My-Best-Kite Site Blog

Feb 4, Flight Report - Ever Tried The MBK Dowel Delta?

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 03:32:08 GMT

In a few days time, when the site pages and the eBook for this kite design are updated, it might well be time to take another look. The Dowel Delta is now in its third version, and a quick backyard test seems to confirm that it's the best flier yet. Stable and steep. And I'm pretty sure it will be much less prone to snapping its spreader ;-) It's been quite a while since I last flew a kite out of our tiny back yard - let alone something as big as the Dowel Delta! Right above the lawn, the wind gusts through and occasionally changes direction by 180 degrees as the airflow swirls around the house. Above gutter level, the wind direction settles down somewhat, but is still prone to extreme gustiness as it flows over and around the neighbor's roof. Plus there are the kite-catching hazards - a peach tree, a row of rose bushes, our house gutters, the TV aerial, the list could go on... Anyway, the Delta behaved very predictably with no tendency to pull left or right under pressure. I'm glad I took the trouble to accurately weigh the dowels and pick a matched pair for the leading edge spars! Not to mention putting the heavy ends towards the tail end of the kite. The vertical spar too. Keep an eye out for it. About This Post: There are 2 kinds of Kite Flying Reports at MBK. Reports like this one are comments on a recent outing. The shorter Flight Report listings here link straight to the corresponding new page on the website, complete with video and in-flight photo. Here is a link to all those full flight report pages on this site.

Feb 3, MBK Site Map

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:18:39 GMT

This site map lists links for every visible page on the My Best Kite site, under broad categories.

Jan 15, Hyperkites - Rip Stop Nylon Tails

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 23:04:59 GMT

Q: My name is Ray Miller and I have been flying Hyperkites for over 25 years. I used to get Hyper Tails from Randy Tom and now I can't find him or the

Jan 15, Flight Report - Tiny Tots Diamond Kite Soars

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 02:15:27 GMT

The Tiny Tots Diamond Kite, on 60 meters of line, flitted around for nearly an hour in a very gusty breeze.

Jan 11, Flight Report - Barn Door Bends, Box Braves The Breeze

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 07:09:50 GMT

Been spending too much time indoors, so out we went with the Dowel Barn Door and the 2-Skewer Box. A gusty southerly was blowing, and it didn't feel promising, trying to rig the light-wind Barn Door while it tried to escape. But I persisted, wanting to explore its upper wind range a bit. To summarize a dozen or so short flight reports (!), the breeze kept forcing the kite to the ground. A little adjustment of both the towing point and the upper bridle loop knot got the kite flying pretty straight. In lulls it would pop up to respectable line angles, only to sink back down tail first, all 3 spars bending considerably. Still, nothing broke! Under a lot of air pressure - approaching 15 kph at times, the lightly built Barn Door becomes a real drag bucket. Often, it would slowly keel over in one direction and settle firmly on the ground upside down. Held there with line tension. Winds were averaging 6.4 kph gusting to over 14 kph, while the Barn Door was flying. And landing, and flying... Having enough of that, it was out with the 2-Skewer Box. This kite is showing its age, with loose panels and bowed main spars. Not to mention peeling tape caps which have been replaced more than once! Never-the-less, the little Skewer kite loved the breeze, and flew about on 60 meters (200 feet) of line for 20 minutes before we took it down. Very large cumulus clouds were blotting out the sun most of the time, and occasionally sucked the box kite up higher. It always pays to bring at least 2 kites, with different wind ranges, doesn't it... About This Post: There are 2 kinds of Kite Flying Reports at MBK. Reports like this one are comments on a recent outing. The shorter Flight Report listings here link straight to the corresponding new page on the website, complete with video and in-flight photo. Here is a link to all those full flight report pages on this site.

Jan 9, Grandson Flying 2 String Stunt Kite

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:16:22 GMT

5 year old grandson flying a 2 string job... He and I went out the day before he returned to school after Xmas holidays. It was very windy and blustery.

Jan 9, Scaled Down Dowel Delta Experiment

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 07:49:03 GMT

Since the local hardware barn had 6mm and 4mm hardwood dowels, but not 5mm, I decided to adopt a two-pronged approach. The plan is to build two delta kites

Jan 2, Building Box Kites - Two Unconventional Approaches

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:55:05 GMT

Every kiting enthusiast knows the basic box kite structure. Here are 2 *unconventional* approaches to building box kites that have been proven to work.

