Kite

Etymology

According to the Dictionary of the French Academy , the word “kite” would come from serp-flying word of southernmost origin meaning “flying snake”.

In Occitan, kite says sèrp-volanta and indicates a snake-wheel well, (not a stag). Boissier de Sauvages, Pierre-Augustin (1710-1795) in his Dictionnaire Languedocien-François gives even two alternatives ser or serp to indicate the snake.

This name snake-wheel would make allusion to the texts and legends mentioning of the winged snakes and the flying dragons (already in the Bible, Isaïe 30,6, and still in France at the 18th century) and would have been applied by metaphor to the artificial kite. In support of this assumption names of kite into different languages, where they make think of something which flies, with a bird, a snake or a dragon.

This etymology is confirmed by the shape of the first kites appeared in Europe, which were described like “dragons”, resembling snakes with their long tail (see the first hard copy of a kite in Europe, in Bellifortis of Conrad Kyeser, 1405). Here a description due to François of Beautiful-Forest, of a dragon which flew over Paris on February 17th, 1579: It estait of marvellous size being approximately ten pitch-stirrers length with a few feet and a gross tests, or two, because when it was turned over, which estoit often, it paraissoit to have two test, having an extremely long tail which ondoyoit with the wind the wings having extremely large and membranous My opinion is not different, if not which its skin left the shop of a marchend of soye (which is a light taffeta) and then, by some good laugher, artificially adapted in the shape of dragon (thing however which devroit to tolerate itself) and carried to the top of some turn, then sent to the wind estant tousjours held of one small chalk line by the craftsman or maistre of such stupidity, is made to aguerrir simple people which are not necessary to say that it is a dragon as I have it ouy of several: and bores, I wanted escrire this small speech for in oster having. It is quite clear that Beautiful-Forest described a kite there, and one will note the mention of this extremely long tail ondoyant with the wind , which returns us to the flying snake.

The stag, mammal, animal with the very strong symbolic system with the Middle Ages, which one even sometimes represented winged, with the manner of PEGASE, do not have a relationship with the kite, if it is not by this confusion introduced when the word was borrowed from the “language of Oc” to be transcribed as a good “François”, probably at the 17th century. The words sèrp and in the same way deciding stag one includes/understands easily why sèrp-flying or ser-flying (meaning snake-wheel in languages occitanes) was transcribed phonetically, but in an erroneous way, by “French kite”.

There does not exist strictly any etymological bond between the toy kite and the insect commonly named “kite”, the lucanus, which holds this popular name owing to the fact that the large mandibles of the male have a form which resembles that of the horns of a stag.

History

Old texts Chinese make go up the origin of the kite at fourth century BC. However these texts being very posterior at the time to which they refer, it is impossible to know precisely where and when the first kite was invented. It is most probably the invention of people of fishermen and navigators of the islands of Southeast Asia, expert populations in art to manufacture wire, veils and to use the wind.

In the beginning, the Chinese made a primarily military use of it; the kite was used as signal, to carry messages, to frighten the enemies or to evaluate distances. The first human flights, had to take place before even the first millenium. In its accounts, Marco Polo brings back how the Chinese were able to make enough large kites to carry a man.

Its introduction in occident would go back to the end of the 12th century. As from the 18th century, its use developed in the military fields and scientists:

flights human (especially in the neighborhoods of the First World War, for the observation of the enemy lines);
air photography;
meteorology;
rescue at sea;
radio transmission;
traction of vehicles and boats;
etc

The kites in the shape of case, composed of vertical and horizontal panels in order to stabilize the flight, gave rise to the first planes.

Currently, it developed three distinct practices:

the kite monofil: contemplative, flat, with dihedron, cellular or without reinforcement, it is retained by one only line;
the lifting kite: execution of figures, generally with deltas;
the kite of traction:

terrestrial: the tank, the Mountainboard tractor drawn, the Snowkite, the roller tractor drawn, etc
marine: the Kite surfing, a board (of surfing in the beginning) tractor drawn by a kite, provided with a reinforcement inflatable and capable of redécoller of water surface.

Festival

In France, the international festival of the most important kite, by the number of countries represented, is held every two years with Dieppe (France, Seine-maritime). In the majority of the areas, in particular in seaside, many local associations and municipalities organize also gatherings of stags-volistes.

