece Do not bow too much. Replace twist ties. Cut another end of string about 30 feet long. Tie one end onto the top of the kite, one end to the bottom. This is the bridle line.

Find the balance point - extend one finger and place the tow line on it. Slide the bridle line along your finger until the kite is perfectly balanced on your finger. This is where you tie the kite line. You may use the crepe paper, or long strands of colored lightweight fabric as a tail. Use a small amount in light winds, more in heavy winds.

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© 2012 Hobby Hobnob

Different Types Of Kites

Different Types Of Kites

There are literally hundreds of different types of kites to choose from, so how do you know what to buy? Choices can be narrowed down rather quickly if you decide what you want from the kite, and who your are buying for, if it is a gift.

Quality should be a major consideration in your decision. Cheap kites will fall apart after only one or two flying sessions. A good quality kite may last several years if it is not eaten by a tree!

Quality kites will feature ripstop nylon covering material, fiberglass or durable plastic structural material, tough connectors, and kite line suitable for the kite. The cost of a quality kite in comparison to a cheap one may seem like a lot, but the quality kite will fly better and last much longer. Many quality kites offer a warranty on the materials. Unfortunately, the warranty doesn’t cover hungry trees.

If the kite is to be a gift, the age of the recipient will determine to a large degree the type of kite purchased. Children as small as toddlers can fly a mini-kite with supevision. Mini-kites are available in three styles - diamond, delta, and box. These neat little kites are about ten inches long, and fly well.

Kids five and up have more choices. Smaller diamond kites and sky dancers are good choices. Sky dancers require no assembly aside from tying on the flight line. They are colorful, active kites in the sky.

Giant dragon kites are great gifts for kids ten and up. These kites need no assembly, and have tails ranging from eighteen to thirty feet in length. Delta kites are wonderful beginner kites because they are so easy to fly and have several variations. One variation are bird shaped kites, many of which have flapping wings.

Box kites are also a good choice for the kids in this age group if they are a little more experienced kite fliers. There are many variations of the box kite to choose from. Box kites require a little more assembly than the kites previously mentioned. Wind requirements are also higher, needing at least eight mph breeze to launch. They are very stable fliers once launched.

Variations of the box kite include cellular, geometric, and transportation kites. Cellular and geometric kites offer unique shapes and colors. Eyecatching, they are fun and easy to fly. Trasnsportation kites are box kites which are modeled after aircraft. Monoplane, bi-planes, helicopters feature turning propellers which add to the appeal. A balloon style kite has a spinning gondola hung under it. These kites are suitable for kids ten and up

Parafoils are frameless kites which sort of resemble parachutes. These sturdy kites are compact, and can be carried in a backpack. Great for picnics or a day at the beach they can be enjoyed by kids eight and up. The larger ones are suitable for ten and up.

Stunters are for older kids and adults. Beginner stunt kites can fly in as little as six mph wind, but don’t perform as many stunts as the bigger ones. There are different levels of stunt kites - beginner, intermediate, and advanced competition level. The larger stunters require at least eight mile per hour wind to fly.

Soft stunt kites are similiar to the smaller parafoils in that they have no structural material. There are many sizes available, the largest can be safely used by people eithteen and older. The giant foils can pull a person on in line skates or skies. Beach dwellers use them with boogie boards, a short version of the surfboard, to kite across the surf - an impressive sight to see.

As you can see there are a lot of diffent types of kites and all are fun to fly.

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© 2012 Hobby Hobnob

How Does A Kite Fly - Kite Parts

Kites are aircraft by definition, a heavier than air craft consisting of a wood or fiberglass frame which is covered by light fabric, paper, or plastic. To this craft is attached a string, which is held by the flier on the ground. How does a kite fly? The kite achieves flight by virtue of its resistance to the wind provided by the string held firmly by the flier, and lift provided by the flow of air over and around the frame.