Dec 28, 2 Skewer Rok! Thanks!

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 02:43:52 GMT

Built the 2 Skewer Rokkaku last night, and flew it this morning, to see what all this is about ;) What a brilliant little kite! It went up with ease

Dec 25, Photos on Kites

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 23:53:48 GMT

Q: Greetings from NYC! This spring, I want to make a kite out of a photo enlargement. Do you know of an ideal photo paper, or other material, to use

Dec 21, Trilby Kites What Happend?

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 02:57:06 GMT

Q: I lived in Long Beach, WA. From 1989 thru to 2000. Got my Rev 1.5 signed by Dave and one other brother at the first World Cup in lb. Anyway, cabin

Dec 20, Box Kite Design Examples - A Few Different Approaches From MBK

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 11:43:12 GMT

Several examples of box kite design are shown here, from the quick and simple to a larger high-performance fresh wind kite.

Dec 20, Flight Report - The Big Sled Anchored With The Spring Scales.

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:13:20 GMT

The sky was almost overcast, but the cloud layer was thin and the air quite warm. With barely any movement in the bushes and leaves, it seemed an appropriate time to rig the big 2-Dowel Sled - a 3-spar design based on the original Allison Sled. Initially it was hard going, trying to get the big kite more than a few meters off the ground. The line of tall trees just upwind wasn't helping, although this Sled can easily cope with turbulence. The wind speed was barely enough to inflate the sail, but I knew faster air was up there past tree top height. Finally a convenient gust helped the kite surge up into the more constant airflow higher up. From there, it was easy to climb the Sled straight up to 180 feet altitude. I fed the line around my back and from there to the hose reel which stored the line. A cloth glove on my right hand helped keep things under control. As the kite climbed, it pulled line off the reel while I applied the brakes now and then. Using my back as the brake drum... Got a bit warm once or twice but the shirt's OK! A little later, with the 2-Dowel Sled parked up around 200 feet, I attached the line to one end of my spring scales. The other end of the scales found a convenient branch of a strong sapling to anchor the kite. Here's what I found - to just stay airborne, the kite pulls at around 2 to 4 kilos (5 - 10 pounds). When a little sunshine peeped through and thermal gusts tugged at the huge Sled, the meter twitched up to 8 kilos (18 pounds) on one occasion. Perhaps flying in a moderate breeze with thermals might pop the tension up to 20 kg or so. One day I might try it, and report the results here of course. Why not try this 2.4 meter (8 feet) tall Sled for yourself - there's no gluing, it's a super-reliable flier and it's just magnificent in the air! Winds today averaged 1.5 kph gusting to 7.5 kph, near ground level. About This Post: There are 2 kinds of Kite Flying Reports at MBK. Reports like this one are comments on a recent outing. The shorter Flight Report listings here link straight to the corresponding new page on the website, complete with video and in-flight photo. Here is a link to all those full flight report pages on this site.

Dec 19, Ripstop Nylon - A Short Look At This Ideal Kite Sail Material

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:36:20 GMT

An overview of what ripstop nylon is, and how it is used in the kiting world.

Dec 19, Box Kite Plans - Complete Instructions for the MBK Box Kites

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 06:29:49 GMT

Here are Box Kite plans for three MBK designs in a small, medium and large size. One using dowel spars, the other 2 using bamboo skewers. Also, there are supporting tips and hints.

Dec 16, Ever heard of a Winged Tetrahedral Kite

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:51:32 GMT

Q: Hi, I'm quite interested in learning about tetras. I mean tetrahedral kites, not the tropical fish. Over in the Willamette Valley, where I live, we

Dec 14, Flight Report - The Genki On 50 Meters, Until...

