Kite
A kite is a
The lift that sustains the kite in flight is generated when air moves around the kite's surface, producing low pressure above and high pressure below the wings.[5] The interaction with the wind also generates horizontal drag along the direction of the wind. The resultant force vector from the lift and drag force components is opposed by the tension of one or more of the lines or tethers to which the kite is attached.[6] The anchor point of the kite line may be static or moving (e.g., the towing of a kite by a running person, boat, free-falling anchors as in paragliders and fugitive parakites[7][8] or vehicle).[9][10]
The same principles of fluid flow apply in liquids, so kites can be used in underwater currents.[11][12] Paravanes and otter boards operate underwater on an analogous principle.
Man-lifting kites were made for reconnaissance, entertainment and during development of the first practical aircraft, the biplane.
Kites have a long and varied history and many different types are flown individually and at
History
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). 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. 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. The earliest known Chinese kites were flat (not bowed) and often rectangular. Later, tailless kites incorporated a stabilizing bowline. Kites were decorated with mythological motifs and legendary figures; some were fitted with strings and whistles to make musical sounds while flying.[13][14][15]
After its introduction into
Kites were known throughout Polynesia, as far as New Zealand, with the assumption being that the knowledge diffused from China along with the people. Anthropomorphic kites made from cloth and wood were used in religious ceremonies to send prayers to the gods.[17] 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.[18]
Kites were late to arrive in
In 1752, Benjamin Franklin published an account of a kite experiment to prove that lightning was caused by electricity.
Kites were also instrumental in the research of the Wright brothers, and others, as they developed the first airplane in the late 1800s. Several different designs of man-lifting kites were developed. The period from 1860 to about 1910 became the European "golden age of kiting".[22]
In the 20th century, many new kite designs are developed. These included
.The rapid development of mechanically powered aircraft diminished interest in kites.
Kites are now mostly used for recreation. Lightweight synthetic materials (
Materials
Designs often emulate flying insects, birds, and other beasts, both real and mythical. The finest Chinese kites are made from split bamboo (usually golden bamboo), covered with silk, and hand painted. On larger kites, clever hinges and latches allow the kite to be disassembled and compactly folded for storage or transport. Cheaper mass-produced kites are often made from printed polyester rather than silk.
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. There are rotating wind socks which spin like a turbine. On large display kites these tails, spinners and spinsocks can be 50 feet (15 m) long or more.
Modern aerobatic kites use two or four lines to allow fine control of the kite's angle to the wind. Traction kites may have an additional line to de-power the kite and quick-release mechanisms to disengage flyer and kite in an emergency.
Practical uses
Kites have been used for human flight, military applications, science and meteorology, photography, lifting radio antennas, generating power, aerodynamics experiments, and much more.
Military applications
Kites have been used for military purposes in the past, such as signaling, delivery of ammunition, and for observation, both by lifting an observer above the field of battle and by using kite aerial photography.
Kites were first used in warfare by the Chinese.[24] During the Song dynasty the Fire Crow, a kite carrying incendiary powder, a fuse, and a burning stick of incense was developed as a weapon.[25]
According to
Russian chronicles mention Prince
Walter de Milemete's 1326 De nobilitatibus, sapientiis, et prudentiis regum treatise depicts a group of knights flying kite laden with a black-powder filled firebomb over the wall of city.[28]
Kites were also used by
In the modern era the British Army used kites to haul human lookouts into the air for observation purposes, using the kites developed by
Kites andPalestinians from the
Science and meteorology
Kites have been used for scientific purposes, such as Benjamin Franklin's famous experiment proving that lightning is electricity. Kites were the precursors to the traditional aircraft, and were instrumental in the development of early flying craft. Alexander Graham Bell experimented with very large man-lifting kites, as did the Wright brothers and Lawrence Hargrave. Kites had a historical role in lifting scientific instruments to measure atmospheric conditions for weather forecasting. Francis Ronalds and William Radcliffe Birt described a very stable kite at Kew Observatory as early as 1847 that was trialled for the purpose of supporting self-registering meteorological instruments at height.[40]
Radio aerials and light beacons
Kites can be used for radio purposes, by kites carrying antennas for
Kites can be used to carry light effects such as lightsticks or battery powered lights.
Kite traction
Kites can be used to pull people and vehicles downwind. Efficient foil-type kites such as power kites can also be used to sail upwind under the same principles as used by other sailing craft, provided that lateral forces on the ground or in the water are redirected as with the keels, center boards, wheels and ice blades of traditional sailing craft. In the last two decades several kite sailing sports have become popular, such as kite buggying, kite land boarding, kite boating and kite surfing. Snow kiting has also become popular in recent years.