It is advisable to make a distinction between the international festivals " with the occidentale" where invited stags-volistes come to present their achievements and the festivals " traditionnels" as those which are held each year a little everywhere in Asia. Anchored in the folklore local and resulting from thousand-year-old traditions, the latter are much more authentic, as most of the population takes part in it. The majority are very spectacular and they attract huge crowd. In India, in Ahmedabad, million small kites of combat takes their take-off at the time of Makar Sankranti mid-January. In Japan, many cities were made a reputation for their festivals: one attends great tournaments as in Shirone and Hamamatsu where more than one hundred of teams clash, or with takes-off of giant kites like those of Showa-Machi and Yokaichi. In Indonesia in Bali, the festival is a contest where one judges as much qualities of flight of the kites as the vestimentary presentation of the teams. In Thailand, in Bangkok, in March of the traditional tournaments with their precise rules are held in Sanam Luang opposite the royal palace.

Records

Height: more 9 740 m (1979);
Many kites in the train: 11 284 (1990);
Length: 1 034 m (Craken of the French Michel Trouillet kite of the parafoil type in the shape of monster equipped with an immense tail, 1990);
Surface: 1 000 m ² (MegaFlag of the New Zealander Peter Lynn);
Lasted of flight: 180 hours and 17 minutes;
Speed in controllable kite: 127 km/h, record established by Philippe Laurent on March 9th, 1997 at the time of Open speed of Pleubian (Coasts of Armor). But the wind had not exceeded 14 km/h (force 2). See here. In September 2002, at the time of the second Open one from speed with Dieppe, Raphaël Marieux reached a speed of 132 km/h at the time of the drive (August 27th, 2002). But alas, same conditions of wind as in Pleubian a few years before… They are the only known official records.
Speed in the tank has kite: 84 km/h (not approved: 117 km/h).

Composed of the greatest number of panels: In September 1996 a new record kite approved by usher was beaten by the kite Miztral club: A sleeve with air made up of 35.039 multicoloured panels (fabric ends) took its take-off in the sky of Dieppe at the time of the international festival of kite. See all the history on the site miztral

Operation

The kite rises and holds in the air thanks to the compressive force which the wind exerts on the surface of its aerofoil. In hovering, the force of pressure blast, the weight of the kite and the force of tension of the wire of reserve balance.

Certain kites use in more the same principle as the wing of plane, i.e. the force of lift created by the rate of the flow of the air on a curved profile of wing. A kite whose aerofoil grows hollow can function a little the same manner as a sailing boat, i.e. its own speed being added to that of the wind, it can exceed the vertical on its dash.

The aerofoil is usually maintained oblique compared to the wind according to a precise angle, given by fastening, i.e. wire out of V maintaining before and the back of the apparatus.

A flat kite, noncontrollable, must be stabilized if it tends to be inclined or whirl when the wind forcit. One can for that:

to give him dihedral , i.e. a light angle out of V between the wings, or to curve it in the direction of the width (one arches the transverse rod by tightening a wire between its two ends); as soon as the apparatus is inclined on a side, the wing the lowest offer more a large surface exposed to the wind, which tends to bring back the apparatus to its of balance;
to equip it with a tail, possibly ballasted at its end;
to add vertical panels to him, having role of drifts.

The controllable kites function like two kites side-by-side. By drawing the wire on a side, the kite is put in turn.

The controllable kites with four wire also behave like two kites side-by-side, but the pilot can act on the angle of fastening of the two half-wings, with the result that a wing can, for example, to advance while the other moves back, producing a rotatory movement, or the two wings to have a neutral incidence, allowing the hovering, or a negative incidence, authorizing step back.

Types of kites

Many lines

1 line: static kite or combatant;
2 lines: controllable kite, small wings with boxes;
4 lines: controllable kite 4 lines (Revolution is the most current mark); wings with boxes for terrestrial traction, wings with roll for the kitesurf (sometimes a fifth line of safety).

The kite monofils

The basic principle of this type of kite it is that it has one poind retained on the ground, for the remainder, its form, its style of flight, its dimentions, are with the sandstone of imagination and the creation of the stag-voliste.

One can all the same classify the kite monofils according to their designs:

the flat kites whose simplest example is the delta;
kites with dihedron with the famous rhombus with which all the children exploited the beach;
kites cellular at the origin of modern aviation with large character like Franklin Samuel Cody;
the kite flexible or without reinforcement of small size or disproportionate like the megabite of Peter lynn, a long time the largest kite in the world with 933 m ² of fabric.