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 03:42:32 GMT

There seemed to be a moderate breeze outside, with plenty of sunshine, so it seemed a good time to pop out with the Genki. Down at the reserve, the breeze was quite gusty, as usual, but at least there would be no problems getting the kite away. With the line reel anchored just upwind of a shade-throwing tree, I carried the fully rigged kite downwind, pulling line off the reel. The Genki rose up readily from a hand-launch, then decided to hang on a wing-tip for an anxious moment or 2, before righting itself. At this point, I had a few meters of line out and quickly pulled on a bit more tension to urge the kite up higher. Up it went, drogue fully inflated, while I hurriedly moved upwind and let more line slip through my hand. I can't believe how steep this thing flies. A minute or 2 later, there it was, sailing quite steadily on nearly 50 meters of line. A great sight! From time to time it moved around somewhat from side to side, and also dropped some height during lulls in the breeze. Then I took my eyes off it for a just moment while I let out a final meter or 2 of line... When I looked back at the kite, it had dropped a wing-tip way down and was soon heading straight for the ground. Here we go again... All I could do was to release all tension in the line while the kite was still several meters up. It plopped down on the leading edge of one side, snapping the trailing edge tape on that side and pulling out the batten tie yet again. Sigh. To add insult to injury, I discovered that both rolls of packing tape in the bag had only centimeters of tape left on them. This was not enough to get the kite back in the air. This Dowel Genki is close to being called a 'failure', but with yet more weight along the trailing edge and perhaps sea-breeze flying only, it might yet put in some great flights. If you're waiting for the eBook, it will probably feature a 3.6 meter Genki which will be better than the current one in a dozen different ways... But it might be a few months coming, sorry. Winds today averaged 5.4 kph gusting to 11.7 kph, near ground level. About This Post: There are 2 kinds of Kite Flying Reports at MBK. Reports like this one are comments on a recent outing. The shorter Flight Report listings here link straight to the corresponding new page on the website, complete with video and in-flight photo. Here is a link to all those full flight report pages on this site.

Dec 13, Tails For Diamond Kites

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:08:10 GMT

Q: How did you make the tail? A: A pretty short and simple question, but fair enough - there are a heck of a lot of people out there who make a Diamond

Dec 10, The Listing Rhomboid Box Kite

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 11:03:20 GMT

At one point in time I thought newspaper would be a good sail material... Then I tried using it on a box kite. Let's just say my use of newspaper sails

Dec 5, Flight Report - Dowel Sode Kite Trimming Revelation

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 06:34:07 GMT

The day after flying the box kite down at Victor Harbor, there was another chance to fly while others checked out the shops. Not far from the causeway, the tide had uncovered a narrow strip of sand. Again, the breeze was coming off the ocean from the South East, meaning I had to keep the Sode kite on a fairly short line to avoid any contact with the tall trees downwind. Winds were around 8 kph, gusting to 12 kph which distorted the 5mm spars of the Sode kite quite a lot despite the 4-point bridle. At one point a large helicopter swept past, hugging the coastline and flying across the causeway. I braced for some horrible effects on the kite, since choppers make a real mess of the air they fly through. But nothing much happened - the turbulence must have dissipated or missed us completely, perhaps going straight overhead at 200 feet or so. The kite had a small lean to the left, so I fiddled with the sliding knots to fix it. To cut the story short, I discovered the upper loop knot had the most effect in making the kite turn one way or the other. But it was in the opposite direction to the way I would trim a Diamond or Barn Door kite! Interesting - is it the small direction offset of the vertical spar that is causing the turn? Or the drag imbalance between left and right portions of the kite? Or perhaps a bit of both! There's nothing like a constant smooth sea breeze to instantly see the effect of trimming changes. It was so clear. All up, some nice flying! Flying inland is good too, but a lot different with the extra gustiness and thermal mayhem. About This Post: There are 2 kinds of Kite Flying Reports at MBK. Reports like this one are comments on a recent outing. The shorter Flight Report listings here link straight to the corresponding new page on the website, complete with video and in-flight photo. Here is a link to all those full flight report pages on this site.

