Sport Today

See drawing at bottom of this message:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Puppet_Kite_Cemetery/message/498

 I experimented with making an "X Quad" 6 years ago or so. I only made a
small one, perhaps 4 feet wingspan out of Tyvek, but I _do_ remember that it
seemed like a *great* quad-line kite.
 I also recall experimenting, with favorable results, with dihedral... and
with placing the two outside vertical rods on the front of the wings and
placing a stand-off back to each of the inside "v"s, giving it *billow*.

 Now, I am in need of a *new high wind* quad for those days with too much
wind. I was thinking about putting screening in the inside panel (hatching
in the drawing), but just got to thinking, why not just leave that panel out
completely? Take a look... yup... should work, huh?

 Another thing I might do is make the outside panels out of that clear
"Prism Kite" stuff with the mesh, outlined with black borders... whoa, mule,
whoa! ...this might end up being a great kite! Should also be fairly simple
to make, except for that freaking fitting at the top and bottom of the
middle vertical spar... they have to pivot smoothly and the only thing I
came up with was to bend an aluminum ferrule, insert it into one of those
T-fittings, drill a hole through the fitting and insert a pin (nail) to hold
it... a very funky setup, but they last a long time. Of course, a nice
precision-made, light-weight fitting would be great, but hard to make/find
:-(

 While waiting for decent proper wind... (see new video message, below) for
the last three Puppet Kites, I may get to this kite this week... the weather
looks frightful :-(

The PKK

--
The Latest 2 New Video Messages: "Wait For Proper Wind For A New Kite"
and "New Videos On The Kite-Related Video Page"
(immediate playback; no downloading required)
http://members.nbci.com/PuppetKites/video/videomessages.htm
------------------------
In Communication With The Puppet Kite Kid:
http://www.yelmtel.com/~rmaddy

 I guess I'm going to start making kites in the Spring and Summer and fly
them in the Fall and Winter. Duh... this _is_ the Pacific Northwest... what
_was_ I thinking?  ;-)

 Refining the idea... new drawing... getting it onto a webpage...

[From: http://SportToday.org/]

 This kite is based on an idea that I experimented with in the mid-1990s.
The original kite was a much smaller version made out of Tyvek, but at least
I know the idea worked, and if I remember correctly, it worked *better than
an average experiment*, so a full scale model, perhaps a 7.5 foot wingspan
might make a great kite! Plus, to make this version a little more
challenging, (I love comparing apples to oranges ;-) it is going to be a
high wind version, with the inside panel *removed* completely. Here's the
drawing of the idea:
http://SportToday.org/

 So... only the four (gray in the drawing) panels will be the actual kite's
sail, and hopefully, to make it interesting (but simple), graphically, I
want to make it with that clear "Prism Kite" material with the embedded
white mesh. Here's a photo of the material, the 2nd photo (with my monitor
resolution) is actual size... 5 squares = approximately 1 inch:
http://SportToday.org/
http://SportToday.org/

PKK
--
marionette, n.
A jointed puppet manipulated from above by strings or wires attached to its
limbs.
[French marionnette, from Old French musical instrument, diminutive of
mariole the *** Mary, from diminutive of Marie, Mary (influenced by the
name Marion) from Late Latin Maria, from Greek from Hebrew Mirym.]
------------------------------------
In Communication With The Puppet Kite Kid:
http://SportToday.org/~rmaddy

says...

  I thought you said that an X rod configuration doesn't work?

--
                             -=Atomic Skull=-
    ------------------------------------------------
     See my 3-D anime character page
     http://ami.animenetwork.com/atomicskull/index.htm
    -------------------------------------------------------

  Get some aluminum tubing in the right size, and bend it with a small tubing
bender (also called a brake line bender) Bend your tubing the amount you want,
then leave about an inch and a half of straight tubing outside the bend for
your spars.

