It is the hope of the writer that this little book may be instrumental in giving our boys and girls suggestions for many happy hours in the construction and flying of kites, and that it may also serve a good purpose to teacher and pupil in reaching a common ground, and that it will help some mother in furnishing a good healthy pastime sport for boys who sometimes try the limit of one’s patience for the lack of something to do. It is a home construction work largely, and it has succeeded oftimes much better than was anticipated, for whole families have become interested in the development of OUR boy’s kite. Mother generally is interested first, while father looks with disfavor on so much time being spent on a kite; but before it flies, father gets very enthusiastic, suggests here and there, and furnishes material for string, etc., with pleasure, and they all go to the tournament to see Jack win a first prize. This is one case, there are others. I believe there is need for such books, and this subject is without such a text, therefore, this little treatise. CHARLES M. MILLER, _Los Angeles, California_. _November 5, 1912._ [Illustration: CHARLES M. MILLER.] CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE Introduction 5 Preface 7 I. General Kite Construction 11 II. Kite Accessories 16 III. Kinds of Kites 20 IV. Plain Surface Kites 23 V. Box-Kites 39 VI. Combined Kites 48 VII. Decoration of Kites 61 VIII. Messengers 69 IX. Moving Devices 75 X. Suspended Figures and Appliances 82 XI. Balloons and Parachutes 92 XII. Reels 97 XIII. Aeroplane Models 103 XIV. Gliders 108 XV. Model Aeroplanes 112 XVI. Propellers, Motors, Gears, and Winding Devices 121 XVII. Tournaments 127 XVIII. Tournaments, Continued 134 XIX. Conclusion 140 XX. Bibliography 142 CHAPTER I. GENERAL KITE CONSTRUCTION.