Dec 4, Flight Report - Fresh Wind Box Kite In Stiff Sea Breeze

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 23:42:42 GMT

We were down at Victor Harbor a few days ago, and one morning we went down to the sand just a short distance from our accommodation. A cold sea breeze was pumping in from the South East. Out came the trusty Windtronic meter, which registered an average wind speed of around 12kph, gusting to 18 kph at times. What followed was the most satisfying flight the fresh wind Dowel Box kite has given so far! I was surprised at how steep the flying angle was - a consistent 60 - 65 degrees by my estimation. (Have resolved to design a handy little line-angle measuring device to take the guess-work out of it!) With the spring-scales hooked on, it turned out the box was pulling only a kilo or 2 (5 pounds). Due to space restraints, only 30 meters (100 feet) of line was let out. The smoothness of the breeze allowed the squashed-box design to stay 'nailed' up there. Occasionally, small wind shifts and strength variations would come through, to which the box kite would respond by shifting position by just a few meters at a time. Wonderful flight! In case you would like to make this 1.2m (4 feet) long high-performance kite for yourself, here is the downloadable book containing full step-by-step construction and flying information for this kite and many others. About This Post: There are 2 kinds of Kite Flying Reports at MBK. Reports like this one are comments on a recent outing. The shorter Flight Report listings here link straight to the corresponding new page on the website, complete with video and in-flight photo. Here is a link to all those full flight report pages on this site.

Dec 4, A Success Story With A Roller Kite

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 00:55:50 GMT

So, got inspired to build a Roller by this site. It took about 6 hours, but I used taffeta nylon instead of a bag. It was OK for a first try... When I

Nov 30, Box Kite?

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:26:23 GMT

Q: I'd like to build a box kite to fly with my grandsons, but your website has so much information I couldn't really find what I need. I'm on a fixed

Nov 27, Flight Report - Genki More Stable

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 10:31:39 GMT

OK big-kite fliers, here's the latest in the 2-Dowel Genki saga. It's stable now! An hour or so out in light winds and thermals proved that the kite is now capable of long flights. I'll just have to wait for better weather to prove it, since today was all short flights on 10 to 20 meters (35 - 70 feet) of line. There really was hardly any breeze in between thermal-generated puffs of light wind across the reserve. In a range of directions, as is the way of thermals near ground level. There was not enough air movement to sustain flight for more than half a minute or so. Newsletter subscribers (see over there on the right) will get to hear about the details of how the stability issue was solved ;-) From now on, I'll be doing a minimum of short-line flying with this kite. It's just a little too dicey since once that long wing gets a bit of rotation going in one direction, it can be hard to avoid damage when the leading edge contacts the ground. Stay tuned! About This Post: There are 2 kinds of Kite Flying Reports at MBK. Reports like this one are comments on a recent outing. The shorter Flight Report listings here link straight to the corresponding new page on the website, complete with video and in-flight photo. Here is a link to all those full flight report pages on this site.

Nov 26, Canard One

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 03:26:20 GMT

Using the bendy spar for other kites. Here is a conventional canard kite: length 88 cm, bendy spreader 42 + 42 cm set 31 cm from stern, foresail set to

Nov 24, Flight Report - Skewer Tetra Hard To Trim In Brisk Winds

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 03:21:19 GMT

The Skewer Tetrahedral kite is a delight to watch when you manage to fly it in ideal winds. That is, strong enough to get it airborne, but not fresh enough to force it into loops. Thermals are very helpful to get this kite high. Today was an attempt to get this small tetra, with an unfortunate built-in turn to the right, to fly high in very gusty conditions. To sum it up, I tried a variety of tail arrangements to keep the kite straight in fresh gusts. At one point it had 3 tails, from the lower vertex, left-upper vertex and the join point halfway between those former two! It proved impossible to get consistency from the flying kite, in the winds which were fairly light on average but gusting to around 20 kph. Near the ground, the wind meter recorded an average of 5.2 kph and a maximum gust of 15.3 kph. If you are thinking of making this rather small light-weight tetra, there would be 2 ways of giving it a better wind range... 1) Try to be very accurate with the skewer lengths, the distance taken up by the vertex joins and the panel dimensions. Mine had accurate skewers, but the joins were a little hap-hazard, resulting in a kinked edge. 2) If you are the patient type, make 4 of these kites and assemble them into 1 big 16-cell tetra! I haven't done one yet, but everything I've read suggests that this would be a much more stable design in the air. A short tail on one side could still be useful for correcting a small turning tendency, but perhaps this trick just doesn't suit tetras like it does for small Diamonds, Barndoors and Deltas! Here's the instructions for making the MBK Skewer Tetrahedral kite. About This Post: There are 2 kinds of Kite Flying Reports at MBK. Reports like this one are comments on a recent outing. The shorter Flight Report listings here link straight to the corresponding new page on the website, complete with video and in-flight photo. Here is a link to all those full flight report pages on this site.

