1. Kites, kites
and more kites!

2. Where did the kite come from?
China may be the birthplace of kites since the earliest written records are from China. The famous General Han Hsin used a kite to defeat an evil emperor and establish the Western Han Dynasty in 206 B.C. One version of the legend says that he flew a kite over the walls of the well-fortified palace. Carefully he marked the line and reeled in the kite. His small band of soldiers dug a tunnel into the courtyard of the palace using the kite line to measure the distance. The General and his forces surprised the enemy and the kite entered recorded history.
Another version of this story says that General Han Hsin, being a small man, had his troops tie him to a kite and fly him over the enemy camp at night. Most of the enemy soldiers were startled by the strange object flying overhead commanding them, in a loud voice, to return to their families. Most of the enemy fled and the General and his forces defeated those who remained.

3. History of Kites China is usually considered the place of origin of the kite. Although no one knows for certain when or how the world’s first kite was flown, a favorite theory is that a Chinese farmer whose hat blew off in the wind was so fascinated to see that his hat could "fly" that he later attached a string to it and launched it as a kite. Silk, which was produced in China as early as 2600 B.C. may have been an important material from which early kites were made, as most likely was paper. Broad leaves and frames of sticks or bamboo strips may also have provided the makings for early kites.
The Japanese have also been involved in kite making and kite flying for thousands of years. The designs and decorations on Japanese kites often represented a god, an animal or a hero. The Japanese also used kites to drive away evil spirits. Early Japanese peoples also used kites in warfare. Some kites had the ability to lift warriors high into the air to either spy on the enemy or attack a city. Kites were also used for sending messages or warnings of danger.
In the United States, Benjamin Franklin is known for his experiments with electricity while flying a kite during a thunderstorm. Throughout history, kites have been used in many innovative ways:
Weather watching - In 1749, in Scotland, Thomas Melville and Alexander Wilson attached thermometers to kites for meteorological purposes. Until 1933, in the United States, the Weather Bureau operated kite stations to obtain data on temperature, humidity, wind velocity, and altitude.
Towing - In 1826, George Pocock, an English schoolmaster, developed a method of pulling a carriage with kites. The carriage could travel at speeds of up to twenty miles an hour.
Fishing - For centuries, fishermen from certain islands in the Pacific Ocean have used kites made of leaves to catch a tasty fish called the needlefish, which swims near the surface of tropical waters. A lone fisherman paddled his canoe out to sea, flying a kite high above the water. From the kite, a line extended to the surface of the water. At the end of their line was a lure made of spider webs. When a needlefish would strike the lure, its teeth and gills would become entangled in the web. Then the fisherman reeled in the line and removed the fish.
Boat towing - In 1903, Samuel F. Cody crossed the English Channel in a boat towed by kites.
Aerial photography - The first photographs showing the expansive devastation of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake were taken by a giant camera (which was heavier than a piano) attached to a train of high-flying kites.
Military use - An early Chinese legend tells of a general who attached lanterns and noisemakers to kites and flew them at night over his enemy’s camp. The enemy was so frightened by the mysterious "spirits of the night" that it fled without a battle. For many centuries, man lifting kites were used in Asia to send up spies to observe the enemy. Much later, in the late 1800s, this method of reconnaissance was adopted in the West, when British Captain B.F.S. Baden-Powell began to build and fly "Levitor" kites. Baden-Powell’s system was capable of lifting a "spotter" about one hundred feet into the air to observe and photograph the enemy. Later, during World War II, U.S. Navy Lieutenant Paul Garber developed the "target kites" for use by the Navy and the Army. Manipulated by two flying lines and a rudder, these kites could be steered through all sorts of fancy maneuvers, such as loops, dives, and figure eights, thereby providing excellent practice targets for aircraft gunners.
Aircraft development - Some of the most significant kite experiments in history were conducted during the 1800s in connection with the development of early airplanes. Those were the days when engineers, inventors, and adventurers were hard at work trying to make the dream of manned flight a reality. Near the turn of the century, Orville and Wilbur Wright built kites and gliders and piloted them from the sand dunes near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. From these experiments, the Wright brothers learned the elements of airplane flight and control.
A new era in kiting began in 1948 when Francis and Gertrude Rogallo invented the "flexikite," which used V-shaped longitudinal sections, rather than sticks, to determine the shape. After the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, Francis Rogallo, who was working as an aeronautical engineer, used the wind tunnels at the NASA Langley Research Center in Virginia to adapt his kite designs for use on returning spacecraft. Rogallo’s research was reported in scientific journals, in kite magazines and newspapers.
One important type of kite that requires no rigid frame is the Jalbert Flexifoil. Domina Jalbert invented a kite that resembles an airplane wing and is composed of a number of cells that are inflated to provide an airfoil shape by the pressure of the wind. Made in various sizes from about three feet to about 300 square feet, the Jalbert Flexifoil is widely used for high altitude meteorological research.
Another popular kite is the sled kite. It was invented in the 1950s by William Allison of Dayton, Ohio. It is characterized by a concave surface and two vertical keels. It flies when the air is pushed up underneath to make a concave shape. In the early 1960s, another Daytonian, Frank Scott modified the Allison sled by adding a vent and making the supports parallel. Mr. Scott called it a sled because it was a "flexible flyer." This was the brand name of the snow sleds that most children used at that time.
Today kites are used mainly for enjoyment. People fly kites for pleasure and relaxation. There are a variety of shapes, materials, and patterns available to us to create our own kites, as well as pre-made kites that are ready to fly.
Kite notes only

