Kites are one if the happy pleasures of childhood. In many nations and in the pages of history we see that kites have been enjoyed, studied and used by adults also. Kites have been around for centuries. They are more than toys. Scientists have used kites to study, to invent, to explore, to work, to capture and to probe the unknown.
Famous Names and Kites in History
- In 1883, Douglas Archibald used a kite to which he had attached an anemometer to measure wind velocity.
- Leonardo DaVinci attempted to use kites to cross water for the building of bridges. Later, Homan Walsh, a 10 year old boy, used a kite to reach across the chasm of Niagara Falls. The kite pulled a cable that was the beginning of the building of the great span For the performing of this feat Homan was paid a hefty sum of ten dollars!
- Ben Franklin used a kite in his studies of lightning. He flew kites in thunder storms to discover the facts that he needed to prove that lightning was electricity that could be used for light and heat.
- Orville and Wilbur Wright used kites to help them learn the method of flight and to develop an airplane that could support a man’s weight and remain stable in the sky.
- Guglielmo Marconi used kites to carry an antenna high enough into the sky to allow him to send radio signal across the Atlantic Ocean in 1901.
- Kites have also been used to send messages in war. In the early 1900’s the United States Weather Bureau used kites extensively to help take readings with instruments to help forecast the weather in the US.
- Alexander Graham Bell, whose work with the deaf that led to the invention of the telephone, used kites to help him develop aircraft. He made a new improved Hargrave Kite (a Box kite) and used this work to design a number of successful aircraft. During World War II
- Paul Garber designed a Eddy type kite that was used for gunnery target practice and thus saved many lives during that conflict.
Reading about Kites
The Magnificent Book of Kites: Exploration in Design, Construction, Enjoyment and Flight By Maxwell Eden, Sterling Publishing of New York, 2002
The Complete Book of Kites and Kite Flying By Will Yolen, Published by Simon and Schuster, 1976
The Kite Building and Kite Flying Handbook, with 42 Kite Plans By Jack Wiley , from Silver Burdett, 1984
Kite Styles
- Eddy Bow kite.
- Box kite.
- Chinese dragon kite
- Mini-kites out of paper or leaves or some unexpected materials
- Nylon kite.
- Kites within kites
- Tetrahedron kites
- Triangular tetra kites
- Signaling kites
- Target kites
- Weather kite (supports an instrument)
- Night kite ( of lighted or reflective materials)
Choose a kite to build. Start with a simple model. Make your frame of lightweight wood and cover it with paper. Tissue paper makes the best flying surface.
Test fly your kite to see what designs and materials work best.
Extra Projects
- Choose one of the men listed above and study their work more fully.
- Write a poem about a kite. Make your poem in the shape of a kite.
- Make a kite safety poster to put up in the public library or an elementary school in your town. Make your poster answer this question: When and where is it unsafe to fly a kite?
- Choose five of these names and research to find what contribution each made to the science of kiting. Peter Lynn, Eddy, Homan Walsh, Domina Jalbert, Eric Muhs, Samuel Cody, George Pocock, Fran Rogallo.
Through the ages, kites have provided more than entertainment . They have been used by scientists, spies, sailors, meteorologists, explorers, messengers, inventors, researchers, and artists. Get started in the exciting world of kites today. Have some high-flying fun!
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