Nov 21, Flight Report - 2-Dowel Genki Soars Higher, But...

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:53:06 GMT

With a few light gusts blowing through our yard, it was time to try again with the Genki. Down at the reserve, winds were a little on the light side, for this kite. But this time the big wing had drastically shortened drogue lines and a much bigger inlet area on the drogue. Also, I'm more accustomed to this kite's little tricks and mis-behaviors now... A few short flights on just several meters of line showed that the new drogue setup was working nicely. I managed to keep a couple of unintended contacts with the ground gentle enough to prevent any damage. However, the kite still showed hints of instability when it wandered a long way cross-wind. Finally, with about 20 meters (70 feet) of line out, the kite started to settle down and and it flew at surprisingly steep angles. Considering how much drag I was trying to pile on with the drogue! Perhaps the drogue's effect will be more marked in stronger winds. Unfortunately, after being upset by sudden drops in wind speed or perhaps a little thermal turbulence, the kite would end up in a steep side-slip and never recover. I got away with it once, releasing tension well ahead of the impact. Another time, there was just enough room to allow the kite to complete a whole loop. Finally, I ran out of line to release quickly enough, and a hard contact with the ground resulted. A 'show-stopper' as they say. Pack up and go home. A few more repairs! I'm very reluctant to add weight (tsk tsk tsk!) to the lower end of the kite, even though this would certainly make it more stable. Is the kite tending to weather-cock towards the ground, when way off cross-wind, and on its side? Reducing the keel areas might help there. Is the weight of the battens (out near the tips) making the kite over-rotate when it gets disturbed? Might try replacing them with lighter ones. Are you an old hand at making Genkis, or know someone who is? Care to contact me and share some wisdom? You never know, you might get an honorable mention in the forthcoming eBook on this kite ;-) Winds while all this was happening: average of 2.8kph, maximum of 5.4, in a sheltered location close to the ground. Some gusts higher up might have been up around 10-12kph. About This Post: There are 2 kinds of Kite Flying Reports at MBK. Reports like this one are comments on a recent outing. The shorter Flight Report listings here link straight to the corresponding new page on the website, complete with video and in-flight photo. Here is a link to all those full flight report pages on this site.

Nov 16, Flight Report - 1 Skewer Box Kite Floats And Darts In Gusty Fresh Winds

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 04:52:51 GMT

The 1 Skewer Box kite went for a long high flight today, after gusty winds freshened somewhat!

Nov 15, New Style Of Kite Line Winder.

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 02:21:23 GMT

I'm working on a new style of kite line winder that I want to share. It uses a capstan to pull the line, and then winds the line onto a lightweight reel.

Nov 14, Flight Report - 2-Dowel Genki Shows Some Promise

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 07:26:07 GMT

An opportunity came up to pop out with the 2-Dowel Genki once again. With the bridle lines and drogue lines very carefully adjusted at home, there was a better chance of success this time. To sum it up, the kite demonstrated a very steep flying angle on 10 meters (40 feet) or so of line, but little problems kept all the flights short. Damage occurred on 4 different occasions, which was patched up with packing tape. The upper bridle lines are close to vertical now, coming down from the upper keels. Hence they are a little shorter than the lower bridle lines going to the lower keels. Since the kite always crashed to the left (!) I adjusted the right bridle knot just a few mm, to trim the kite the other way a little. The new drogue definitely helped a lot! However, it seemed to kick in just a little too late every time the kite went out of control. By putting a large loop knot into the central drogue line, to shorten it, the kite's behavior improved once again. For just a few moments, there it was, a Dowel and Plastic Genki. Leading edge fluttering a bit, but high up with inflated drogue trailing behind. A taste of things to come! Problems were still happening on the left side, so I adjusted the drogue the opposite way just a few mm to help with that. But it's close now! I will beef up the leading edge taping, permanently shorten the drogue lines even more, and perhaps try a drogue that has 50% more opening area. Winds while all this was happening: average of 3kph, maximum of 9.1kph, close to the ground. This kite is not for beginners, and it might be a good idea to always launch it on a long line. Oh, nearly forgot - a lone kookaburra laughed me all the way off the flying field. No kidding! About This Post: There are 2 kinds of Kite Flying Reports at MBK. Reports like this one are comments on a recent outing. The shorter Flight Report listings here link straight to the corresponding new page on the website, complete with video and in-flight photo. Here is a link to all those full flight report pages on this site.