All kites, although different in appearance, have parts which can be identified and which are common to most kites. The parts of a kite are few and easy to learn. The nose is the top point of the kite. The center stick is the vertical support stick which determines the kites height. The bridle line is the line to which the tow, or kite line, is attached. The bridle line is attached at the nose of the kite and also at the base of the center stick. The tow line is the line held by the flier. It is attached to the bridle line at the tow point, which is the point on the bridle line at which the kite is perfectly balanced, allowing it to fly.

1. Tow Point
2. Leading Edge
3. Trailing edge
4. Bridle Line
5. Keel
6. Cross Stick
7. Nose
8. Center Stick

The launching field for your kite should be a fairly open space. Houses, trees, and towers love to eat kites. Especially avoid utility poles due to elecrocution hazard. Good places to fly kites can be found at athletic fields, beaches, and parking lots. City, county, or state parks may also have areas ideal for kite flying.

To fly the kite you will need wind. Pretty basic. But winds can vary, and kites are different in the amount of wind they will need to fly. A slight wind which can be felt on your face and cause trees to lightly rustle will be about a five mile per hour wind. Mini kites and delta kites will fly in this wind.

A gentle breeze of about six to ten miles per hour will extend flags and put tree leaves in constant motion. Now you can fly delta kites, dragon kites, and diamond kites.

When the wind begins to lift dust and small papers off the ground, it is classed a moderate breeze at about eleven to fifteen miles per hour. You may fly parafoils, large diamonds, and stunt kites.

When small waves form on inland lakes and pond, the wind is about sixteen to twenty miles per hour and is called a fresh breeze. Stunt kites, diamonds and deltas will fly in this type of wind.

At twenty-one miles per hour and above you have no business flying a kite. Find a *hole and crawl in!

Light Breeze - 0 - 5 MPH
Wind felt on face, leaves rustle
Fly - Large delta kites
Gentle Breeze - 6 - 10 MPH
Leaves and small twigs in constant motion, wind fully extends flags
Fly Delta, Dragon, Big Wing Stunter Kites
Moderate Breeze - 11 - 15MPH
Raises dust and small paper, small branches move
Fly- Diamond, Cellular, Parafoils, Soft Stunter Kites
Fresh Breeze - 16 - 20 MPH
Small leaved trees begin to sway, crested whitecaps on inland lakes
Fly Small Stunt Kites
Strong Breeze - 21 MPH +
Large branches move, umbrellas difficult to control
Kites should not be flown in this kind of wind

You don’t have to run a marathon to launch a kite. The easiest way to launch a kite is to tie it to a rocket, launch the rocket and play out the line real fast! Just kidding. If the breeze is strong enough, you can stand in place and play out the line slowly as the kite gains altitude. A good kite will go right up. Another method is to have a friend take the kite about fifty feet downwind, and hold the kite aloft. Pull the line taut while your friend lets go of the kite. Pull the line toward you hand over hand. Play out the line as the kite gains altitude.

Kites are decidedly low tech, so problems are few. Most problems seem centered around the need for a tail. Not all kites need a tail, but most kites can benefit from the stability offered by one in high winds. Tails can be for fun or decoration. Good quality kites will include a tail with the kite if one is needed.

If the kite won’t gain altitude either the wind is too feeble, the tail is too heavy, or the tow line may need to be adjusted. Move this 1/8 inch at a time, up or down, to adjust.

© 2012 Hobby Hobnob Back to All About Kites

All About Kites

All About Kites Simple pleasures are the best, and kite flying ranks as one of the simplest pleasures life has to offer. Most people have enjoyed kite flying at some point in their lives, either as children flying a simple diamond kite, or if they're lucky, they've kept up the hobby well into their adult lives. Many of us enjoy kites, but few are aware of the vast length of time kites have been with us or of the many contributions kites have made to our history. The history of the kite is a fun story to read!

Kites are aircraft by definition, a heavier than air craft consisting of a wood or fiberglass frame which is covered by light fabric, paper, or plastic. To this craft is attached a string, which is held by the flier on the ground. How does a kite fly? Read the story and find out!