4. Kite fishing…still around from long ago
A Solomon Islander with his fishing kite and the gar it has just caught. Spider web is usually used in place of a hook.
The triangular fishing kite that is used around Bougainville is usually made from five leaves of the sago palm. A line is attached to the lower edge to support a lure that dangles in the water. This lure is itself unique, for it employs no hook. It is merely a sticky wad of spider web gathered from the jungles on a forked stick. If an unsuspecting fish takes this lump in its mouth, its teeth become so entangled that it cannot escape. The fisherman then reels in the kite and removes the fish. The spider web can be used again and again. However, the natives believe this astonishing equipment is not alone sufficient to catch the fish. A magical injunction, “Seo, nikiniko botot me vavatoa,” is used to urge the fish to catch hold of the line and shake the kite.

5. June 1752, Benjamin Franklin used a kite to determine that lightening really is electricity...
PS...don’t do this in a real storm!

6. Samuel Cody and his kites 1867 – 1913 (died in an air crash)
His man-lifting kite,
The Bat, below
Man-lifting kite intended to be used in war...known as the Bat.
The kite was quite a complicated system. It consisted of a steadying kite or pilot kite. Connected to this were a series of lifting kites, which were responsible for actually lifting its human pay load. The number of lifting kites depended upon the wind conditions.
These lifting kites were attached to the main kite cable by towing rings. One of these rings was placed at the head of the kite and the other at the point at which the kite was towed, called the towing point. This towing point consisted of four-legged bridle.
The publicity that Cody gained from the crossing seemed to have the desired affect. The War office expressed interest in Cody's kite. Tests were carried out from 1904 to The Admiralty even allowed Cody to use their warships in his experiments. Cody successfully lifted a passenger to a record height of 2,600 ft on the end of a cable 4,000ft long. In 1906 the War Office agreed to use Cody's kites for the purpose of observation. Cody was not only given the position of Chief Kite Instructor at Farnborough but became responsible for designing and manufacturing war kites.
Cody's War Kites continued to be used for some years until they were replaced by the aeroplane. Cody began to experiment with aeroplanes and in 1908 he became the first man to build and fly an aeroplane in Britain...Cody's kites were not only intended to be used in warfare. In 1907 Cody demonstrated how a kite could be used to carry meteorological instruments. The meteorograph developed by the Meteorological office was capable of measuring height, temperature, humidity and wind velocity. A Cody kite once lifted instruments to a record altitude of 14,000 ft.

7. Captain Baden-Powell’s “Levitor” man-lifting kite...1894-1900

8. William Eddy w/ “Eddy kite”, 1890’s
First kite to employ dihedral for stability.
William Eddy, a journalist from New Jersey, contributed a great deal to western kite development and he made extensive experiments raising photographic and meteorological equipment. In the 1890's, Eddy developed an efficient, stable, cruciform-shaped kite, able to be flown without a tail. By using a flexible crosspiece (spar), the kite would bow in the wind thus acting like a ship's keel in water. The loose cover would also billow upwards, acting to some extent as an airfoil, giving additional lift.

