Roller Kite Plans

For All The MBK Rollers

These Roller kite plans and hints are aimed at summarizing the more in-depth instructions to be found in those eBooks down there on the left.

The eBooks include these exact plans and tips as well. Perhaps the nicest thing about the eBook on Dowel Kites is the handy way they are all designed to come apart and roll up like a Sled!

For each of the Roller kite plans below, there are also a pair of plan view photos. The one on the left is of the front surface. That is, the surface of the flying 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 types of large plastic bags are suitable.

Dowel Roller Kite Plans

Tips And Hints

1. Work with 1 Dowel length equal to either 1.2 meters of 5mm dowel, or 4 feet 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 kite's center-line to help 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. Use a bridle loop of length 1DL, going to each side of the upper horizontal spar.
8. Run a 3DL bridle line from the center of the loop to the bridle attachment point of the keel.
9. You might find stability to be marginal in all but very light conditions. To extend the wind range, try adding weight to the trailing edge of the keel near the vertical spar tip. A couple of 5c pieces worked wonders for me!

Plan View Photos

The eBook The Dowel Roller Kite - Light Wind Version bundles together these plans, detailed step-by-step instructions and a whole lot more.

2-Skewer Roller Kite Plans

Tips And Hints

1. Reinforce the skewer joins with short lengths of skewer, 0.1SL long, glued to one or both sides of the join as in the plan. While gluing the spars with dihedral, the short reinforcers stay flat on the table.
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. Use 4 more small pieces of tape to secure the leading edge of the lower sail to the lower horizontal spar.
5. Try a bridle line about 2 or 3 times longer than the kite itself, tied between the uppermost attachment point and the keel. See the 1-Skewer plan for some clues on making a keel from plastic and flying line.

Plan View Photos

1-Skewer Roller Kite Plans

Tips And Hints

1. Reinforce the upper horizontal spar with a short length of skewer, 0.1SL long, glued to one side as in the plan. While gluing, the short reinforcer stays flat on the table.
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 clear sticky tape.
4. Use 4 more small pieces of sticky tape to secure the leading edge of the lower sail to the lower horizontal spar.
5. Try a bridle line about 2 or 3 times longer than the kite itself, tied between the uppermost attachment point and the keel.
6. The 1-Skewer Roller requires a tail. Start with a tail about 5 times as long as the kite itself

Plan View Photos

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

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Last updated: 22 May 2010