Kitecraft : $b and kite tournaments — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Kitecraft : $b and kite tournaments
John Stuart Mill · en
Most of the moving devices on kites are operated best by means of
windmills. The windmill can be placed back of the kite out of sight.
Various movements can be devised such as opening and shutting of eyes
and mouth and moving of ears. Feet and hands can be made to dangle
without any device. The windmill can also be used for decorative
purposes.
[Illustration: FIG. 148.]
=Windmills.= There are two general kinds of windmills. Those turning
from left to right and vice versa, and those turning fore and back. The
last named type is used for eyes that turn. The eyes are set in little
rims of some stiff material, a thin piece of bamboo, shaving, or stiff
cardboard. Holes are cut in the covering of the kite and these rims are
pasted in so as to stand edgewise. These rims prevent the interference
of any obstruction to the revolving eyes. The eye may be set in place
by means of a wire running thru each side of the rim and thru the
eye. The eye has a smaller rim on which two half circles of paper are
pasted, see Fig. 148. A little paper wound into a little ball would be
made by the Chinese boys, but a glass bead will answer to keep the eye
away from the rim of the opening. The two semicircles of paper are on
the two halves of the eye. In Fig. 148, _a_ is on the upper half of the
front side while the other semicircle, _b_, is on the lower half of
the back. Sometimes little mirrors are pasted to the eyes, as at _m_,
to reflect the light as they spin around, which they certainly do, if
nicely set in their places. Some use considerable black on one half
and white on the other, giving a blinking effect. This same kind of
revolving disk is sometimes used on wires or cord to the outside of the
kite, see Fig. 134.
[Illustration: FIG. 149.]
[Illustration: FIG. 150.]
[Illustration: FIG. 151.]
[Illustration: FIG. 152.]