Nov 9, Flight Report - Fresh Wind Box Kite Makes Some Noise

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 02:48:29 GMT

Although the winds outside were gusting to very fresh speeds, it was still a good time to take out the Dowel Box Kite (Fresh wind version). Nothing else except perhaps the 1 and 2 Skewer box kites would cope today. Down at the reserve, as expected, the winds were not quite as wild but good fresh gusts were certainly powering through from time to time. The Box kite only took a few moments to rig, and soon it was flying in moderate winds while the wind meter whirred away silently on a nearby grassy rise. Thanks to the wind direction, blowing almost directly across the reserve, I wasn't game to let out much more than 30 meters (100 feet) of line. On this length, the kite would occasionally sink all the way to the grass, despite the fresh gust strength at other times. The Dowel Box kite went through its entire box of tricks... floating high in rising air, fluttering furiously in the strongest gusts, hunting left and right when hit with gusts down low, and sometimes just sitting contentedly and smoothly at a 45 degree angle when the wind was ideal. At one point I hooked on my newest toy ;-) , a set of spring scales, to test the pull on the line. Surprisingly, most of the time it hardly moved the pointer. During a strong gust, it popped up to maybe 3 kg (7 pounds) or so, on the 50 kg scale. However, I bought the scales to measure the line tension when flying the biggest MBK kites. For example, the 2-Dowel Sled and Genki! After packing up, I checked the wind meter. Average wind speed was 5.9 kph, with a maximum recorded gust of 18.2 kph - but this was quite close to the ground. Here's the 'How To...' book for all the Dowel kites, including the Fresh Wind Box described above. About This Post: There are 2 kinds of Kite Flying Reports at MBK. Reports like this one are comments on a recent outing. The shorter Flight Report listings here link straight to the corresponding new page on the website, complete with video and in-flight photo. Here is a link to all those full flight report pages on this site.

Nov 1, Flight Report - Genki Stumbles Around, Meters Off The Ground

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 05:37:29 GMT

Well, the new 2-Dowel Genki has a few issues. I suspected it might turn out to be a 'lesson-giver' with regard to Genkis and so it has turned out! The weather was almost calm with thermals puffing tantalizing small breezes across the reserve, in a range of directions. The issues...

Almost immediately, after a few seconds of ground handling, the battens slipped through their ties and even through the keel slit in one side. Oops.
Fix: A groove around the batten tip should allow the tie to keep the dowel secure! As a temporary fix, I just whacked some packing tape in there.
With the bridle knots exactly half-way between the keels on each side, the kite was going no-where.
Fix: The knots had to come forward, which really means the keel design is not quite right. But that's ok for now...
Soon after lifting off, the big wing turned one way, then the other, then half-looped back into the ground. Clearly, the stability is a bit marginal.
Fix: A small drogue out the back should make the kite stable enough to continue testing it. However, the real problem is that the dowels are a little thick and heavy for the amount of sail area. Can't fix that in a hurry, but at least it will be a good strong kite for windier weather!
A couple of hard landings, due to the already mentioned instability resulted in both corner straps failing, one after the other. These hold the upper tips of the vertical spars in place. I pulled out some spare packing tape and fixed them on the spot.
Fix: The whole strap will need to be beefed up somewhat, so this will be included in the instructions for this kite, when completed.

