Dopero Kite Plans

For The MBK Dopero Kites

These Dopero kite plans and hints are aimed at summarizing the more in-depth instructions to be found in the How To Make A Kite section of this website.

For each of the Dopero plans below, there are also a pair of plan view photos. The one on the left is of the front surface. That is, the side of the kite which faces the flier. The other photo is of the back surface, which exposes the spars.

For all 3 designs, attach flying line to the bridle with a shiftable knot, for later trimming. Also, all 3 designs work well with light single-ply plastic for sail material. Many large plastic bags are suitable.

Dowel Dopero Kite Plans

Plan View Photos

Tips And Hints

1. Work with 1 Dowel length equal to either 120cm of 5mm dowel, or 48" of 3/16" dowel.
2. Reinforce the sail edges by adding clear sticking tape over the outlines, then trimming back to the outlines as you cut out the sail. To save weight, don't reinforce the trailing edge of the upper sail or the leading edge of the lower sail.
3. Secure the sail to the spar ends using short lengths of electrical insulation tape.
4. Wrap several small pieces of clear sticky tape around the lower horizontal spar and onto the lower sail, to secure it along the leading edge. Or you can add a tab to the sail outline, so you can fold it over the spar and tape down.
5. Run a length of sticky tape the full length of the upper sail, directly under where the vertical spars touch the sail. This helps prevent stretch.
6. Reinforce the upper sail corners where the ties are attached. I used short pieces of sticky tape, stuck to each other where they leave the plastic.
7. Make a bridle loop of length 1.0DL (120cm, 48"), going to each side of the upper horizontal spar.
8. Make another bridle loop of length 1.0DL (120cm, 48"), and Lark's Head the ends to the keels.
9. Run a 2.0DL (240cm, 96") bridle line from the center of the upper bridle loop to the center of the lower bridle loop.
10. You might find stability to be marginal in all but fairly light conditions. To extend the wind range, try adding weight to the trailing edge of the keels. I managed to avoid this by putting the heavier ends of the vertical spars to the rear, and also using the heaviest horizontal spar as the lower one.

The photo below shows the Dowel Dopero on one of its first flights. Before I got around to pulling some of the slack out of those sail corner ties!

2-Skewer Dopero Kite Plans

Plan View Photos

Tips And Hints

1. To glue the short bamboo reinforcers, just lay glue down the join, on one side. For the horizontal spars, the short reinforcers stay flat on the table while the glue is drying.
2. Reinforce the sail edges by adding clear sticking tape over the outlines, then trimming back to the outlines as you cut out the sail. To save weight, don't reinforce the trailing edge of the upper sail or the leading edge of the lower sail.
3. Secure the sail corners to the spar ends using short lengths of electrical insulation tape.
4. Use 5 small pieces of clear sticky tape to secure the leading edge of the lower sail to the lower horizontal spar.
5. Tie a 2.0SL (58cm, 23") bridle loop between the 2 attachment points near the upper spar, and tie another slightly shorter bridle loop between the tips of the 2 keels.
6. Try a 3.0SL (87cm, 35") central bridle line, tied between the 2 bridle loops.

1-Skewer Dopero Kite Plans

Plan View Photos

Tips And Hints

1. Secure the sail to the spar ends using short lengths of clear sticky tape.
2. Include tabs along the leading edges of the lower sail. On each side, fold the tab over the spar and stick down using short lengths of clear sticky tape.
3. A 4-leg bridle works well, with the upper 2 legs attached between the upper leading edge and the upper horizontal spar.
4. The 1-Skewer Dopero requires a tail. Start with a tail about 8 times as long as the kite itself, looped between the vertical spars.

I hope one of these Dopero kite plans is just right for you!

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