9. Lawrence Hargrave “Box kite”, 1893
Hargrave is most remembered, however, not for his numerous remarkable model flying machines but for his series of "cellular kites." He invented the box-kite, a lightweight yet very strong configuration of lifting surfaces which defined most aeronautical design prior to The Great War, WWI. Alberto Santos-Dumont's biplane No. 14-bis which flew in 1906 was the embodiment of Hargrave's box-kite, an inspiration which Santos-Dumont acknowledged. Gabriel Voisin first advertised his famous Voisin biplanes as "Hargrave" machines. The Herring and Chanute biplane and triplane gliding machines of were based on Hargrave's box-kite, as, indeed, were the Wright Flyers and the biplanes produced by Glenn Curtiss, as well as the Voisin and Farman biplanes. It's difficult to imagine the pre-WWI period of aviation without the incorporation of the Hargrave's box-kite design, so dominent was the cellular structure on biplane and triplane aeroplanes. Hargrave introduced the design in a paper read at the great International Aerial Navigation Congress held during August of 1893 in Chicago, Illinois. Of particular note in Hargrave's 1893 paper is the comparison made to the lifting ability of the box-kites illustrated below, "E" and "F." Although they were virtually identical in all respects, save one, Hargrave box-kite "E" generated almost twice the lift of box-kite "F." The difference, which was noted with great interest at the time, was that the horizontal surfaces of box-kite "E" were curved in section while those of "F" were flat. Lawrence Hargrave was not one to claim credit where it was not deserved and he duly noted that it had been Francis Herbert Wenham in 1866 who first suggested superimposing lifting surfaces in his classic paper "Aerial Locomotion."
Winged box kite

10. Weather kites…circa 1900
- On April 27, 1898, the first Weather Bureau kite was launched from Topeka, Kansas, and by the end of the year, 16 additional kite stations were attempting daily, early morning, simultaneous observations. The kites were large "box types" with dimensions of 8 feet long, 7 feet wide and 3 feet high.
Efforts were made as early as the 18th century to obtain meteorological measurements of the upper atmosphere. In 1749, thermometers were tied to kites for the purpose of taking upper air observations. In 1895, Professor Charles F. Marvin, a future chief of the Weather Bureau, began experimenting with kites for routine use in the Bureau. In 1896 he perfected his kite meteorograph, an instrument capable of measuring and recording temperature, pressure and humidity. These measurements were recorded by pens tracings on paper, or on a smoked copper sheet, which was attached to a clock rotated drum.
On April 27, 1898, the first Weather Bureau kite was launched from Topeka, Kansas, and by the end of the year, 16 additional kite stations were attempting daily, early morning, simultaneous observations. The kites were large "box types" with dimensions of 8 feet long, 7 feet wide and 3 feet high. As many as seven kites would be attached to the kite wire during and observation. These kites were placed at regular intervals with the second 1500 feet behind the first, the third 2000 feet behind the second and from there on a spacing of 2500 feet.
Kites were not limited to the lower part of the troposphere. The average height of kite observations was 8,700 feet, although in 1907, one flight reached 23,111 feet, for which the Weather Bureau claimed a world record. Piano wire was used and flights were generally four to five hours. Since kites could attain great heights where there were great winds, "runaway" kites frequently caused serious problems. In one instance, the wire to a string of kites broke in south Texas. As the kites and trailing wire moved east, all telegraph lines between Dallas and Houston were cut.
The Weather Bureau used kites from the late 1890s to the mid 1930s when they were replaced by airplane observations. Kites exposed many conditions in the atmosphere that were previously unknown, in particular the temperature inversion (temperature increasing with height instead of decreasing) and the existence of jet streams at various levels of the atmosphere.

