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Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Kites

Monday, November 29, 2010 1:41 AM Posted by Andy Subandono

By Eddie Tobey

A kite is a lightweight, man-made object specifically designed to fly in the wind. The lift that makes this light object fly is created when the kite deflects the wind downwards; apart from that, the deflection produces a horizontal drag in the direction of the wind. The kite is generally held with just one line. Kites that are held with more than one line are maneuvered by using the different lines with different degrees of strength.

In addition to kites that are mainly made for the purpose of flying, there are traction kites and power kites. The design of these kites facilitates greater lift and pull, and they are used for activities like kite buggying or kite surfing.

Kite flying requires twine that is light but sturdy, and paper or cloth. Kites characteristically have one or more sticks that are used to hold the sail of the kite tightly. Traditional kites use rattan, bamboo, or any other flexible wood for the spars, and fabrics like silk or paper for the sails. The modern kite may have synthetic materials, such as nylon, for the sails, and carbon fiber or fiberglass for the spars.

In China, kite designs are often inspired by birds, insects, and other animals, which are either mythical or real. The best Chinese kites are made from split bamboo; often they are hand-painted and covered with silk. The bigger kites are made in such a way that they can actually be folded and put away, and restructured when the time for flying comes. Polyester is generally used as a substitute for silk in cheaper kites.

Kites that are flown by children are usually geometrically shaped. There is no fixed norm regarding the shape of the kite. It can be designed in any shape, size or form. It should be remembered that kites have been used for military purposes, as a way of delivering ammunition or a message. Also, they have been deployed for the sake of spying, through kite aerial photography.

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