How To Build A Diamond Kite

Step-by-Step - Page 1 of 3

The MBK 2-Skewer Diamond

This set of instructions on how to build a Diamond kite assumes you know absolutely nothing about kite making. And if you are a 'visual-learner', it should be possible to complete the kite by referring only to the pictures.

MBK 2-Skewer Diamond

You might already have some of the simple tools and materials required. Anything you don't have is easily bought. If not exactly what I used, then at least something pretty similar!

Probably the most important thing to get right is making and adjusting the bridle. This trips up so many would-be kite makers who are trying it for the first time! I've tried hard to make the instructions fool-proof in this area.

At 58cm (23") across, the MBK 2-Skewer Diamond Kite is small enough for kids and yet provides great light-wind flying performance for adults to enjoy as well.

The 2-Skewer Diamond has dihedral (the horizontal spar has a shallow V shape) and flies on a 2-leg bridle. Only a short tail is required, although long and colorful ones can be used for more spectacle in the air!

On this site, there's more kite-making info 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.

How To Build A Diamond Kite
Sail

Now's the time to read up on the 'tools' and materials required for making a Skewer kite, if you haven't already.

The template shown above represents one side of the kite sail. You will now transfer these measurements to the sail plastic.

• Take a light plastic bag that will fit the entire Template shape within one side, and lay it flat on the floor.
• Mark dots on the plastic, corresponding to the corners of the Template. There is no need to use a T-square, since any small error will be duplicated on the other side of the sail. And it will make hardly any difference to how the kite flies.
• Using the marking pen, rule lines between the dots to create the Template shape.

• Flip the plastic bag over, and trace over all the black lines using your marker pen and ruler.
• Cut out a rectangular section of the bag containing the kite sail outline.

• Open the plastic out and lay it flat on the floor - you can now see the complete sail outline, as in the photo.
  
• Run clear sticky tape along every straight line, leaving most of the tape on the inside of the sail edges.
• Cut along the black lines with scissors, to create the sail. See the close-up photo.
  

The video down there shows this latest version of the 2-Skewer Diamond on its very first flight, flying about on a fairly long line. Winds were gusting into the moderate range, causing the Diamond to loop occasionally.

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.

Continue to page 2

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It's a printable PDF file. Make a well-tested diamond, delta or sled step-by-step.

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