11. Wright Brothers 1899 kite using wing warping for turning

12. Wright Brothers’ 1900 kite, no rudder and small elevator up front
The 1900 aircraft was the first large aircraft built by the Wrights. It was flown repeatedly at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, during 1900 to verify and demonstrate roll control by using wing warping. Kitty Hawk was chosen as the flight location because of the steady breeze which blows in from the Atlantic and because the sand dunes provided a "soft" landing during crashes and very few "kite-eating" trees. The kite was flown by several members of the ground crew holding the Control Lines. The control lines connected to some pulleys and control wires on the wings. Pulling a control line caused the wing tip on that side to move, or warp, relative to the rest of the wing. Changing the shape of the wing tip changes the amount of lift which that portion of the wing produces. An imbalance of lift on the wing causes the kite to roll and move to the side. Controlling the amount of warp allows you to control the roll of the aircraft.

13. Wright Brothers 1901 kite, larger elevator up front but still no rudder
The Wright brothers also flew the 1901 aircraft as a kite. The 1901 aircraft did not glide as well as they had calculated and the brothers used the information from the kite experiments to identify and quantify the problem. Based on the kite results from 1901, the brothers made their own estimate of the Smeaton pressure coefficient, which was the reference condition for all published aerodynamic data at that time. The Wrights had used the accepted value of .005 in the design of the 1901 aircraft. But their data indicated that was closer to the correct answer. The currently accepted value of this coefficient is
Note the very high angle of attack needed to support the weight of the aircraft. That's because the aircraft had been designed with "optimistic" data; the brother were expecting much better performance than they obtained because the value of the Smeaton coefficient used in the design was too high.

14. Wright Brothers 1902 kite with the larger elevator and a rudder
The design of the 1902 aircraft had been improved based on wind tunnel tests in late The more efficient aircraft flies at a lower angle of attack. The brothers also used the more accurate value of the Smeaton coefficient in this design.

15. The January 1948 kite contest to span Niagara Falls and link the two sides for a suspension bridge
There was a tremendous turn out for the kite contest that was held in January of The kites began appearing on the Canadian side of the gorge, taking advantage of prevailing winds from West to East. The first to succeed in spanning the gorge with his kite, named the ‘Union’, was fifteen-year-old American, Homan Walsh. Homan crossed to the Canadian side of the gorge by ferry just below Niagara Falls, and walked the two miles along the top of the cliff to the location that the bridge was to be built. Homan had to wait a day for the wind to cooperate; it was a kite contest after all! However, on the second day, the winds were perfect and Homan’s kite went right up and flew high above the gorge. 
Homan’s kite flew all day and into the night. At midnight, as he had expected, the wind died and the kite began to descend. Then there was a sudden pull of the line, and it went limp. He realized what happened. Homan’s kite string had broken. It was cut on the edge of the sharp rocks and broken ice. The bad luck continued for Homan Walsh, the ferry wasn’t crossing the river because the broken ice made it too dangerous. He was marooned on the Canadian side in the town of Clifton for eight days. Fortunately he stayed with friends while he waited for the ice to clear enough to resume ferry service. 
Finally, after eight days, he was able to go back to the US side, retrieve his kite, and repair it. Homan Walsh then made his way back to the Canadian cliff side, where he was able to fly the kite to the opposite bank. There it was caught and attached to a tree. He won the kite-flying contest on (or about) January 30, 1848, and was awarded the cash prize. His cash prize was either five or ten dollars (US). Accounts vary, depending on publications.
15-yr old American Homan Walsh wins the contest!

16. Rogallos’ “Flexiwing Kite,” 1948
In 1948, Francis and Gertrude Rogallo enjoyed the first successful flight of their flexible wing, a revolutionary aero concept that was constructed from Gertrude's kitchen curtains and developed from research conducted in their in-house, homemade wind tunnel. This remarkable invention was a wing with no rigid members that creates an airfoil shape when flying and generates lift similar to a rigid airfoil. This incredible invention led to hang gliders, paragliders, kites, stunt kites, and revolutionized parachutes. Based on the Rogallo invention, millions of people around the world have been introduced to the pleasures, adventures, and challenges of aviation.