Kite sailing opens several possibilities not available in traditional sailing:
- Wind speeds are greater at higher altitudes
- Kites may be maneuvered dynamically which increases the force available dramatically
- There is no need for mechanical structures to withstand bending forces; vehicles or hulls can be very light or dispensed with all together
Underwater kites
Underwater kites are now being developed to harvest renewable power from the flow of water.[41][42]
- A kite was used in minesweeping operations from the First World War: this was a foil "attached to a sweep-wire submerging it to the requisite depth when it is towed over a minefield" (OED, 2021). See also paravane.
Cultural uses
Kite festivals are a popular form of entertainment throughout the world. They include large local events, traditional festivals which have been held for hundreds[clarification needed] of years and major international festivals which bring in kite flyers from other countries to display their unique art kites and demonstrate the latest technical kites.
Many countries have kite museums.[43] These museums may have a focus on historical kites, preserving the country's kite traditions.
Asia
Kite flying is popular in many Asian countries, where it often takes the form of "
In
In Indonesia kites are flown as both sport and recreation. One of the most popular kite variants is from Bali. Balinese kites are unique and they have different designs and forms; birds, butterflies, dragons, ships, etc. In Vietnam, kites are flown without tails. Instead small flutes are attached allowing the wind to "hum" a musical tune. There are other forms of sound-making kites. In Bali, large bows are attached to the front of the kites to make a deep throbbing vibration, and in Malaysia, a row of gourds with sound-slots are used to create a whistle as the kite flies. Malaysia is also home to the Kite Museum in Malacca.[46]
Kite are also popular in Nepal, especially in hilly areas and among the Pahadi and Newar communities, although people also fly kites in Terai areas. Unlike India, people in Nepal fly kites in August – September period and is more popular in time of Dashain.[47]
Kites are very popular in
.Kites have been flown in China since ancient times. Weifang is home to the largest kite museum in the world.[48][49] It also hosts an annual international kite festival on the large salt flats south of the city. There are several kite museums in Japan, UK, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand and the USA. In the pre-modern period, Malays in Singapore used kites for fishing.[50]
In Japan, kite flying is traditionally a children's play in New Year holidays and in the Boys' Festival in May. In some areas, there is a tradition to celebrate a new boy baby with a new kite (祝い凧). There are many kite festivals throughout Japan. The most famous one is "Yōkaichi Giant Kite Festival" in
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Making a traditional Wau jala budi kite in Malaysia. The bamboo frame is covered with plain paper and then decorated with multiple layers of shaped paper and foil.
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Various Balinese kites is on display in front of a store in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
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A kite shop in Lucknow, India
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Traditional Japanese kites
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Different kites are sold at a shop in Hội An, Vietnam
Europe
In
Polynesia
Polynesian traditional kites are sometimes used at ceremonies and variants of traditional kites for amusement. Older pieces are kept in museums. These are treasured by the people of Polynesia.
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Māori kite
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Launch of ram-air inflated Peter Lynn single-line kite, shaped like an octopus and 90 feet (27 m) long
South America
In Chile, kites are very popular, especially during Independence Day festivities (September 18). In Peru, kites are also very popular. There are kite festivals in parks and beaches mostly on August.
In Colombia, kites can be seen flown in parks and recreation areas during August which is calles as windy. It is during this month that most people, especially the young ones would fly kites.
In Guyana, kites are flown at Easter, an activity in which all ethnic and religious groups participate. Kites are generally not flown at any other time of year. Kites start appearing in the sky in the weeks leading up to Easter and school children are taken to parks for the activity. It all culminates in a massive airborne celebration on Easter Monday especially in Georgetown, the capital, and other coastal areas. The history of the practice is not entirely clear but given that Easter is a Christian festival, it is said that kite flying is symbolic of the Risen Lord. Moore[56] describes the phenomenon in the 19th century as follows:
A very popular Creole pastime was the flying of kites. Easter Monday, a public holiday, was the great kite-flying day on the sea wall in Georgetown and on open lands in villages. Young and old alike, male and female, appeared to be seized by kite-flying mania. Easter 1885 serves as a good example. "The appearance of the sky all over Georgetown, but especially towards the Sea Wall, was very striking, the air being thick with kites of all shapes and sizes, covered with gaily coloured paper, all riding bravely on the strong wind.