Wings with boxes

One meets kites without reinforcement (or containing a simple flexible rod with before such as model CQUAD of Peter Lynn). Invented in the Sixties, the parafoil consists of two plans of fabric one above the other, joined together by partitions which give its profile to the wing. These partitions delimit boxes, which are opened with the front one, and which inflate with the blast pressure and the relative speed of the kite, giving to the wing its rigidity. It is the ancestor of the Parapente S and modern Parachute S. These wings are generally used for terrestrial traction.

Wings with rolls

More recently kites appeared where inflatable rolls are used as reinforcement. Generally in the shape of arch, these wings are generally used in Kitesurf for their capacity with redécoller of water.

Plan

The simplest kites consist of a simple plan of fabric, tended on a brace of rods.

One can quote the traditional kite losangic, the Eddy (the precedent, slightly modified to fly without tail), or the Rokkaku Japanese hexagonal, being used for the engagements.

Let us quote then the kites cases, composed of a variable number of cells, with planes of fabric carrying, vertical, and other stabilizers, horizontal. (Cody, Saconney, Weather, etc).

A mention with share for the Sled (toboggan), which can be manufactured in a few minutes by a child with simple materials, like two reeds stuck to the adhesive on a correctly cut out plastic bag.

The kite in Delta, derived from the wing Rogallo, used for the Hang glider and ULM.

Materials

Traditionally, the kite is composed of a reinforcement of Bois, Canne or Bambou (whole or split) on which is tightened an aerofoil of Papier or of light fabric.

Still nowadays in Asia, in the Peaceful or with the the Antilles, one manufactures kites with sheets of trees or Fougère S épiphyte S.

The modern kites privilege the materials Composite S, rods in Glass fiber (flexible) or with carbon (rigid), fabric of Spi in Nylon coats Polyuréthane.

The lines of reserve must be solid and light, and, in the case of the kite controllable, inextensible and slipping. In this case, the fine ropes of Polyéthylène give the best results.

Piloting

In the most traditional case, the kite is retained by a motionless pilot by means of one or several wire.

The pilot is held back with the wind, and the kite is likely to evolve/move in a quarter of sphere located in the axis of the wind (one calls this zone the window of flight). The more the kite is located in the axis of the wind, the more traction on the wire and the speed will be high. I.e. the zone where the sail draws the least is a half rings on the basis of the left of the pilot on his line, and passing to the top of him, the zenith. The zone where traction is maximum locates opposite the pilot, with the strong current of the ground. Traction increases or decreases according to the position of the kite between these two extreme zones.

When the length of wire unrolled is short, the angular velocity of the kite compared to the pilot is very important, making the apparatus impossible to stabilize. Many beginners make the error want to take off a kite with an insufficiently unrolled wire. Several tens of meters are a good base.

Takeoff is made back with the wind, by unrolling wire, and while placing the kite against a natural obstacle, or by making it hold by an assistant, or by fixing on the ground the handles of piloting, by tightening wire, and by posing the kite in negative incidence , so that it does not take off all alone.

Once these made preparations, it is enough for the pilot to exert a traction on the wire while moving back of some steps so that the machine rises.

It should be known that a kite is not worried to know where are the top and bottom. He simply seeks to go up the wind. He will rise only if the pilot directs it to the top (controllable kite) or if he has weight with the back, in order to direct the nose upwards to him.

Many beginners believe that the fact of drawing on the wire makes assemble the kite. It of it is nothing. That does nothing but accelerate it. If the kite has its nose directed to the bottom, a traction on the wire is the surest means of obliging it to crash to pieces itself on the ground. Same manner, if the pilot slacken wire or advance, the speed and traction of the kite decrease.

In all the cases, when a kite precipitates towards the ground, for the risk to break, it is necessary to give slackness to the line, even straightforwardly to release it. The kite will fall then mollement on the ground without damage.

Controllable kites

The controllable kites obey the same laws.

In the case of the kite with two wire, is added the possibility that the pilot has to make turn his apparatus in time direction (traction on the wire of right-hand side) or anti-clockwise (traction on the wire of left). The absence of differential traction makes it possible to make go the machine in straight line. The difficulty, for the beginners, is to manage to reason compared to the kite, and not compared to themselves, when the kite plunges towards the ground. Indeed, in this case, the orders seem reversed, and that asks for a certain time of adaptation.