There are literally hundreds of different types of kites to choose from, so how do you know what to buy? Choices can be narrowed down rather quickly if you decide what you want from the kite, and who your are buying for, if it is a gift.

Building and flying your own kite is easy, but proper design and materials are important components to consider. Structural materials should be strong, lightweight, and durable. Balsa strips are the most frequently used, but lightweight fiberglass poles and quarter inch dowels may also be considered. This article will describe how to build a kite and will tell you the materials needed to make a diamond paper kite.

Building and flying kites is a fun activity which dates back thousands of years in our history. Kite flying has contributed to our knowledge of aviation, meteorology, and engineering. Kite flying is a fun and relaxing recreation. A sunny, breezy day is made just for finding a spot to launch one.

How Does A Kite Fly - Kite Parts

Different Types Of Kites

Who Invented Kites and Where Were They Invented?

History Of Kites In Aviation

When Were Kites Invented?

Who Invented the Kite

History of Kites - China

How To Build A Paper Diamond Kite

History of Kites – Thailand

Kites In Chinese History

History of Kites - Japan

Kites - A History - Evolution

History of the Kite - Sir George Cayley

History Of Kites - Meteorology

History of Kites - Carriages

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History of the Kite - Niagara Gorge Kite Contest

Ben Franklin And His Kite

Kite History - The Telegraph

History of Kites - Torpedoes

History of the Kite - The Wright Brothers

History of Kites - World War I

Kite History - World War 2

History of The Kite – Kites At War

© 2012 Hobby Hobnob

History of The Kite - Kites At War

The kite was used as a military tool very early in its history. The Chinese were the inventors of the kite and were the first to use the kite for warfare. Han Hsin of the Han Dynasty used a kite to allow him to evade an enemy city's defenses. He needed to build a tunnel under the city's walls, but required a tool to help him determine how far to dig the tunnel. He had a kite flown over the city, marked the line and pulled the kite in. Engineers then began to dig the tunnel. When they reached the length determined by the kite string, they started ascending. The tunnel entered the city in the courtyard. His troops were able to enter the city and captured it. The Chinese also used kites to lift fireworks over enemy troops, terrifying and dispersing them. Kites of different shapes and sizes were also flown to deliver signals to soldiers in the field.

From China, kite technology spread to other Asian nations. Thailand made good use of the kite in many ways, including the art of war. King Petraja used kites to deliver what many feel was the first aerial bombing in history. A subject principality, Nakhon Ratchasima, known also as Korat, rebelled against his rule. King Petraja had kegs of gunpowder tied to kites flying over the rebel fortifications. These were then ignited and the explosions caused enough dismay and confusion among the rebels that they surrendered.

During the Crimean War an interesting concept using kites were tried. Admiral Sir Arthur Cochrane came up with the idea of using kites to tow torpedoes into Russian ships. He set up some practice runs which were successful. But the idea was never implemented due to the fact that enemy ships were not always positioned correctly in relation to the prevailing wind to allow the kites to hit their targets.

World War I saw several uses for kites, mostly as observational devices. The French deployed a kite corps which consisted of a car, trailer and a motor driven winch. Most of the combatant armies used kites for observation early in the war. The arrival of the airplane caused these divisions to become obsolete and they were disbanded. The Germans used a specially designed box kite system on their submarines. The fact that an observer lifted to an altitude of 400 feet could see almost 250 miles over open ocean gave the submarines a bit of an advantage because they could see their enemies before being themselves detected.



A man named Harry Sauls designed a kite he called the barrage kite to fly advertising banners over tourist areas. The kite was found useful in protecting merchant ships during World War II. A strong wire was used as the kite line and flown from strategic places on the ships. The wire was invisible to airplanes and strong enough to cut off a wing or destroy a propeller. The kites played a deterrent role in holding off enemy dive bomber attacks against the ships.

