Kites & kiting

[Jet2]

Originally Posted by freeztar

And it flies?!

The paintings are beautiful.

It surely can and it's been flying high for thousands of year.

Every year there are various kite festival holding in different cities throughout China. Here are a few links for your reference:

Weifang Kite Festival - Chinese Kite Festilvals - Asian Kite Festivals - International Kite Festivals
china kite on line
Chinese Kite Festival

[freeztar]

Originally Posted by Jet2

It surely can and it's been flying high for thousands of year.

Every year there are various kite festival holding in different cities throughout China. Here are a few links for your reference:

Weifang Kite Festival - Chinese Kite Festilvals - Asian Kite Festivals - International Kite Festivals
china kite on line
Chinese Kite Festival

Wow!

That red star kite looks like the coolest kite I've ever seen!

Thanks Jet2!

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Jet2

It surely can and it's been flying high for thousands of year.

Is it silk? Do you, or anyone, know the earliest known example of a kite in the world? Just read the link...never mind.

You all have me jazzed too! All talk, and no wind! Anyway, Freezy you asked about attaching the flying line to the bridle to set the angle of attack. I can't tell what Doug did by the photos, but I have made you a vid of my method for an adjustable connection.

For the same kite, a light wind will need an angle of attack steeper (main plane of kite surface closer to vertical), and in a stronger wind, a shallower angle of attack. Typically this is a field adjustment made on the fly () and no time to want to fiddle with a tough knot.

Now if....oh yeah...the vid... ..........

YouTube - Lark's-head & ring kite bridle...

[DougF]

freeztar
In which manner did you tie the string to allow you to control the angle of the kite?

I tied a slipknot to the looping string on the kite (see photo) if I slide this knot down a inch or two I can get better lift at liftoff (I use this in lower wind) and I slide it up a inch or two in stronger wind as it has a tendency to jump right up to altitude.

(Note: this is only a small adjustment that allows you to change the angle of the kite in relation to the string holding it.)

[DougF]

Thanks for the video Turtle you are right on the money.

[freeztar]

Aha!
Thanks guys!

So I assume the adjustments for angle must be made pre-flight?

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by freeztar

Aha!
Thanks guys!

So I assume the adjustments for angle must be made pre-flight?

Yes. You estimate a setting, let the kite out/up a bit, and then if need-be, bring it in and readjust. Where it gets tricky is when you get high enough to catch a different wind layer moving faster or slower than you lauchned into.

I mentioned an elastic section on the bridle, and it is meant to allow the kite to self-adjust in the circumstance described above. Good idea in theory, but I have found no end of grief with it in practice. The amount of stretch and the amount of tension have to be tweeked to the kite, and anything less than perfect and the kite tends to bounce and you can't gain altitude.

[Turtle]

Just when I was losing interest in building that new camera carriage for my kite. If I get out to that hole in the ground I found with GoogleEarth, maybe I'll take my rig for a shakedown.

Originally Posted by USGS

Virtual Tour of the San Andreas Fault at the Carrizo Plain
using Kite Aerial Photography

The USGS recently developed a system for taking aerial photographs from a kite. Kite Aerial Photography (KAP) is not a new idea. In fact, it was used as early as 1889 by Arthur Batat in France. In 1906, George Lawrence used KAP to document damage resulting from the great San Francisco earthquake. He used a series of at least 15 kites to lift his 49-pound camera over the city. Of course, modern cameras are much lighter, and it takes only a single large parafoil kite (30 square ft) to lift our camera and rig weighing in at under 3 pounds. The camera is attached to the kite line and controlled remotely from the ground using a radio control for a model airplane. ...

[LaurieAG]

Originally Posted by Turtle

Just when I was losing interest in building that new camera carriage for my kite. If I get out to that hole in the ground I found with GoogleEarth, maybe I'll take my rig for a shakedown.

Hi Turtle,

There are some very cheap ($15) IR R/C units (small helicopters) around these days that may suit your purpose, it all depends on wether your kite strings are longer than 30M. It would probaly be easier to control the camera through wires considering that you could also run the camera feed down the lines as well.

I suppose it depends on how much you want to spend. Good luck.

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by LaurieAG

Hi Turtle,

There are some very cheap ($15) IR R/C units (small helicopters) around these days that may suit your purpose, it all depends on wether your kite strings are longer than 30M. It would probaly be easier to control the camera through wires considering that you could also run the camera feed down the lines as well.

I suppose it depends on how much you want to spend. Good luck.

Hi Laurie. I did this with radios & still cameras 20 years ago at altitudes of ~400 feet. If you read back in this thread I have put down the particulars. This time I have a video camera and no need or desire of a radio or wires. I want to spend, and possess, as little as possible.

I think the article gives a misimpression by juxtaposing '30 foot parafoil' with '3 pound camera', as my 6 foot box kite flown square gave easily a pull on the line of 25 pounds or more.

Granted I needed a fresh wind (steady 10 to 15 mph at least), but in the new rhomboid configuration I have the kite in now, I expect it to fly in lighter winds. With a weather proof enclosure I expect my camera to weigh ~ 4 pounds.