In the case of the kite with four lines, principal work is made on the level of the slope poignets : by inclining the left wrist downwards, one puts the left wing in negative incidence, which makes it move back, and thus involves a rotation in anti-clockwise direction on the spot. By putting the two hands in negative incidence, the kite moves back. While finely exploiting the adjustment of incidence, the kite can make hovering in any position, at any place of the window of vol. the flight of the kite with four lines makes think, by its flexibility, with that of the Hélicoptère.

It is the only machine to allow displacements in any direction (walk front, back, in skew) and to offer the capacity to be stopped with a surprising clearness, even with a few cm of the ground. The first commercial kite 4 wire controllable was the rev1 of Revolution kite.

Tractor drawn kites

In certain cases, the kite is tractor drawn by a mobile machine (car, boat, etc), and does not depend more of the wind to obtain its relative wind. It is the principle of the upward Parachute.

It is also possible to control a kite in the absence of wind and without engine. It is enough to have a very light apparatus, and to manufacture the wind relative while moving back at the good speed.

Disciplines

The lifting kite

Freestyle

This discipline is a demanding discipline physically, the majority of the figures requiring some dévente. It is not rare to be obliged to run and/or to have very fast gestures and coordinates. Most of the time the gesture consists of one whipped of lines where the hands leave quickly behind and return immediately to their original position the whole while advancing or moving back. In short it is an easily qualifiable practice of sporting.

Thus, the case of a basic figure : the tortoise is studied below.

The realization of this figure requires a total dévente kite in order to put it on the back. With this intention, the pilot generally starts by bringing back his two hands in his back while drawing in an equal way on the lines. This phase is followed of a small dry blow allowing of déventer the kite. It does not remain whereas to completely release the two lines by projecting the two arms forwards.

Many figures bear an English name having sometimes one or more equivalences in French. One will quote in particular:

Axel, which consists of a rotation of a full rotation flat on the belly;
the Insipid one, which puts the kite on the back, nose vis-a-vis the pilot;
Backspin, which is a rotation around the central bar (called spine), nose towards the pilot. More, simply, it is a barrel.
Lazy Susan, which is a rotation flat on the back. It begins the kite on the back, nose with far;
Snap Stall, which is a stop (the kite stops);
Multilazy, which is a succession of lazy susan;
the Yoyo, which consists in rolling up the lines around the leading edges of the kite, then to unroll these same lines. Many connected figures are possible starting from this figure.
540 Flat-Spin;
Pancake;
Rolling;
Leading Edge Launch;
the Comet;
the Torpedo;

See the file Tricks Dictionary for fuller descriptions or on the site of Reed Design Tricks heading for animations 3D of the figures of freestyle.

Precision

This discipline consists of the realization of codified figures. It is only practiced or with several.

The principal criteria of notation are the precision of the realization of the figure in the window as well as the clearness of the unit.

Contrary to a traditional flight , the practice of the precision requires to slacken the lines rather than to draw above.

One can quote some models of kite particularly adapted to this pratique :

Transfer (Kites Workshop);
the Mask (Kites Workshop);
North Shore (Signal Off The Lines kites);
Blackbird (The BlackBird Company);
Fury (Carl Robertshaw);
Krystal (R-Sky)
Kéops

Find, on the site of Reed Design, at heading STACK Figures, the official figures of precision in animation 3D.

Ballet

The ballet is a discipline similar to the ballet in figure skating which can be practiced either into individual or in pair or team (at least 3 members). The ballet consists of the interpretation of a musical piece according to a choreography being able to incorporate all types of figures. Without music, that is not a ballet.

Speed

Video report (foot-note: bond broken August 2007) carried out by FR3 at the time of the Open one speed of Dieppe in September 2005, presents this discipline as well as the principles of velocity measurement and unfolding of the tests. The kites and materials used for their manufacture are also detailed there.

The kite indoor

Practiced in interior with very light kites generally, this discipline uses the relative wind created by the displacement of the pilot in order to maintain the kite in vol.

One finds models with 2 or 4 lines, but also mono wire. This discipline is characterized by its artistic potential.

You will find in this printable file named Référentiel a description counting an about sixty possible figures. To note that this reference frame paper is complementary to video reference frame available on the site of the club Cramay' Ailes: figures indooret on

The competition

See the international payment of the competitions external of kite (Fr) for any knowledge.

For the official figures of precision in only one file and printable, to see this file

The kite of traction or “powerkite”

Using a wing only

jump or “jump”;
barefoot, slips “barefeet”.

