are tethered flying objects which fly by using aerodynamic lift, requiring wind (or towing) for generation of airflow over the lifting surfaces.
Various types of kites exist,
Manufacture
Kites may be built by the flier or by a dedicated kite manufacturer, which may be a member of the
Kite Trade Association International (KTAI), which also includes kite retailers.
[ Kite Trade Association International (KTAI). Retrieved 11 March 2011.]
Materials
Kites have been made from the following materials:
Wing character
-
Monoplane
-
Flexible sail
-
Stiffened flexible sail
-
Rigid wing
-
Biplane
-
Multiplane
-
Low-aspect-ratio
-
High-aspect-ratio – wings that have a wide chord, compared with their span
-
Ram-air inflated
-
Closed bladder, gas-inflated
-
Rotating wing – also known as rotor kite or gyroglider (e.g. Focke Achgelis Fa 330)
- Multiple unit kites
- A multiple unit kite may be made of a single wing, several wings, or several sub-kite units
[ 'No Secrets' Trains. ][ Team Spectrum Kite Display, 2007. Bird train, Mylar fighter-kite train, and more.][ Kitesailing International, December, 1988. Retrieved 11 March 2011.][ Dave Culp SpeedSailing. Retrieved 10 March 2011.][ Nathan's, Believe It Or Not, Kite Boat. Retrieved 10 March 2011.] Parafoil stacks have been built with over 200 kite units.
- Multiple pilots
- Large kite systems may require more than one pilot. In a team like the "Flying Squad" of nine kite pilots each person might fly his own sub-kite while, as a team, its kites form a unified display.
[ The Flying Squad. Retrieved 10 March 2011.] One pilot may simultaneously fly several kites; the pilot with several kites forms one kite system of two, three or more kites in the system.[ Team Spectrum Kites. Retrieved 10 March 2011.]
Buoyancy
Kites are normally heavier than their supporting medium, such as a kite flown in air. Some kites have their lift augmented by lighter than air gases, allowing the kite to remain airborne without wind or being towed.
Hydro dynamic kites can have positive, neutral or negative buoyancy, relying on hydrodynamic lift to manoeuvre, rise, or dive.[Hooper et al. "Lidar Measurements of Wind in the Planetary Boundary Layer: The Method, Accuracy and Results from Joint Measurements with Radiosonde and Kytoon," Journal of Climate and Applied Meteorology, vol. 25, pp 990–1001 (Jul. 1986).][ NASA Q&A. Retrieved 11 March 2011.]
Control
Kites can be controlled by various methods which usually involve manipulation of the tether/control lines, lifting gas density control and in some cases by aero-dynamic control surfaces.
[ Guy H. Kennedy, Jr. patent for thermodynamic kite. Retrieved 11 March 2011.]
Stability
Kites can have positive, neutral or negative stability, in all axes of control, in the same fashion as aircraft. Kites with positive stability tend to return to a stable state automatically, whereas those with neutral or negative stability require control inputs to return the kite to the required position or attitude.
[ Pitch & Lockout Limiter. Retrieved 11 March 2011.][ NASA: Kite Balance and Stability. Retrieved 11 March 2011.][ Rotating kites. Retrieved 11 March 2011.]
Legality
Kite flying has been enjoyed for thousands of years in South Asia and the Indian subcontinent. The goal is to cut off the rival kite (usually flown by someone on a neighbouring rooftop). In order to cut the "enemy's" kite line, a very strong fishing line, prepared with glue and powdered glass covers some length of the kite line or wire. The kites themselves are usually of a standard size and shape (square shape) and mostly made from paper and split bamboo. After a kite is cut down, it has to be recovered by the cutting party. The last flying kite wins the game. The government of
Pakistan has repeatedly outlawed this sport.
It claimed that some people had been decapitated by driving with their scooters or motorbikes across abandoned glass powder & glue prepared kite wire.
Others have fallen off roofs while engaging in kite flying. Other reasons that were given was that the mass sport and its associated festivals of Basant are considered "unislamic" and connected to
Hinduism. Kite flying was also banned in Afghanistan during the reign of the
Taliban.
However, large sections of society simply ignore the ban. Since there was outrage over the ban, the government of Punjab has lifted the ban, however a ban on powdered glass wire has been imposed, as well as the thickness of the wire itself.