During World War II gunners on aircraft carriers used clouds for target practice. This practice did not provide a very realistic simulation of an attacking aircraft. Lieutenant Commander Paul E. Garber served on the aircraft carrier USS Block Island. Observing the limitations of the system, he decided to come up with a better target. He designed a kite for this purpose and challenged the gunnery crews to hit it with gunfire. To their chagrin, the kite proved a difficult target. His commanding officer observed this and ordered Garber to build more kites. He managed to come up with kites which mimicked the movements of an attacking aircraft, and the gunnery crew’s accuracy increased immensely. This helped the crews to destroy attacking aircraft at a much higher rate.

A box kite was also a key component of a device called the Gibson Girl during this war also. The apparatus consisted of a kite, antennae and hand crank radio. The Gibson Girl was standard issue on United States and British bombers. An airman shot down and adrift on the sea could deploy the kite with the antennae attached, and use the hand crank radio to signal his position. The Gibson Girl saw action as late as the Vietnam War.

Kites were used extensively during the course of history for many different military uses. From their inception by the Chinese to World War II and as late as the Vietnam War, kites have had their use as weapons, observational tools and signal devices.
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© 2012 Hobby Hobnob

History Of Kites In Aviation

Kites have been very instrumental in the history of aviation. Most of the early aviators used kites to develop their theories before actually taking flight. The first humans to gain the distinction of flying among the birds did so with the aid of kites.

During the kite’s very early history in China, and later Japan, man carrying kites were built. There are many stories in the lore of both these countries of kites bearing men aloft. These kites were used primarily for military purposes as observational tools. Marco Polo (1254 - 1324), after his wanderings in China, documented the many uses for kites there.

The first scientist to use kites to study aviation was a Franciscan friar named Roger Bacon (1214?-1294). History remembers Roger Bacon for his scientific studies in many different fields including mathematics, optics, and astronomy. Bacon was the Western World's first true scientist, preceeding the emergence of widespread scientific study in Europe by about 500 years. During his experiments with kites, he came to the conclusion that if a craft were properly constructed, it could be supported by air in the same fashion that water supports a boat.

It wasn't until Sir George Cayley (1773-1857), almost 500 years later, that serious work was again done with kites in the field of aviation. Cayley, because of his work, is often called the "Father of Aviation." A native of Scarbourgh, England, this English baronet was an inventor who created the basic design of the airplanes flown today. Many of Cayley's designs for aircraft were developed during the ten year period from 1799 through 1809. He designed and built an aircraft which flew like a kite which had a movable tail and could be maneuvered.

Otto Lilienthal, a German engineer, dominated aviation history in the late 1800's. He is known mostly for his work with gliders, but his early experiments in the 1870's were primarily with kites. The lessons he learned from the kites he built and flew led directly to the many gliders he designed and flew. Over 2000 times he took to the air in flight. One fatal day his glider stalled at an altitude of around fifty feet. The glider crashed and he severed his spine. He died the next day.

Orville and Wilbur Wright represent the culmination of this long, historic process. They studied Lilienthal's designs and decided to base their initial designs on his. Using a biplane box kite they designed in 1899, they tested their theories on aircraft control. The kite framework of this kite was hinged, allowing it to twist. It was controlled from the ground, using four lines, one tied to each corner of the frame. They learned to control the kite using this system, and could make it bank, dive and climb.

The following year they constructed a glider, using the kite as a guide. This glider had enough lifting capacity to lift a man, but they decided fly it like a kite at first, using the same ground control system they had devised for the kite. Their experiments with this craft led to the design, construction, and eventual success with the flight of the Wright Flyer at Kitty Hawk in 1903.

Kites have had an instrumental role in the rise of the science of aviation. From the Chinese in the fifth century BC to the Wright Brothers in 1903, the kite has made its mark in the history of flight.
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Who Invented Kites and Where Were They Invented?

