Box kite how does it fly

The kite flies in amost exactly the same way that an aircraft flies. The difference is that an aircraft's engines force it through the air but a kite is tied and held still while air wind rushes over it. When air flows over an aircraft wing or a kite surface, it will flow more quickly over one surface then the other.

The difference in air speed between the upper and lower surface means there will be a pressure difference and this means lift. The picture explains it better than words! Different air speed above and below a wing means lift. You need light, rigid struts and a material that won't stretch too much even if it gets wet.

This meant bamboo and silk for early Chinese single surface kites. Nowadays, there are space age materials that are super strong and light like Dacron and carbon fiber struts. This means ever better performances from all kinds of kites.

There are even radio controlled kites available! It is possible to design all kinds of kites with the basic box kite structure. The spectacular kite pictured above, with six ring-like sails, is typical of the new breed of box kites. One of the biggest kite fairs in the world is held every year at Long Beach in Washington State.

Other festivals around the world can be found here:. Hi, I am building kites for school. Thank you for the info we will be building a box kite in one of my classes and this could really work:.

Very good. I have built box kits before but these directions are simple and easy to follow thanks. All rights reserved. Recent Comments. Wolfiefox wrote: " Aw man, no more first class seats! ThatOneDude wrote: " I better get a refund! ThatOneDude wrote: " Do we have any bigger doors? Genius wrote: " I hope my trunk counts as a carry on. Sussy Scout wrote: " Excuse me, is there any room in here? Apply tape around the sheets on all edges.

I put my skills of woodworking to a craft of kite making to furniture making to sculpt in wood. Check This Out! Differen kites. The left side of the figure shows the kite as it would appear in flight and the right side shows the inner structure.

Kite flying is a delicate balance between aerodynamic forces, the weight of the parts of the kite, and the distribution of these forces. In flight, the kite is connected to the flyer by the control line and the flyer can feel the tension in the line created by the aerodynamic forces on the kite. The line is connected to the kite by a string bridle. The place where the bridle connects to the line is called the bridle point and the kite pivots about this point in flight.

Lift is one aerodynamic force that acts on the box kite's surface. When a breeze hits the box kite, lift is created as the air rushes through the fabric-covered skeleton, and the kite takes off. However, without the other force that acts upon the kite--drag--the kite would simply sail off out of sight! Drag is dependent on the velocity--or direction and speed--of the wind hitting the box kite.

You can feel this force directly through the string anchoring the kite to your hand. NASA says that the concepts behind the box kite and other kites were applied by the Wright Brothers in designing the first successful airplane.

So, the next time you fly a box kite, remember that you're literally guiding the foundation of modern aviation in your hand.