Kite Making & Flying Asian - American / Kite Kelvin YS Chun Honolulu, Hawaii
Background Educator in Hawaii Magician Balloonologist Kite Maker / Flyer
What is a kite? What does a kite look like? How many sides? What material is used?
Kite Definition A light framework covered with cloth, plastic, or paper, designed to be flown in the wind at the end of a long string.
How is a kite made? A kite is an unpowered, heavier-than-air flying device held to the earth by a line.
Kite rises Wind resistance causes the air pressure under the kite to be greater than the air pressure above the kite.
Three basic parts Body Line Bridle
Many Purposes Communicating with spirits and gods - Thailand and other cultures Fishing aid - Solomon Islands Announce the birth of a child - Korea Shrieking kites during battles - China Carrying a person into the air - China and Japan Fighting kites (kites that fight other kites) - India and Japan
HOW DO YOU CONSTRUCT A KITE? Decide on a shape or form. Design the sticks and frames for the kite. Choose the cover material - strong but light. Choose how you will stabilize your kite. Will you have a tail? Will you bow or vent your kite?
A Brief History of Kites China 478 BC it was recorded that a Chinese Philosopher, Mo Zi, spent 3 years making a hawk from wood which flew
Materials - Bamboo / Silk
The first kite? Chinese peasants - tied strings to hats
Other places Kites spread to India, Malaysia, and Polynesia, and Japan after the Northern Sung period ( A.D.)
Malaysia, and Polynesia
China
Korea kites arrived from China about 1000 A.D.
Europe 230 B.C., when the Greek physicist Archimedes Fourteenth century - German military flew kites on horses Bow kite (developed in Germany) spread to France and England English astronomers
America Benjamin Franklin - June, 1756
Modern Kites
Saranggola / Sarangola Adaptation from the Filipino Kite
Gurion / Guryon Classic Filipino kite design, elliptical wings and tail-less variant
Hawaiian/Asian kite Mix between Chinese, Filipino, and American ideas
Materials: Spine - 1 bamboo pole 44" long and 3/8" diameter at top and 3/16" at bottom (heat bamboo so it curves in the center)
Patricio Gongob
Kite Contest in 1971
Bamboo
Wings 2 bamboo slats - 28" x 1/4" A. Shave bamboo so that center is 3/8" thick and ends are 1/8" thick. B.Bamboo should bend like an archery bow - evenly curved. Bamboo should curve at about 16" from center.
Tail - 1 bamboo slat - 26 "x 3/16" Shave bamboo so that center is 1/4" thick and ends are 1/8" thick. Bamboo should curve at about 10" from center
Use plastic or tissue as cover for kite. You may use contact cement to paste plastic together.
Tessellation Design
Hummer creates sound
Modified design
Materials list for various kites Plastic white kitchen trash bag Bamboo sticks Fluorescent paper
The Bumble Bee A simple paper-fold kite. You will need for each kite: 1 Sheet of copier paper sewing thread. Fold the sheet of paper in half...
Mark two points, A and B on the folded edge of the paper. Point "A" should be 2 1/2 inches from the end, and point "B", 2 1/2 inches.
Fold the top corners of the page to point A and staple them in place. Do not crease the paper. Just bend it back.
Punch a hole at point B and attach you flying thread.
You may add simple ribbon tails.
Paper Sled Kite
Use Sled Kite Template Cut out Sled Kite Decorate with crayons or markers Add tape to black circles Punch out holes marked by circles Tie 36 thread to each hole & loop middle Cut out air vent Add tail with tape Attach thread to kite
Plastic Trash Bag Sled Kite Take the bag and cut off the bottom Cut across the top Fold plastic in half and measure the following:
Open plastic to form hexagon shape and tape sticks to plastic.
Cut 2 pieces of plastic and tape it to the sticks for tail.
Draw a nice design.
Rules *Never fly near power lines *Never fly in stormy weather *Never fly near trees *Never use metallic flying line *Never fly your kite near or over people. *Always use extreme caution when flying large kites.
Sled kite flying journal Sled Kite Flight What happened when I... Walk versus run Tail versus no tail Length of tail Air vent