17. William Allison’s “Sled Kite”, 1950’s
Another popular kite is the sled kite. It was invented in the 1950s by William Allison of Dayton, Ohio. It is characterized by a concave surface and two vertical keels. It flies when the air is pushed up underneath to make a concave shape...the basic sled has two longerons and a two-legged bridle. The two sides to which the bridle is attached act as keels, but even so, a tail or vents in the rear of the sail may be required for stability. The sled kite is a relatively new invention, dating back only to William  M.   Allison was born in  Canada and  moved  to  the   U.S.A.   state   of Dayton,   Ohio in the early  1930's. At the age of 13 he built model planes that displayed fine detail and craftsmanship for a boy his age, according to kite expert Tal Streeter who has researched the early years of Allison for his book “Great Kites of the Western World” . As an  adult  he worked for the Westinghouse refrigerator factory in Dayton as a mechanic. Allison enjoyed  flying  kites  and helping  others  in  the  art   of   fine tuning  and  kite  flying.   He   enjoyed experimenting  with designs of  his  own. Sometime  in the  early  1950's  an  idea suddenly came to him  that maybe  a  kite could conform to the  flow  of  wind  and still   obtain  lift.   As  a  result  he developed  a    flexible    kite,   which Allison referred to as a polymorphic kite when describing how  the   kite  conform to the fluctuations of  the  air stream. It is unknown what  influenced  Allison's invention,  it may have been a windsock or a  sail boat spinnaker but  according  to his patent application on  September  8th 1950 the kite was an  instant  invention. Allison's invention  was basically a semi-rigid canopy kite " built from   any   light   material,  relatively impervious to the  passage  of air, for    example    paper." (ref from patent number 2,737,360).
Allison's Flexible Kite (United States Patent and Trademark Office number 2,737,360)

18. Jalbert “Flexifoil,” 1964 (now known as “Parafoil”)
The creation of the parafoil is based on a background of fifty years of work, play and study in the field of aerodynamics. Jalbert came upon his revolutionary discovery of the parafoil, by simply observing various sizes and configurations of kites, balloons and parachutes, since the age of five. Flying kites was a life time hobby for Jalbert. Naturally Jalbert was attracted to general aviation as well. He was the 626th person to receive a pilots' license in the United States, in the year 1927.
While at United States Rubber, Jalbert learned how to fabricate static air inflated balloon fins and rig belly bands along the outer skin on large barrage balloons so that they would maintain a stiff internal pressure. At that time, Jalbert did not realize that 25 years later, the experience gained on the static air inflated fin and the distribution of pressure on balloons by belly bands, would be the basis of a new aerial device. As a result of this combined knowledge that Jalbert had gained, came an invention which has become known to the world as the Jalbert Parafoil.
From the late 30's to the 50's, Jalbert's activities were entirely spent on the research of kites and kite-balloons, with some dabbling in the parachute field. In 1952, Jalbert developed the first basic different type of parachute which was an incredible difference from the conventional chute. As compared to the standard accepted chute of that time, which only had one center of effort, Jalbert came up with the Multi-Celled Parachute which multiplied the center-of-efforts and increased the drag coefficient.
Since sky diving was being introduced at this time, Jalbert became very interested in the problems of this field. With the help of qualified jumpers, Jalbert made many types of parachutes trying to find a canopy configurations that, thru control lines, would produce directional control and a glide ratio of 3 to 1. After about five years of time and the expenditure of a great deal of money, on all types of modified canopies to produce glide, Jalbert decided on another approach.
One day when Jalbert was flying back from Patrick Air Base, he looked out at the wings in which he was traveling on and thought to himself. To really travel from one place to another and achieve a 3 to 1 glide ratio, you need to have a wing. Birds do not have cups like conventional or multi-celled canopy-type parachutes and neither do airplanes. They have wings!!! Then why not make a wing from fabric? Upon landing at the Boca Raton base, Jalbert opened the gas tank cap on the wing and took a yardstick and measured the depth. Then he proceeded to the drawing board back at his laboratory.
The next day, by combining his talents and skills that he had acquired in 3 specific areas of expertise... kites, balloons and parachute rigging, Dom was now ready to finally go to work on the Parafoil. Dom wrote down the 3 things he knew were proven theories. 1. Depth of the diaphragms in the shape of the fabric wing to allow air pressure inside. 2. Proper spacing apart of these airfoil diaphragms known as ribs which would give the parafoil shape. 3. On the bottom of the surface of this assembly, which is now a wing, there would be a series of triangle flares, known as keels. These keels would be sewn on directly under alternating ribs on the bottom surface of the wing. To these keels there would be shroud lines attached that would come to a junction in the same manner as a parachute suspension system.
On a late afternoon of March 1964 the first "Jalbert Airfoil " was successfully privately test flown. Ushering a new frontier in the field of aviation. The Jalbert Air foil, patent No , continuation No. 26,427 and foreign patents, is an entirely new concept in aerodynamics. It is the most powerful aerial lifting device in the world for its weight and pack volume when operated in winds of 10 knots or more. All Jalbert Airfoils are now referred to as Jabert Parafoils.