— (His quotation is from a letter to The Creole newspaper of December 29, 1858.)
The exact origins of the practice of kite flying (exclusively) at Easter are unclear. Bridget Brereton and Kevin Yelvington[57] speculate that kite flying was introduced by Chinese indentured immigrants to the then colony of British Guiana in the mid 19th century. The author of an article in the Guyana Chronicle newspaper of May 6, 2007 is more certain:
Kite flying originated as a Chinese tradition to mark the beginning of spring. However, because the plantation owners were suspicious of the planter class (read "plantation workers"), the Chinese claimed that it represented the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was a clever argument, as at that time, Christians celebrated Easter to the glory of the risen Christ. The Chinese came to Guyana from 1853–1879.[58]
World records
There are many world records involving kites.[59] The world's largest kites are inflatable single-line kites. The world record for the largest kite flown for at least 20 minutes is "The Flag of Kuwait".[60]
The world record for most kites flown simultaneously was achieved in 2011 when 12,350 kites were flown by children on Al-Waha beach in Gaza Strip.[61]
The single-kite altitude record is held by a triangular-box delta kite. On 23 September 2014 a team led by Robert Moore, flew a 129 square feet (12 m2) kite to 16,009 feet (4,880 m) above ground level.[62] The record altitude was reached after eight series of attempts over a ten-year period from a remote location in western New South Wales, Australia. The 9.2 feet (3 m) tall and 19.6 feet (6 m) wide Dunton-Taylor delta kite's flight was controlled by a winch system using 40,682 feet (12,400 m) of ultra high strength Dyneema line. The flight took about eight hours from ground and return. The height was measured with on-board GPS telemetry transmitting positional data in real time to a ground-based computer and also back-up GPS data loggers for later analysis.[63]
In popular culture
- kite fighting in pre-war Kabul.
- The Peanuts cartoon character Charlie Brown was often depicted having flown his kite into a tree as a metaphor for life's adversities.
- "Let's Go Fly a Kite" is a song from the Mary Poppins film and musical.
- In the Disney animated film Mulan, kites are flown in the parade.
- In the film Shooter, a kite is used to show the wind direction and wind velocity.
- "Kite" is a 1978 song celebrating kite flying and appears on Kate Bush's first album, The Kick Inside.
General safety issues
There are safety issues involved in kite-flying. Kite lines can strike and tangle on electrical power lines, causing power blackouts and running the risk of electrocuting the kite flier. Wet kite lines or wire can act as a conductor for static electricity and lightning when the weather is stormy. Kites with large surface area or powerful lift can lift kite fliers off the ground or drag them into other objects. In urban areas there is usually a ceiling on how high a kite can be flown, to prevent the kite and line infringing on the airspace of helicopters and light aircraft. It is also possible for fighter kites to kill people, as happened in India when three spectators were killed in separate incidents during Independence Day, August, 2016—precipitating a ban on certain types of enhanced line.
The government of Egypt banned kite-flying in July 2020, seizing 369 kites in Cairo and 99 in Alexandria, citing both safety and national security concerns.[64]
Designs
- Bermuda kite
- Bowed kite, e.g. Rokkaku
- Cellular or box kite
- Chapi-chapi
- Delta kite
- Foil, parafoil or bow kite
- Leading edge inflatable kite
- Malay kite see also wau bulan (Moon kite)
- Tetrahedral kite
- Sled kite
Gallery
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This delta kite has a keel instead of a bridle
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Giant Japanese kite launched, 2019
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Train of connected kites
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Kites fly on top of the Mitsui Store where the craftsmen are working on top of the roof, print by Hokusai
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Hiroshige II Enshū Akiha (1859)
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Illustration from the book Story of the mince pie by Josephine Scribner Gates, (1916)
Types
- Fighter kite
- Indoor kite
- Inflatable single-line kite
- Kytoon - a hybrid tethered craft comprising both a lighter-than-air balloon as well as a kite lifting surface
- Man-lifting kite
- Rogallo parawing kite
- Stunt (sport) kite
- Water kite
See also
- Airborne wind turbine, concept for a wind generator flown as kite
- Captive helicopter
- Captive plane
- High altitude wind power
- Kite aerial photography
- Kite buggying
- Kite fishing
- Kite ice skating
- Kite landboarding
- Kite shape
- Kiteboating
- Kitelife, an American magazine devoted to kites
- Kitesurfing
- Kite rig
- List of kite festivals
- Sea Tails, video installation
- Solar balloon, a solar-heated hot air balloon that can be flown like a kite, but on windless days.
