How To Build A Box Kite

Step-by-Step - Page 3 of 3

The MBK 2-Skewer Box

How To Build A Box Kite
Flying! 

Finally, make up a flying line and attach it to the bridle with a Lark's Head Knot. See the photo down there.

Attaching the flying line to the bridle.

Assuming there is plenty of breeze outside, just dangle the kite at arm's length until the wind catches it. As long as you feel the kite pulling, let out line slowly by letting it slip through your fingers.

Another approach is to get a helper to hold the kite up and let it go, with maybe 10 or 20 meters of line let out. This way, the kite soon gets high enough to build it easy to let more line out. That's assuming there is plenty of wind!

Out In The Field

Box kite stories of my real-life flying experiences are worth checking out!

Illustrated with photos and videos, of course.

If the kite doesn't fly, there is only one explanation - not enough wind! If it loops around in both directions, try shifting the towing point forward a little. That is, move the shiftable knot along the bridle line towards the nose of the kite. As a last resort, you could add a small tail.

Isn't it nice to not be grounded when it's windy outside, and it's way too strong for most other MBK kites! By the way, if the kite stays quite low despite a good wind, you could try moving the towing point back a bit, towards the tail end of the kite.

Here's another picture of the MBK 2-Skewer Box Kite in the air. Air pressure on the sails is causing the main spars to bow out a little. Hope you've enjoyed learning how to build a Box kite!


The 2-Skewer Box kite in flight.2-Skewer Box kite in flight

Now, just in case you have actually made and flown this kite at least once already...


Ever Made This Kite?

You've probably read a kite-flying story or 2 of mine, after they appear under the "what's new?" link on this site. I sometimes wonder if anyone else has made and flown this particular design...

If you feel your efforts really paid off when the the kite finally got airborne - please type a few paragraphs in here telling us all about it!

P.S. I can only accept stories of at least 300 words. Just mention a few details like the weather, onlookers, the kite's behavior and so on - 300 words is easy!

Flight Reports From Other Visitors

Click below to read about various kite-flying adventures, contributed by other visitors to this page...

McGyver Kite in 30mph Winds 
My son and I started out to build the simple box kite with bamboo skewers, tape, a garbage bag and lots of enthusiasm. 3 Hours later... the Gorilla …

Click here to write your own.

 

 

The BIG MBK E-book Bundle!Step-by-step DIY
Printable

The BIG MBK E-book Bundle!Step-by-step DIY
Printable


As mentioned earlier, there's more kite-making on this site than you can poke a stick at :-)  Want to know the most convenient way of using it all?

The Big MBK E-book Bundle is a collection of downloads - printable PDF files which provide step-by-step instructions for many kites large and small. Every kite in every MBK series.



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