In Celebration of Kites
Kites are devices that are meant to be flown in the air at the end of a string. Making kites and flying kites is an enjoyable and relaxing activity, as well as a competitive game in several parts of the globe. As a matter of fact, most kite flying festivals all across Asia have “kite fights,” which is a venerated and ancient custom where participants try to down their opponents’ kites by cutting their lines. This is accomplished by using small, highly maneuverable “fighter kites” that are connected to glass-coated “cutting lines.” These specialized “cutting lines” are used to cut the lines of competing kites.
In Korea, men, women and children fly kites all throughout the opening days of the New Year. Kite flying is also something to look forward to, and an important component of the boys’ festival, which is held each May in Japan, and in China, one day each year is celebrated as Kites’ Day. On those days, thousands of kites fashioned like fish, butterflies and dragons take to the air and soar over the cities and towns. Thailand also sponsors an International Kite Festival in which all kites fall into one of two classes: chula (male) or pakpao (female) kites. The kites are huge and need quite a lot of people to fly them. There are also kite-flying contests held every year in the United States and Canada.
Types of Kites
There are many different types of kites. The basic kind of kites is the two-stick solitary plane bow kite. It can be purchased ready-made or it can be put together from do-it-yourself kits or made exclusively by hand. For simple kites the sticks can be of any strong lightwood with a straight grain. The covering material can just be regular brown wrapping paper, or a wispy, light cloth, such as silk or nylon. Plastic sheets of different kinds are also used. In addition, cloth is used for the tail and a string for the flight line. There are more advanced types of kites that can be made.
The box kite consists fundamentally of two rectangular boxes, open on two equivalent sides apiece and linked by a general framework. Lawrence Hargrave invented it in the 1890’s. Box kites are trickier to construct than stick kites, but they are outstanding flyers and will keep their place for long periods. Box kites also adjust well to variations in the breeze, and they do not require a tail.
How to Fly Kites
Kites take to the air, like airplanes, on the aerodynamic theory of wind pressure against a heavier-than-air object. The motor and propeller of the airplane create a wind pressure as they move the plane through the air. When the pressure is great enough to overcome gravity, the plane is pressed up and permitted to stay in the air. The similar consequence of wind pressure is created by the kite flyer as he runs across an open field. As the kite moves in opposition to the wind, the string tips the face of the kite onward. The wind pushes up on this tipped face and raises the kite, just as a wedge pressed beneath an object lifts it up.
Jim Remington is a researcher and writer working for http://www.akiratoys.com, where you can get all the best kites, spinners, and toys at the best prices. Visit us for all your chinese kites needs.
- Jim Remington