Machines terrestrial tractor drawn by a wing

tank with kite, Kite buggy composed of a stainless frame of less 2x2 m with 3 wheels whose director with front, control by the feet, the pilot is in sitting position or lengthened, and can reach speeds of about 80 km/h;
kitebike : kite tank with two wheels, one with front, one with the arrear, very unstable, discipline controlled by only some pilots;
Mountainboard , kind of skateboard any ground, allows a certain number of figures of jump resulting from the kitesurf;
roller tractor drawn, roller standard for the road or any ground for the lawns or the beach.
Snowkite , derived from the kitesurf practitioner in mountain, a board of snowboard in the place of the board of surfing.

The kite of marine traction

the Kitesurf , a board (of surfing in the beginning, smaller and more now adapted) tractor drawn by a kite (generally with inflatable structure), attracts many followers of the sliding sports;
the kiteboat , boat tractor drawn by a kite, disciplines rather experimental. The first navigation (crossed the English Channel) was carried out by Samuel Cody in 1903. More recently, in 1980, it is Arnaud de Rosnay who used the kite to tractor draw his boat of night during a navigation in board with veil in the peaceful one. In 1995, it is the first crossing of the Atlantic by NR. van of Kerchove;
Is currently in development by a German firm, a kite of traction for ship cargo liner, in order to allow savings in fuel going until 30 % on average. The tests were carried out on the ship long Beaufort of 55 Mr. the company Beluga Shipping GMBH , of Bremen (Germany) is the first to have bought a system, in January 2006, for one of his recent constructions. In 2008 SkySails-systems will be ready for a series production. The surfaces for ship cargo liner are envisaged of 160 with 5 000 m ².

The system rests on three essential components:

a kite of traction and a trailer.
a system of dropping and recovery.
an automatic control system.

On a Sailing traditional, the veils are fixed at the masts, here it is a large kite of form comparable with a Parapente and conceived in a suitable textile material. The kite can operate at an altitude ranging between 100 and 300m where one finds winds stronger and more stable and delivers 2 to 3 times more power to the m ² than a conventional sail. The force of traction is transmitted to the boat by a very resistant synthetic trailer rolled up on a winch. The automatic system of launching and recovery is installed on the bridge, at the time of launching a telescopic mast hoists the kite folded in accordion in a container, it takes its take-off and is unfolded entirely at its altitude of work. The phases of launching and recovery last twenty minutes each one roughly and do not require any human intervention. The system will receive instructions which relate to the selected true road, or a road compared to the wind.

Aerial photography

Geographical distribution

The Middle East

Massive use of the paper kite of small size, provided with a coated glass beads wire to make it cutting in India, Pakistan, or Afghanistan (where it had been prohibited by the Talibans, cf Kites of Kabul ). The goal of the play is to fly to several, each one trying to cut the wire of the kite of the other competitors. From where utility of the coated powder glass line which increases the crossing character of the wire. This discipline is called “combat of kites”.

The Far East

China: Sumptuous figurative kites. Dragons with the bodies made up of a number impressing of discs assembled by train.
Thailand: With Bangkok, tournaments between male kites and the female . The females are equipped with a long tail and try to attract the male in their ground
Japan: Many festivals, very old, with takes-off of giant kites (several hundred square meters) or of the combat of kites (various standards and sizes according to the localities)
Indonesia: Combat of kites with cutting wire, massive takes-off of giant kites to the festival of Bali
Malaysia: Contest of traditional kites, where one judges the beauty of the decoration and qualities of vol.

Central America and of the South

Flight of giant kites at the time of the All Souls' Day in Guatemala. Combat of kites with wire crossing to Brazil and Chile. In Chile, the combat with crossing wire or " hilo curado" is prohibited, since they is very dangerous.

Europe

The kites are very popular in Greece Monday of Ashes, 7 weeks before Easter (Καθαρά Δευτέρα - Ash Monday). In France, more precisely in the commune of Brie-Count-Robert, there is the European Festival of the kite

Spot of kite

" is called; spot" of kite the places which lend themselves well to the practice of the kite. There are obviously the beaches but also the meadows and fields located well to accommodate the wind.

Official authorities

French federation of Coasting flight
Sport TEAM And Competitive Kiting
STACK ITALIA
World Sport Kite Championships

External bonds

History of the kite and the airship
Airships and kites History

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