Who invented the kite? And when were they invented? For the answer to those questions we have to dig far back in history, because people have been flying kites for thousands of years. A kite floating far above the earth seems to be such a simple thing. But if you stop to ponder its ancient lineage, the kite appears much more majestic.

Both China and Malaysia can legitimately claim honors as the kite's birthplace. There is evidence of kite flying as far back as the sixth century BC. China has written records of kite flying dating from 559 BC. Kites have been a part of Malaysian culture for millennia. It is an entirely credible possibility that kites were invented independently in both countries.

In China two philosophers, Mozi and Lu Pan, are generally given credit for having invented the kite. These two brilliant men were contemporaries, and they had access to all the materials necessary for successful kite building. The silk making process by this time had been perfected. Silk fabric and thread have the properties of being strong, light in weight and impervious to moisture. These qualities make silk an ideal material for both the sail and the kite line. Bamboo grows abundantly in China, and is a superlative framework component. Mozi was a trained engineer who had wide experience constructing bird models and weapons of war. Lu Pan was a skilled carpenter who designed and built many things from wood, including model birds. One of his bird models was reputed to have been held aloft by compliant winds for three consecutive days.

Documentation of kite flying in Malaysia is scanty, but there is a very long tradition of it there. Materials available to the Malaysians were large tree leaves and bamboo. It is easy to imagine that leaves blowing in the wind created the inspiration for the invention of the first kite. Leaf kites are still flown in Malaysia, some of them are very elaborately designed.

So when were kite invented and who invented them? The answer to that question may never be definitely known, but China and Malaysia are the two best candidates for where, and Mozi and Lu Pan seem to have the best resumes to qualify for who invented them. But we do know that kite flying originated in one of these two countries and from there spread to the rest of the world.

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Kite History - World War 2

As late as World War II, kites had a role to play in warfare. Sauls' Barrage Kite was a sort of double box kite which was a strong, stable flying kite. A man named Harry Sauls designed the kite to be used to fly advertising banners over tourist areas. The kite found a use during World War 2 as a means of protecting merchant ships from enemy airplane attacks. A wire, similar to piano wire, was used to hold the kite aloft over the ship. The wire was invisible to enemy warplanes and was strong enough to destroy the prop or cut off a wing. Strategically placed, these kites deterred enemy dive bomber attacks. In addition, explosives or bombs were attached to the wires to further deter attack.

Lieutenant Commander Paul E. Garber served on the aircraft carrier USS Block Island during World War 2. An avid kite flyer, he watched as the carriers gunnery crews practiced target shooting using clouds as targets. He decided to find a better method, so he built a kite and threw the gauntlet down to the gun crews. Hit the kite, was the challenge. The gunnery crews found this to be a difficult task. The ships captain, seeing the improvement in the accuracy of the gun crews shooting, ordered Garber to build more kites for target practice. He eventually came up with a design which allowed him to mimic an airplane's movements as it approached the ship. It became standard practice for gun crews to use kites to practice and much credit is given to the target kites saving many ships due to the gunnery crews improved accuracy.

Another device used during the war was called the Gibson Girl. It consisted of a box kite, antennae, and hand crank radio. It was packed in with life rafts, to be used in an emergency. The kite both acted as a beacon to signal rescue aircraft to the location of the raft, and as a support for the antennae. The hand cranked radio, of course, was used to signal rescuers. Back To All About Kites History of Flight and Avaition © 2012 Hobby Hobnob

History of Kites - World War I

During World War I, kites were used for various military purposes. The French assembled a kite corps which consisted of a trailer, car and a motor driven winch which was used for observation. Kites were used by infantry divisions of all the combatants to observe enemy positions. When the airplane came into general use, these divisions were disbanded.

The kite continued to be useful at sea. Germany devised a box kite which would fit in a U Boat to be used at sea. An observer elevated on a kite to an altitude of 400 feet can see almost 250 miles over open ocean. Similar systems were used on sea going warships of other nations.