Despite all this, the spanking-new Genki did make it up to about 30 feet at one point. Plenty of room for improvement hey... Don't expect an eBook on this kite until it is flying perfectly, of course. And what did the wind meter read? Average speed of just 1.6 kph, gusting to 7.1 at one point. Not ideal for testing a new kite. Note: A 3-Dowel Genki is in the works, which has many refinements. Some based on the experience with this 2-Dowel version, and some not. For one thing, the dowel thickness will be close to perfect, given the extra wing area! There are no web pages on this kite yet, but here's a flight report on the only other 2-Dowel design from MBK... The 2-Dowel Sled kite. About This Post: There are 2 kinds of Kite Flying Reports at MBK. Reports like this one are comments on a recent outing. The shorter Flight Report listings here link straight to the corresponding new page on the website, complete with video and in-flight photo. Here is a link to all those full flight report pages on this site.

Oct 26, Vintage Box Kites

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 03:22:39 GMT

Q: I'm trying to reconstruct some vintage box kites for use in a series of photographs and wondered if you may know from what materials these are likely

Oct 26, RC Kite

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 03:19:56 GMT

Q: Where in the UK can I buy a reasonable priced RC kite. I got a GoFly kite but crashed it. Far too expensive. Thanks. A: There doesn't seem to be

Oct 25, Just saw a ghost!

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 11:23:53 GMT

This kite loss story takes place at Rodeo Beach in Marin County. I had my wife, god son Jake and our Norwegian Forest Cat, Buddha, with us. We had a

Oct 25, Kite Convention in Wildwoods New Jersey 2011

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 11:15:57 GMT

Imagine being fortunate enough to have to fly kites as your reason to visit when asked by US Immigration, why have you come to the USA? Each year I

Oct 22, Historical Kite

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 05:57:26 GMT

Q: Tim, looking to buy (or pay someone to make) an historical kite to be used as a prop in a live show with Benjamin Franklin - so looking for a kite

Oct 22, A Ben Franklin Kite Replica To Make

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 04:51:02 GMT

Once in a while, someone in the U.S. wants to make a replica of the famous Ben Franklin kite. Here's how...

Oct 21, The Benjamin Franklin Kite - What Exactly Was The Original Kite Like?

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 23:12:48 GMT

Most school kids have come across references to the Benjamin Franklin kite used in *that* electricity experiment. But is anything known about the kite itself?

Oct 21, 'Fly A Kite' Workshop

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 01:03:48 GMT

Q: I work at a museum in DC and we are participating in the Blossom Kite Day during the 100th anniversary of the Cherry Blossom Festival in March 2012.

Oct 20, Green Kiting

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 23:49:09 GMT

We are all told to go green and conserve the planetary resources and reduce carbon use etc. Certainly the high end of kiting is about technical materials

Oct 18, A Kite Building Challenge...

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:36:56 GMT

...A delta-style kite without a horizontal spreader spar. From playing around with some kite designs in folded A4 paper and use of straws for spars I

Oct 17, Flight Report - Living Dangerously With Dowel Delta On 20 Pound Line

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:17:47 GMT

Initially I pulled out the Skewer Tetra to see how it would go with some tail attached. However, there just wasn't enough breeze to even fly it at all. Out with the Dowel Delta kite, which hasn't had a fly for some months now. Unsurprisingly, this light wind loving craft soared up on the first gentle puff that came across the weed-infested grass. For perhaps half an hour, it was all fairly low-level flying, as the conditions were basically 'calm with moderate thermals'. Much walking here and there, working the line and generally just trying to keep the pale-orange Delta in the air. Oh yes - I had attached the 20 pound line from the earlier Tetra flying attempts. Oops - this kite is normally flown on 50 pound line! Anyway, it felt OK, even during gusts. The standard Delta kite is quite a light-pulling design! Four loudly squawking white cockatoos checked out the Delta as it hovered at around 100 feet. Noisy fat insects briefly checked out the line-length tags, before buzzing off downwind. Beautiful Spring weather, as the sun beat down upon my Cancer Council hat with its full ear and neck protection. Eventually the average wind strength went up a little, and soon the Dowel Delta was taking elevator rides to 300 feet, then 400 feet as I let more line out. A few times the lightly built Delta stressed hard, directly overhead, but the 20 pound Dacron held. Despite all the knots in this well-used piece of flying line... Nice flight, although the kite fought me all the way when I wanted to get it down! Hadn't pulled out the wind meter to this point, so I did a quick check after packing up. 3.5kph average, gusting to around 7kph at shoulder height. Here's the How To page for the MBK Dowel Delta, in case you want to enjoy some similar flying. About This Post: There are 2 kinds of Kite Flying Reports at MBK. Reports like this one are comments on a recent outing. The shorter Flight Report listings here link straight to the corresponding new page on the website, complete with video and in-flight photo. Here is a link to all those full flight report pages on this site.