==Glossary of kite types==
holds the world record for largest kite. He made three same-sized versions with different decorations: Mega Flag in the United States and Mega Moon in Japan, and the Mega Kuwait Flag. A world record has been established: all three were flown at the same time at the same field.]]
[ Windbow ]
A
- Advertising kites
- These kites hold advertisements, logos of organizations, slogans for causes. Orders of mass-produced kites imprinted with an advertisement form a significant part of kite commerce.
- Archimedes screw kite
- These kinetic rotary kites mimic the Archimedean screw.
- Autogyro kites
- (gyro kite, heli-kite, helicopter kite) use unpowered autorotation
B
- Barn Door Kites
Barn door kites are very similar to an eddy kite except that barndoor have two vertical diagonal spars in contrast to the diamond's single vertical spar.
[17]
- Beginner kites
- Kites of this type are separated by sellers, makers, and leaders.
[ G-kites Catalog]
- Bermuda kite
- Traditional Bermudian kites flown at Easter; world-record holders for altitude and flight duration
- Biplane kites
- Bowed kite
- This term has several meanings
- Box Delta kites
- Butterfly kites
- This type occurs at several levels
C
- C-kites
- Candle kites
- Cantonese kites
- Cellular kites
- Chapi-chapi
- A type of kite popular in the Philippines, usually constructed from old broomsticks and newspapers.
- Cheap kites
- Chemiluminescence kites
- Chinese kites
- From Beijing, Weifang, Tianjing, Nantong, Jiangnan and Taiwan.
- Cooperative kites
- are kites made by more than one person with significant contributions by each person in the cooperation effort.
- Cube kites
- (one or more)
- Cup kites
- Kites made mostly of cups, often paper or expanded polystyrene (EPS)
D
- Davies kites
- Single diamond colourful kites favoured in the UK
- Della porta kites
- This is a single-line kite which is usually square or a rectangle which contains two spars diagonally crossed.
- Duryea kite reproductions
- (Charles Duryea)
- Dopero or Double Pearson Roller Kites
- Double-kite systems
- Two coupled kites, but confined; or two coupled kites in free flight in the same (air-only or water-only, for example) or different media (air and water, for example).
[ Double-kite illustration Retrieved 12 March 2011.] An example is kite-surfing with a board as a hybrid water kite, coupled with a power air kite. Without Visible Means of Support by Richard Miller (1967) details two coupled air kites, with the upper kite in the jet stream and the lower kite below the jet stream. Two (or more) kites, kite-lined to one anchor, one mooring or one kite operator, are included here. Two kites (or more) communicating with each other for a purpose are coupled.
- Dragon kites
- Two categories
E
- Exotic kites
- do not fit other categories.
F
Retrieved 15 March 2011.
- Flexible-wing kites
- with variable amounts of stiffening by spars and rigid parts
- Flexifoil
- (original and then company kites different from original).
- Foil kite
- or parafoil kite
G
- Garbasail
- Geometric kite
- Genki kite
- Gyrocopter or helicopter kites
- (see autogyro)
H
- Hang glider kites that are unmanned
- Unmanned kites as mimics of manned hang gliders (kites or not).
- Helikites
- A aerodynamically sound kite-balloon combination filled with helium. Designed and patented in the UK and USA by Sandy Allsopp in 1993, the Helikite is a true kite, yet lighter-than air for staying aloft when kiting is insufficient for flight. Helikites can cope with a very large wind range from 0 to 60 mph, possibly the largest wind range of any kite. So they are useful where there is an absolute need for flight such as professional uses. Helikites are used for photography, scientific atmospheric monitoring, military surveillance, radio-relay, surveying, oceanic uses, bird control and antenna-lifting.
- Hexagonal kites
- Historical kites
- Historical kites are builds that aim to match some historically important kite, sometimes to represent the first occurrence of a particular kite design.
- Hydro kites
- Water kites – kites that fly in water or on the surface of water.
I
- Invisible kites
- (radar-invisible, very-low-visibility translucents, out-of-sights, non-lighted night kites, imagined kites, kites flown by the blind as they feel the line tension change)
J
- Jalbert parafoil kites
- after inventions of Domina Jalbert
- Java kites
- (pre-Malay kite, pre-Eddy kite)
K
- Killer kites
- Three types of killer kites are recognized in kiting. One type of killer kite has the task of taking out of flight another kite; such is in sport and also in practical kite energy operations to take out a kite that is fugitive. Another killer kite regards the notorious kites that cause death and injury; some nations' kite festivals have been marred or cancelled because of killer kites; governments have gotten involved to halt or slow the effect of killer kites. The kite's glassed lines or the kite's metallic base material have resulted in far too many deaths and injuries.