- Uttarayan, the kite flying festival of western India
- Weifang International Kite Festival
References
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- ^ Kytoon
- ISBN 9781402700941.
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- ^ "The Bachstelze Article describes the Fa-330 Rotary Wing Kite towed by its mooring to the submarine. The kite was a man-lifter modeled after the autogyro principle". Uboat.net. Retrieved 2012-10-03.
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- ^ "Underwater kiting". 2lo.de. Retrieved 2012-10-03.
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- ^ Kite Flying for Fun and Science, 1907, The New York Times.
- ^ Tripathi, Piyush Kumar (7 January 2012). "Kite fights to turn skies colourful on Makar Sankranti - Professional flyers to showcase flying skills; food lovers can relish delicacies at snack huts". The Telegraph. Calcutta, India. Archived from the original on August 13, 2013.
- ^ Tarlton, John. "Ancient Maori Kites". Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
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- ^ a b Anon. "Kite History: A Simple History of Kiting". G-Kites. Archived from the original on 29 May 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
- ^ Needham (1965), Science and Civilisation in China, p. 580
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- ^ Military Aircraft, Origins to 1918: An Illustrated History of Their Impact, Justin D. Murphy, page 2
- ^ "China Reconstructs". China Reconstructs. 15 December 1984. Retrieved 15 December 2021 – via Google Books.
- ^ History of Science in Korea, Sang-un Chŏn, page 181
- ^ "Kites- The History Attached With It". Sporteology. 2017-12-03. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
- ^ Taking Flight: Inventing the Aerial Age, from Antiquity Through the First World War, Richard Hallion, pages 9-10
- ^ "신호연신호 개요 (Summary of sending a signal with a kite)" (in Korean). Korea Culture & Contents Agency. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2009.
- ^ M. Robinson. "Kites On The Winds of War". Members.bellatlantic.net. Archived from the original on 2012-01-21. Retrieved 2012-10-03.
- ^ Saul, Trevor (August 2004). "Henry C Sauls Barrage Kite". Soul Search. Archived from the original on 2013-05-23. Retrieved 2012-10-03.
- ^ Grahame, Arthur (May 1945). "Target Kite Imitates Plane's Flight". Popular Science. Retrieved 2012-10-03.
- ^ "World Kite Museum". World Kite Museum. Archived from the original on 2009-04-06. Retrieved 2012-10-03.
- Focke Achgelis Fa 330
- ^ Gazans Fly Firebombs Tied to Kites Into Israel, Sparking Several Blazes, Haaretz, 16 April 2018
- ^ Gazans use kites to set fire to fields, forests in Israel, JNS, 17 April 2018
- ^ Flaming kite from Gaza sets Israeli warehouse ablaze, Times of Israel, 21 April 2018
- ^ Continuing kite threat puts Israeli farmers on edge, YNET, 24 April 2018
- ^ Kite Terrorism: Compensation to Victims Archived 2018-05-02 at the Wayback Machine, Hadashot, 2 May 2018
- ISBN 978-1-78326-917-4.
- ^ Wales launches £25m underwater kite-turbine scheme The Guardian (retrieved 17 November 2015)
- ^ Underwater Kites Can Harness Ocean Currents to Create Clean Energy Smithsonian.com (retrieved 17 November 2015)
- ^ "Kite Museums – Drachen Foundation". Drachen.org. Archived from the original on 2018-04-30. Retrieved 2018-04-29.
- ^ "Kite.(2007) Encyclopædia Britannica Online". Britannica.com. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
- ^ "Basant: Colorless skies as ban on kite flying in Pakistan continues". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
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- ^ Sijapati, Alisha (8 October 2020). "Kite fight over Kathmandu". Nepalitimes.com. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
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- ^ GIANT KITE FESTIVALS IN JAPAN Archived 2012-03-11 at the Wayback Machine Japanese Kite Collection
- ^ A spectacular festival of some 100 large kites flying over sand dunes. Japan National Tourism Organization
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- ^ "Egypt grounds kites for 'safety', 'national security'". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
External links
- The earliest depiction of kite flying in European literature in a panorama of Ternate (Moluccas) 1600.
- Mathematics and aeronautical principles of kites.
- Kitecraft and Kite Tournaments (1914)—A free public domain e-book
- Trivedi, Parthsarathi; et al. "Aerodynamics of Kites" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 June 2013. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
- Eyes on Brazil