  The big version of this tool (which you'll find at most larger hardware
stores in the electrical section) is good for making your own quadline handles
out of 1/2 inch aluminum tubing.  The smaller "brakeline bender" can be found
at larger automotive supply stores (for anything larger than 1/4 inch, use the
big version)

  If you can't find small diameter aluminum tubing, you could also use
stainless steel brakeline tubing, it'd be heavier, but it'd also take the
stress better, and as you say, this is a high wind kite. (and I've seen
stainless steel ferrules used before before anyway)

  Just be prepared for some strange looks when you ask for a bender and tubing
that has to be a certain diameter on the inside, they're going to think you're
up to somthing funny.  Bring the spars in a sleeve with one of your kites so
you can compare them, then they'll just wonder what your dooing rather than
thinking your up to somthing illegal.

--
                             -=Atomic Skull=-
    ------------------------------------------------
     See my 3-D anime character page
     http://ami.animenetwork.com/atomicskull/index.htm
    -------------------------------------------------------

 The top half of the X is one solid rod, but bent at the ferrule... and the
bottom half of the X is one solid rod, but bent at the ferrule. They are
joined in the middle by a short vertical length of rod. Gawd, I hate text.
Keep your eye on the making of the kite. It works. Been it, done those :-)

The Puppet Kite Kid

--
marionette, n.
A jointed puppet manipulated from above by strings or wires attached to its
limbs.
[French marionnette, from Old French musical instrument, diminutive of
mariole the *** Mary, from diminutive of Marie, Mary (influenced by the
name Marion) from Late Latin Maria, from Greek from Hebrew Mirym.]
------------------------------------
The Latest 2 New Video Messages: "Wait For Proper Wind For A New Kite"
and "New Videos On The Kite-Related Video Page"
(immediate playback; no downloading required)
http://SportToday.org/
------------------------
In Communication With The Puppet Kite Kid:
http://SportToday.org/~rmaddy

 I really need to get a proper bender. You are _so_ right.
 I have used two screwdrivers (why does that word sound so ...erm ...dirty?
Prolly just me :-) inserted into the ends of the tubing... It will work, but
you have to be careful not to mess up the inside circulararitisationalism of
the tubing. I just bought a couple of 10 inch lengths of thick-walled
aluminum tubing from a hobby store. Pray for me :-) I _have_ used aluminum
ferrules from Thy Kite Store.
 The problem is not so much bending the rods as it is connecting them to the
center vertical rod... thusly done with the nail and T-fitting. I realize
it's ugly, yes, but "ugly" is my middle name ;-)

 I swore I was going to avoid the idea, it sucks so bad. Here I go, again
:-(

On a bender,
The Puppet Kite Kid

--
marionette, n.
A jointed puppet manipulated from above by strings or wires attached to its
limbs.
[French marionnette, from Old French musical instrument, diminutive of
mariole the *** Mary, from diminutive of Marie, Mary (influenced by the
name Marion) from Late Latin Maria, from Greek from Hebrew Mirym.]
------------------------
In Communication With The Puppet Kite Kid:
http://SportToday.org/~rmaddy

  I have your solution...

 Take a pair of dihedral ferrules (they're listed under Hardware as "Plastic
Dihedral") from Hang-em-High fabrics and use the spine hole in it as a bungie
loop hole instead.

--
                             -=Atomic Skull=-
    ------------------------------------------------
     See my 3-D anime character page
     http://ami.animenetwork.com/atomicskull/index.htm
    -------------------------------------------------------

 If those plastic fittings are the same that Goodwinds had a couple of years
ago, I have checked them out, and remember them not being usable for my
application. Ideally, I need a very strong but lightweight and small piece
with the proper size holes drilled, with the proper angle... I wish I had
the tools to make them, as getting two or three sets custom made might be
extremely hard to do... in a production kite, you could buy a bulk amount,
but for experimental kites, I'm pretty much stuck with making something with
aluminum tubing and one of those T- fittings, I'm afraid. They do work, they
just look silly at close range :-)

The PKK