19. Let’s checkout NASA’s kite info...
Each of the kites on this slide looks different than another kite, but the forces acting on all the kites is exactly the same. In fact, with the exception of thrust, the forces acting on a kite are also the same forces which act on an airliner or a fighter plane. Like an aircraft, kites are heavier than air and rely on aerodynamic forces to fly. Gas balloons and bubbles, on the other hand, are lighter than air and rely on buoyancy forces to fly. Like an aircraft, kites have a solid frame normally made of wood or plastic, and this frame is covered by a paper, plastic, or cloth "skin" to generate the lift necessary to overcome the kite's weight. A kite must be made as light as possible for good performance, yet be strong enough to withstand high winds. Determining the forces on a kite can be difficult, so we have prepared a kite simulator to let you study these forces. You can use KiteModeler to design your own kites. You can then build a kite based on your design and compare the results with the computer program.
Flying
While the forces on all kites are the same, each kite flies a little differently. Some kites are highly maneuverable and some kites are very stable. There are kites with multiple control lines that can perform stunts, while other kites can be flown to high altitudes. We can use math techniques that you learn in school to determine the altitude of a kite graphically. With a little more knowledge of mathematics, you can actually calculate the altitude at which the kite is flying.
Regardless of the type of kite, the flyer must always fly safely for the protection of others, to protect property, and to insure that the kite can be flown again.

20. Kite Modeler
Like an airplane, a kite is a heavier than air craft. Kites depend on surfaces to generate the aerodynamic forces necessary for flight and use rigid structures to support the surfaces and transmit the forces. Different kites. have different types of surfaces and structures; on this slide we show a simple box kite. The left side of the figure shows the kite as it would appear in flight and the right side shows the inner structure.
Kite flying is a delicate balance between aerodynamic forces, the weight of the parts of the kite, and the distribution of these forces. In flight, the kite is connected to the flyer by the control line and the flyer can feel the tension in the line created by the aerodynamic forces on the kite. The line is connected to the kite by a string bridle. The place where the bridle connects to the line is called the bridle point and the kite pivots about this point in flight. The bridle point can be adjusted to change the flight characteristics of the kite. The surfaces of the kite are covered by a thin covering of paper, plastic, or cloth, which deflects the wind downward and creates the aerodynamic forces of lift and drag on the kite.

21. Today’s modern kites Power kites Stunt kite
Kites are used as a fishing aid in the Solomon Islands. Kites are used by the Koreans to announce the birth of a child. Kites were used by the Chinese during battles. They were made of bamboo and had the tendency to hum and shriek in the wind which frightened the enemy. Kites in the Chinese and Japanese cultures were capable of holding or "flying" a person in the air where the person could spy or act as a sniper using bows and arrows. Many kite designs that were developed for the military or for scientific purposes can be seen at kite festivals and competitions today. Windsocks are a Japanese tradition that has caught on elsewhere. In the Japanese culture the windsocks are made in the shape of a fish called a carp and they are the symbol of strength and strong will, overcoming great obstacles to achieve their goal. Like the Chinese, the Japanese have a special day for flying kites or windsocks. In Japan it is May 5th, "Children's Day." Today, we don't need a special day to fly kites and there are many kite-flying festivals throughout the year. We can enjoy the magic of kites any time!
Stunt kite

22. Kite powered buggying
One of the more athletic and daring aspects of the modern kite scene is the emergence of kite powered buggying as a means of combining the pull of dual and quad line power kites with wheeled vehicles.
Peter Lynn's tricycle buggies, first seriously marketed in the early 1990's, have taken adventurous kiters into new dimensions of speed and motion. Lynn's vehicles have been copied by numerous hobbyists and even a few other commercial ventures.
When combined with proper safety precautions the thrills and exhilaration of a kite-powered buggy ride can be quite addictive to daring kiters.

23. Time to learn some more and build your own kite!