Kitecraft : $b and kite tournaments — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Kitecraft : $b and kite tournaments
John Stuart Mill · en
The “flying fish,” Fig. 103, needs vents, as the whole body is a
box-kite. Two views of the framework are given; a center spine runs
the entire length of the fish with two curves at the mouth. The mouth
is left open, so string is used for the outline. The original kite was
very mechanically made. It was beyond amateur work and showed that some
skilled workman had assisted. Much can be done with the brush to make
this a very interesting kite. Scales can be painted and the fins and
tail lined up. Wherever vents are placed, there should be a string for
the edge of the paper to turn over, or it will tear out.
The “Clown and Donkey,” Fig. 57, is the combination of three tailless
kites, and is what is known as a compound kite. Fig. 104 is another
example of compounding. Fig. 105 shows a star kite compounded together.
[Illustration: FIGS. 96, 97, 98, 99.]
=Kites in Series.= A boy may put up a kite about five hundred feet, and
if it is a good flyer, tie the kite line fast and put up another on
perhaps three hundred feet of string. If the second is also a steady
flyer he can tie the end of that kite line to the first and let out
perhaps three hundred feet more of the first line, and again tie it
fast. Another kite is added in the same manner as the second and so
on. The best flyers of the series should be placed as leaders. Boys
have put up as high as forty kites in such a series, and no one has
any idea of the beauty of such a series, when looking up from the
standpoint of the flyer, until he has actually seen such a combination.
Some prefer to take a color scheme and use it for all the kites, others
prefer a great variety of colors, and it is hard to tell which is the
most pleasing. Tailless kites are used more than any other for such
purposes. Fig. 106 shows the arrangement. This is one of the best
schemes for high flying. The first kite should not be put out to the
limit of its lifting power else when the rest of the string is lifted
it will not mount up higher. It should have considerable reserve when
the second kite is attached. For high flying, the kites should be
placed farther apart, and the first part of the line should be light
and strong and the thickness increased as needed for strength of the
combined kites. Kites can be put up to a great height in this way. This
way of combining kites is called “Kites in Tandem.”
[Illustration: FIG. 100.]
[Illustration: FIG. 101.]
[Illustration: FIG. 102.]
[Illustration: FIG. 103.]