How To Make A Delta Kite
Step-by-Step - Page 1 of 3
The MBK 1-Skewer Delta
These instructions on how to make a Delta kite are fairly detailed. However, the reward is a great little light wind flier! Just the thing for a gentle evening breeze. About the only tool required by these instructions is a pair of sharp scissors.
MBK 1-Skewer DeltaMBK 1-Skewer DeltaAny other materials you don't have are easily bought from local shops. If not exactly what I used, then at least something pretty similar!
The pictures should make things pretty clear. Just quickly work your way through from top to bottom, skimming over any detail that you don't need.
The MBK 1-Skewer Delta kite is quite small at 1.0SL (29cm, 11 1/2") in length, but copies the full-size Deltas with a floating spreader and triangular keel.
The little skewer kite flies best with several skewer-lengths of tail.
A tiny bit of extra plastic taped to one wing-tip can correct a turning tendency, but this might not be necessary.
If a 20 pound Dacron line sags too much, you could try polyester sewing thread instead. That should get the kite up to 300 feet :-)
Prefer to work off-line or from printouts? ...
Making Skewer Kites is my handy download of printable step-by-step instructions. This design and all the other 1-Skewer and 2-Skewer designs are covered.
Like to see a video clip? Just scroll down to near the end...
How To Make A Delta Kite
Sail
Now's the time to read up on kite materials and other things needed for building a Delta 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 as follows...
- Firstly, take a bag that you want to use for the sail, and lay it flat on the floor.
- Mark dots on the plastic which correspond to the corners of the Template. Any small errors in position don't matter since the sail will be symmetrical.
- Using the marking pen, rule lines between the dots.
- 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, open it out and lay it flat on the floor - you can now see the complete sail outline, as in the photo.
- Lay down clear sticky tape along all edges of the sail except the long edges of the 2 tabs. The yellow marks represent the tape in the photo. To save weight, try to put only ¼ of the tape's width inside the sail outline.
- Cut along all the black lines, with scissors.
Making Skewer Kites is my handy download of printable step-by-step instructions. This design and all the other 1-Skewer and 2-Skewer designs are covered.
I can tell you love kites...
Otherwise you wouldn't be all the way down here near the bottom of the page :-)
So, could you do me just a small favor?
Please sign up for my free monthly publication, "Tethered Flying". No other emails will be sent, and your details are safe with me. You do need to be at least 16 years old. There's...
- A huge "photo of the month" (via a link)
- 3 "tips of the month" (one each for beginners, parents and the more experienced)
- A "flight report of the month" (selected from my own flying logs, with a photo)
- A Monthly Special discount code for a big compilation How to e-book.
Looking forward to hearing from you...
P.S. My free kite-making e-book "Simplest Dowel Kites" can be downloaded as soon as you sign up.
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Click here to buy anything you need. Just use the Search box in there if you need different weights or lengths of line, for example.
P.S. Keep an eye out for books by kite author Glenn Davison, a prominent kite person in the USA.
What's New!
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Flight Report:
Tetra TerrificAug 19, 19 08:31 PM
... after a few tweaks on-field! ... The breeze outside was somewhat less than forecast, but would support the 10-Cell Skewer Tetrahedral. Bamboo! Just in case of persistent low wind, the red Dowel Ro…
Wind Speeds
Light Air
1-5 km/h
1-3 mph
1-3 knots
Beaufort 1
Light breeze
6–11 km/h
4–7 mph
4–6 knots
Beaufort 2
Gentle ...
12–19 km/h
8–12 mph
7–10 knots
Beaufort 3
Moderate ...
20–28 km/h
13–18 mph
11–16 knots
Beaufort 4
Fresh ...
29–38 km/h
19–24 mph
17–21 knots
Beaufort 5
Strong ...
39–49 km/h
25–31 mph
22–27 knots
Beaufort 6
High Wind
50-61 km/h
32-38 mph
28-33 knots
Beaufort 7
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Hey - grab your free e-book first :-)
I'm referring to Simplest Dowel Kites, my popular kite-making download. It's a printable PDF file. Make a diamond, delta or sled. Each kite is capable of flying hundreds of feet up for hours on end.
Could you do me just a small favor though?
Please sign up for my free monthly publication, "Tethered Flying". No other emails will be sent, and your details are safe with me. You need to be at least 16 years old. There's...
- A huge "photo of the month" (via a link)
- 3 "tips of the month" (one each for beginners, parents and the more experienced)
- A "flight report of the month" (selected from my own flying logs, with a photo)
- A Monthly Special discount code for a big compilation How to e-book.
Comments
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