Ben Franklin's Kite

Q:

What did Ben Franklin's kite look like?
What materials were used on the kite and the tail?

A:

All we have to go on is a single letter which Franklin wrote to a friend. At least two artists of the day created pictures of the kite experiment. The one I am aware of is just a black-and-white illustration.

So, this is my best answer...

The design was for a square shape, flown with a tail attached to one corner. It would have looked like a small Diamond kite in the air. The sail was a large silk handkerchief. Handkerchiefs of the era were commonly white in color, perhaps with a small amount of embroidery. We have to guess at the size. However, I have seen an example of a printed cotton handkerchief of the era which was 25" by 24" in size. A pretty big hankie!

The spars were thin strips (not rods) of cedar wood. A piece of thin wire was attached to the top vertical spar tip, extending 1 foot away from the kite. When sharpened, it would be good little lightning rod!

No detail was given regarding the tail. A hemp string with some silk or cotton ties is one possibility.

Now, it is not 100% certain that Benjamin Franklin actually created the kite he described! Interestingly, I once came across a forum post where someone attempted to re-create the famous kite from authentic materials. He just couldn't get it to fly at all though. Personally, I suspect the silk he used might have been too porous (let too much air through). A little light oil rubbed into the silk might have fixed that.

A number of other individuals around the world attempted to reproduce Franklin's experiment, after his ideas became known.

For more info, try reading The Benjamin Franklin Kite which is another page on this site.