Basic Kite Components and Terminology / How it Fly's
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The two diagrams to the left illustrate the common
components used in today's kites. The top of the kite is referred to as the
"Leading edge", this is the area that the wind flows over to create the kite's
lift. There are many different types of Leading
edges, some examples include a stiff carbon rod stretched across the top of the
kite from wing tip to wing tip or a soft spineless opening used in ram-air foil
type kites. The "Right Wing" and "Left Wing" (or sides) are the right and left
side of the kite. An increase in pressure on either the right or left wing will
cause your kite to turn or change direction. The "Wing Tip" is the furthest edge
of the right or left wing. Spars are usually stiff carbon, wood, or fibreglass
rods used in the construction of your kite. Most ram-air kites don't use spars
at all and rely on the wind and air pockets sewn into the kite to keep the
kite's form and allow flight. The "Bridle" is a webbed network of lines that
connect to multiple points on the kite and allow the kite to respond or perform
to the flyer's commands. Bridles can be as simple
as one or two lines
connected to a point on the kite or can be as complex as 75-80 different lines
connected to multiple points on the kite and joining together at a single or
multiple focal points. The bridle of a kite is one of the most important
components. A stretched or damaged bridle can greatly effect the performance of
your kite and can even keep your kite from flying at all. A change in the length
of your bridle as little as a quarter of an inch can
greatly
effect your kite. Adjustments or repairs should only be done by a qualified
person. If you need to replace a line on your bridle, be extra careful to make
the length exactly the same as the previous line. The "Connecting Point" is the
point that your flying lines will be connected to the bridle of the kite. Many
kites will have different connecting points located on the bridle for different
flying conditions. One connecting point may be for more power or less wind,
another may be for more speed or less wind. The "Lines" are your flying lines
that you use to control your kite. On single line kites, you will have one line
that you either hold onto or is connected to a spool or winder, on multi line
kites, the lines will either connect to a set of straps or handles or a control
bar. The "Sail" (not shown) is the material that spans the area of the kite.
Sail's come in many different colours and shapes, and can be a variety of
different materials. Some of the newer materials used today include rip-stop
nylon, Mylar, or Dacron just to mention a few.
What Makes A Kite Fly
There are many factors that go into the design of the kite including weight, aspect ratio, angle of attack, bridle points, line length, and of course, wind speed. Knowing why kites fly and what causes them to do different things will help you in learning to fly. Generally speaking, the larger the kite, the less wind it will take to get it off the ground. This is due to the kite's "Aspect Ratio". Aspect ratio is a calculated figure that compares the sail area of the kite to the weight of the kite. A very large kite that has very little weight will have a higher aspect ratio. But why do they fly in the first place? The basic design of a kite is the same design used in airplane wings. The wind rushes over the top of the wing of an airplane and creates a void or vacuum of air behind the wing. This vacuum creates a low pressure area and the front or bottom of the wing becomes a high pressure area. The wing of the airplane is forced and sucked into the low pressure area, creating lift. Kites fly for the same reason, air rushing over the leading edge of the kite creates a vacuum or low pressure area behind the kite. The kite then tries to move towards the low pressure area and this causes the kite to lift off of the ground. Power or traction kites create a tremendous low pressure area while creating an enormous high pressure area in the front of the kite, usually because of the massive sail area incorporated into the design of power kites. Quad line kites allow the flyer the ability to change the area of the low pressure area by changing the angle of sail of the kite. By rotating the bottom lines of a 4 line kite towards the flyer (pulling on the bottom lines) the low pressure area moves from behind and above the kite to behind and below the kite, causing the kite to slow down or stop it's forward motion and even reverse in flight.