Oct 17, Sky Fishing

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:16:59 GMT

Since I was a kid, I've been flying kites. Not every day, sometimes not even monthly, but over the years, once in a while. Back in the sixties, my brother

Oct 15, Site Pages Featuring Singapore

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 11:26:20 GMT

Being married to a Singaporean, it's not surprising that a few pages on this site feature this kite-crazy country! Our family has been there and flown kites there. On an impulse, I thought you guys (and girls) from the land of leaden skies and light on-shore winds would appreciate a list of links to the afore-mentioned pages :-) Here they are... West Coast Park
West Coast Park (2)
RC Kites
RC Kites (2)
Bird Kites
Flying Amongst Tall Buildings
Reza Ragheb Rokkaku

Oct 14, Sharing The Love Of Kites

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 06:19:25 GMT

This past August I spent a week in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. I was a volunteer at the Ronald McDonald Charities summer camp for children with

Oct 12, Lift Forces On A Box Kite

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 05:31:03 GMT

Q: Can you explain how a box kite generates lift? I have trouble visualizing how it acts like a wing. It has a space in the middle that offers no resistance

Oct 12, Flight Report - 2-Skewer Roller Flies The Whole Envelope

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:39:23 GMT

Yes, the whole wind range from calm to fresh, in one outing! The conditions were a bit strange. We had the 2-Skewer Rokkaku in the boot as well, but never got it out. It was near the middle of the day, with perhaps 20% cloud cover. A light breeze wafted through the reserve, which promised to be perfect for the small Roller. However, not long after getting the kite in the air, the wind decided to shift by 180 degrees! For the next 20 minutes or so, I felt I was flying indoors, having to walk in all directions to keep the Roller up there. Basically, 'calm, with thermals' conditions. Some very local wind effects too, like standing with some breeze on my face, with the kite still climbing only 30 meters (100 feet) away! Bizarre. And then the Mother Of All Thermals came through. Suddenly, the trees near the kite began swaying furiously, and small bits of debris floated past the kite - gaining altitude! The Roller itself protested by fluttering loudly and the left sail tie pulled out, leaving even more plastic to flutter in the fast-moving air. Out of trim, the kite lurched left and climbed, skewer spars bending under the load. Half a minute later, I had the kite down into my hand. The pulled tie was soon fixed, and I took the opportunity to shift the towing point forward a little, and put a bit of bend in the vertical spar to fix a left turning tendency. Launched again, the kite soared up and flew a lot better than previously. From here on, the prevailing wind picked up to almost 'moderate' in strength. The Roller loved it, and was soon soaring high on 60, 90 and finally 120 meters (400 feet) of line. 'I can barely see it' remarked my 5 year old, Aren. So, for the next half hour or so, it was fun watching the 2-Skewer Roller reacting to wind shifts and thermals, several hundred feet up. In one thermal, the small orange kite managed a 70 degree angle, although with quite a bit of sag in the line. The trusty Windtronic meter recorded an average wind speed near the ground of 2.7 kph, with a maximum gust of 6.8kph. Probably about double that, at least, up where the Roller was. Great flight! Here's the How To page for the MBK 2-Skewer Roller, in case you want to enjoy some similar flying. About This Post: There are 2 kinds of Kite Flying Reports at MBK. Reports like this one are comments on a recent outing. The shorter Flight Report listings here link straight to the corresponding new page on the website, complete with video and in-flight photo. Here is a link to all those full flight report pages on this site.

Oct 10, Flight Report - Skewer Tetrahedral Kite Floated Way Up In Almost Perfect Winds

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 01:49:47 GMT

Almost perfect conditions let us get the Skewer Tetrahedral kite way above the tree tops.

Oct 9, Our Plastic Bag Kite

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 22:36:26 GMT

We made your 'kite for kids' today out of a plastic bag. Attached is a photo of my 6 year old flying it. He has never flown a kite before. Great success.