- KiteSail by Maurice Grenier
- Korean kites
L
-
LaddermillA complex of sub-kites in a loop line with various uses, one of which is the generation of electricity; invented by Dr. Ockels of Delft University.
- Langley kites
- See Samuel Langley
- Leading-edge-inflated kite [[File
- Light-emitting kites
- Chemiluminescence kites, electrically lighted kites (battery and also real-time in-kite generated electricity for the lights, light-reflection kites
- Low aspect ratio kites
M
- Malay kites
- (pre-Eddy kite)
- Manned kite
- Man-lifting kites
- Maori kites
N
- Novelty kites
- Novelty kites bring vitality to kite-building and flying. Festivals frequently have an award category for novelty kites.
O
P
- Parachute kites
- (see paraglider below) that have a directional venting small (parasail, directional parachutes) or massive (Domina Jalbert parafoil, Rogallo parawing) are Kite mooring to free-falling body or payload. Symmetrical, non-directional zero-lift/drag ratio parachutes are streamers and not kites; no net deflection from the stream occurs in a true parachute.
- Parafoil
- Parafoil stunt kites
's ram-air airfoiled wing.]]
for hundreds of miles.]]
- Paraglider
- manned (these are kites both in free-fall, and kited either by the pilot or secondarily by a towing or moored device or powered harness system).
- Parasail
- Parachutes modified to have a positive lift/drag ratio, so the wing can be kited to carry humans or other payload
- Paravane
- Water kite
- Picnic plate kites
- See Plate kites, below.
- Plasma kites
- Powered-harness hang glider kites
Q
- Quantum kites
R
- Radio-controlled kite
- powered scale and manned Distinguish a product that is not a kite (called RC Kite) from true kites that have radio controls on a kite-lined kite wing.
- Ram-air kites
- Sled kites with ram-air cavities and Jalbert parafoil power kites are ram-air kites. The wind rams into the cavities and inflates sections of a kite to give the kite shape and sturdiness.
- Rigid kites
- (no flexible sail part)
- Rogallo wing
A ringed UFO rotary kite patent indicated a special bridling ring and a central rotating ring (US Patent 4779825).[ US Patent 5598988 Rotary Flyer Retrieved 16 March 2011.] The very high aspect ratio rotating spanwise ribbon kites (Skybows) are continuing to gain interest; these require at least two swivels. Also, a variety of rotary kites that are nearly streamers rotate almost windward; some are vaned and some are not.[ Vaneless rotary kite Carl E. Knight et al. Retrieved 16 March 2011.][ US patent:3086738 "Rotating kite", Lubash, John J., 1963, April Retrieved 16 March 2011.] In 1995 Carl E. Knight and Jo Ann F. Knight instructed a rotary kite that rotates near windward for its axis (not like autogyro or spanwise magnus).[ Kite Retrieved 16 March 2011.]
S
(sail kite for sailing a board)]]
- Show kites
- See "Display kites". Show kites are one category of display kite.
- Signature kites
- Kites made by a particular person become prized possessions for some people.
- Soft kites
- Parawing, parafoil, some un-sticked sleds, Barish sailwing, Playsail, KiteShip, foils
- Solar kites
- in plasma or photonic media;
- Sound-making kites
- Square kites
- Stacked kites
- Stacking sub-kite units
- Sport kite
T
- Toy kites
- Trainer kites
- Kites of lower power that are used to practice maneuvers before higher-powered kites are used.
U
V
W
- Water relaunchable kites
- Air kites that can be launched and relaunched once the kite's wing and lines are settled on or in the water.
- Woglum kites
- (variant of the Malay kite). Gilbert T. Woglum in 1896 flew a train of kites over a parade and hung a golden flag from the main line.
- Work kites
- or working kites
X
- X flat two-stick kites
- the frame is "X" format with two spars; rectangular or square or cut to form X. Flat kites made of two sticks. Artistic alphabet character "X" kite.
Y
Z
See also
External links