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© 2012 Hobby Hobnob

History of the Kite - The Wright Brothers

In 1899 the Wright brothers designed and built a special box kite to use to test and develope their theories about controlling the flight of an aircraft. This was a biplane box kite about six feet long, fifteen inches wide and about fifteen inches tall. All the framework was hinged to allow it to twist. The kite was controlled from the ground with four strings tied to strategic places on the frame. Using this system, they developed ways to control the kites ability to bank right and left, dive and climb.



They designed and built several kites using this design, always perfecting the design and gaining more control. Using these kites as models they constructed a glider in 1900. This glider had the capacity to carry a man, but the brothers decided to test it before flying in it themselves. They did not want to suffer the same fate as Lilianthal, who died flying one of his gliders. The glider was flown like a kite at first, using the ground control system they had developed for the box kites.

All of this experimenting led, of course, to their eventual success on December 12, 1903. History of Flight and Avaition

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Kite History - The Telegraph

Guglielmo Marconi used kites in his development of the wireless telegraph system. On Dec. 12, 1901 Marconi and his team used a kite constructed from a wood frame and sail cloth. It had a hemp mooring cord attached to a wooden pole. A 600 foot long was also attached to the pole, with a lead going to the radio shack in which Marconi had his receiving apparatus. The kite most probably was a Levitor kite, which was well known among kite flyers for its lifting capabilities.



The originating transmission came from a tower located near St. John's, Newfoundland. shortly after noon, after much trial and tribulation, the signal was tapped out in New Foundland and received at Marconi's kite held antennae and the era of wireless trans-Atlantic radio communications had begun.

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History of Flight and Aviation

© 2012 Hobby Hobnob

History of Kites - Torpedoes

Admiral Sir Arthur Cochrane during the Crimean War devised some new weapons to be used against the Russian. These included explosion vessels and stink ships, which were ships loaded with coke and sulphur which, when ignited, would emit a suffocating fog.

Another of his schemes was the use of twelve foot kites towing torpedoes into enemy ships. The method was successfully implemented in practice runs, but was found to be impractical in actual use. The reason being that prevailing winds and the location of enemy ships were not always favorable.

Back To All About Kites History of Flight and Avaition © 2012 Hobby Hobnob

Ben Franklin And His Kite

Kites have also contributed to the pioneering efforts in the scientific field of electricity. Most people have heard of Benjamin Franklin's kite experiment. The story has entered into American legend. He flew the kite during the early stages of an electric storm, when he felt that electric power was building in the clouds, but before actual lightning was produced. being produced.



He designed a kite specifically to draw electricity from the clouds which was made from silk instead of paper so it would withstand the rain without tearing. The kite had a pointed wire arising from the frame, which gathered electricity from the overhead storm clouds. As the storm wettened the kite and silk string, they were able to conduct the electricity to a key he hung near the ground. He stood inside a building so the end of silk he held did not get wet, and thus conduct the charge to him. The key became electrified, and sparked with electricity. He used the electricity to charge a Leyden Jar, which is a capacitor, which had been recently invented.

Franklin conducted many experiments with electricity during his lifetime, and made many contributions to the budding science. The kite helped him form some theories about it and learn something of its nature.

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History of Flight and Avaition © 2012 Hobby Hobnob

History of the Kite - Niagara Gorge Kite Contest

During this same period, in America, another novel use for kites was found. In 1845, a bridge across the Niagara Gorge above the falls was envisioned. The Falls had become a huge tourist attraction and developers imagined huge profits if a bridge above it could be constructed. But in an age before helicopters how do you stretch a cable across an eight hundred foot gorge which towers over two hundred feet above a treacherous rapids.



Kites were suggested by one engineer. And from this the idea of the Niagara Gorge Kite Contest was born. In January 1848 the contest commenced. After several failed attempts, young Homan Walsh succeeded on January 30, 1848. His prize was about ten dollars. With a kite line now across the gorge, it was used to pull a stronger line across. Then a rope was attached to this line and pulled across. Finally, a steel cable was pulled across. This cable paved the way for the first cable car to cross the gorge, then a suspension bridge later that same year.



