Let’s Go Fly a Kite

When the day is right and the wind is steady, there’s nothing like flying a kite. As a kid, I can remember going to the park with my Dad, watching him do a short run, and then launching the kite up in the air. As we let out the string, I was amazed how the kite would float away and hang in the air. Since Jackie and I love going to the beach on vacations, our girls grew up being able to fly kites on the ocean breezes. There is nothing quite as exciting as seeing the kite go up, run out of string, then adding another roll of string to have it go even higher. Watching the kite float off until it’s just a spec is very satisfying. Now, reeling the kite back in is not nearly as much fun! Part design, part aerodynamics, kites are just marvels. From ancient China to modern kite festivals worldwide, these lightweight flying marvels have captured our imagination for thousands of years. Here’s a little history, trivia, and the science behind how kites take flight. Thanks to Wikipedia, YouTube, Facebook, Guinness World Records, and kite.org for the info. Enjoy!

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Kites were invented in Asia, though their exact origin can only be speculated. The oldest depiction of a kite is from a Mesolithic period cave painting in Muna island, southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, which has been dated from 9500–9000 years B.C. It depicts a type of kite called kaghati, which is still used by modern Muna people. The kite is made from kolope (forest tuber) leaf for the mainsail, bamboo skin as the frame, and twisted forest pineapple fiber as rope, though modern kites use string. 

In China, the kite has been claimed as the invention of the 5th-century BC Chinese philosophers Mozi (also Mo Di, or Mo Ti) and Lu Ban (also Gongshu Ban, or Kungshu Phan). Local materials ideal for kite building were readily available, including silk fabric for sail material; fine, high-tensile-strength silk for flying line; and resilient bamboo for a strong, lightweight framework. 

Tails are used for some single-line kite designs to keep the kite’s nose pointing into the wind. Spinners and spinsocks can be attached to the flying line for visual effect, such as rotating windsocks that spin like a turbine. On large display kites, these tails, spinners, and spinsocks can be 50 feet long or more.

By 549 AD, paper kites were certainly being flown, as it was recorded that in that year a paper kite was used as a message for a rescue mission. Ancient and medieval Chinese sources describe kites being used for measuring distances, testing the wind, lifting men, signaling, and communication for military operations. 

With its introduction into India, the kite further evolved into what was called a fighter kite, known as the patang in India, where thousands are flown every year on festivals such as Makar Sankranti. 

Kites were known throughout Polynesia, as far as New Zealand, with the assumption being that the knowledge diffused from China along with the people. Kites made from cloth and wood were used in religious ceremonies to send prayers to the gods. Polynesian kite traditions are used by anthropologists to get an idea of early “primitive” Asian traditions that are believed to have at one time existed in Asia. 

Kites were late to arrive in Europe, although windsock-like banners were known and used by the Romans. Stories of kites were first brought to Europe by Marco Polo towards the end of the 13th century, and kites were brought back by sailors from Japan and Malaysia in the 16th and 17th centuries. 

Kite flying is not just about holding a string and hoping for the best. The flight of a kite is governed by fundamental principles of aerodynamics and thermal dynamics. Forces Acting on a Kite include:

Lift – The wind flowing over and under the kite creates lift, much like an airplane wing. The shape of the kite and its angle to the wind determine how much lift it generates.

Gravity – This force pulls the kite down toward the Earth. The balance between lift and gravity determines whether the kite stays in the air.

Drag – Air resistance acts against the kite, slowing it down and affecting stability.

Tension – The kite string provides tension, controlling movement and preventing it from simply drifting away.

Enthusiasts say the best conditions for Flying include wind speeds of 5 to 25 mph at open spaces like beaches, fields, and hilltops.

The world’s largest kite is over 4,800 square feet (446 square meters) and was flown in Kuwait. 

The record for the highest altitude reached by a kite is 16,009 feet (4,879 meters), set in Australia.

A kite was flown continuously for 180 hours (over a week) in 1984.

Some high-performance kites can reach speeds of 120 mph! 

In a single event, 12,350 kites were flown simultaneously in China.

In some countries like Afghanistan and India, kite flying competitions involve trying to cut opponents’ kite strings using special coated lines. Learn more at American Kitefliers Association competitions 

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