Today’s kites come in many different shapes and sizes. On a windy day down at the beach or at the park you will see many kinds of kites, from the traditional diamond kite through to the advanced power kites.
The two most popular designs seen today are the single line kite, often favored by families, and the dual line kites flown by people looking for more control and the ability to do tricks.
The Single Line Kite.
These kites are the design that most people are familiar with and are often the most beautiful to watch as they fly. There are many variations in kite shape and materials. A general rule to remember with single line kites is the simpler the kite shape or design (for example diamond, hexagon or delta) then the easier it will be to fly. Where single line kites used to be made only of paper today you will find kites made out of many modern and lightweight materials such as plastic and Ripstop nylon.
Tails are also an important feature of single line kites, these can vary from banners, ribbons and tassels through to ladders. Some kites have tails purely for decoration whist others such as the hexagon kites need them to fly correctly.
To control the kite most single line kites come with a spool system that allows you to easily lengthen and shorten the line depending on wind strength. You can also use shaped kite handles but these are not so easy to peg out once the kite is airborne. The kite line, which is usually Dyneema, Spectra or Dacron, is attached underneath the kite at the keel or bridle.
The illustration below shows the parts of a simple single line kite, as you can see they are quite basic and easy to make.
The Dual Line Kite
Dual line kites are often referred to as ‘stunt kites’ as their main purpose is to perform the most amazing stunts. Over the years the leading design for this type of kites has turned out to be the ‘Delta’ kite. These kites are triangular in shape and have a high aspect ratio, meaning that they are wider than they are long. To keep their shape in the air stunt kites have spars and struts attached underneath the frame.
For the best flying results these kites must be as light as possible and use only modern materials such as Ripstop nylon and fiberglass or carbon fiber spars or struts.
To control a dual line kite the most popular method is to have the flying lines attached to padded wrist straps or bar type handles. The strength and length of the lines depend upon the size of the kite and the wind strength. A breaking strain of about 70kg or 150lb is about average. Again these lines will be made out of Dyneema, Spectra or Dacron.
The illustration below shows the key parts of a dual line kite.