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History of Flight and Avaitio

© 2012 Hobby Hobnob

History of Kites - Carriages

George Pocock a few years later did a lot of experimenting with kites. Pocock was an inventor and schoolteacher from Bristol, England. He started his experiments using kites to lift weights. Starting with small stones, he gradually worked his way up to using a specially designed chair to first lift his daughter, then his son, into the air in 1825. He used the kite to place his son on the top of a high cliff on the English coast. His son dismounted, then remounted and returned safely to the earth.

Perhaps the most interesting idea he came up with was kite drawn carriages. In 1826 he designed a device he called the Charvolant (from the French char for carriage attached to volant from the French term for kite: cerf-volant). This was a fairly elaborate kite drawn carriage complete with steering and braking capability. He achieved speeds of up to twenty miles an hour with this vehicle and easily overtook horse drawn carriages with it. He even undertook a 113 mile trip through the English countryside with it.

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History of Flight and Avaition

© 2012 Hobby Hobnob

History Of Kites - Meteorology

Alexander Wilson was a Scottish astronomer and meteorologist and was one of the founding members of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He lived from 1714 - 1719 and made numerous contributions to astronomy and meteorology. Dr. Wilson was the first scientist to use kites as a scientific tool.



In 1749, while a professor at the University of Glasgow, he attached thermometers to a string of kites and measured the air temperatures at different altitudes. He managed to record temperatures as high as 3000 feet. He was assisted in this endeavor by a student named Thomas Melville. The thermometers were attached to the kite with a fuse. When the fuse burned out, the thermometer was released and parachuted back to earth using paper brushes. The temperature at various altitudes was successfully recorded using this method.

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© 2012 Hobby Hobnob

History of the Kite - Sir George Cayley

Sir George Cayley (1773-1857) was the first person to study the science of aerodynamics seriously. He is considered by many to be the "Father of Aerodynics." Scarbourgh, England was the place of his birth. He was an English baronet and inventor who created the basic design of the modern aircraft.

The first aircraft Cayley built was a kite type craft with a movable tail. The kite flew quite successfully for a ten year period, 1799 - 1809, Cayley experimented extensively with kites. It was during this period that he developed many of his designs for his later work.

All About Kites History of Flight and Avaition

© 2012 Hobby Hobnob

Kites - A History - Evolution

Regardless of where the kite originated, kite flying and building spread slowly across the world from its home in Asia. Marco Polo, a famous thirteenth century explorer and merchant, wrote extensively about kites when he returned to his home in Italy in 1295. Kites in Europe were made from parchment and were inititially regarded as children's toys.


This perception slowly changed over the ensuing centuries as military strategists and the budding interest in science saw their potential. The kite evolved over time to become a weapon, surveillance tool and scientific instrument as well as serve as a valuable precursor to the beginnings of controlled, heavier than air flight by humans.

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© 2012 Hobby Hobnob

History of Kites - Malaysia

China is usually mentioned as the originator of the kite. This is mostly because the Chinese learned how to weave silk into cloth and thread and had bamboo available which is an ideal framework for kites. But a case can be made that Malaysia was the first place in history where kites were flown.



Malaysia has a very long tradition of kite flying. Their first kites were made from leaves using bamboo as a structural material. Leaf kites are still flown there. There are many trees there with very large leaves. And it is easy to imagine that leaves flying in the wind could have inspired the first kite builders.

History of Flight and Avaition

© 2012 Hobby Hobnob

History of Kites - Thailand

Kites were introduced to Thailand from China. The Thais used them to carry cargo, developed the sport of kite fighting and and used the kites to send messages to the gods. A Thai king may also used kites to deliver the first aerial bombing in history. He had kegs of gunpowder tied to kites and flew them over a rebel fortification and the resulting explosions caused the rebels to give up and surrender.

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© 2012 Hobby Hobnob