Kite types

Kites are tethered flying objects which fly by using aerodynamic lift, requiring wind, (or towing), for generation of airflow over the lifting surfaces.

Various types of kites exist, depending on features such as material, shape, use, or operating skills required. Kites may fly in air, water

Water

Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...

, or other fluids, gaining lift through deflection of the supporting medium. Variations in design of tethering systems and lifting surfaces are regularly introduced, with lifting surfaces varying in stiffness from limp sheet material to fully solid material.

Manufacture

Kites may be built by the flier or by a dedicated kite manufacturer, which may be a member of the
Kite Trade Association International (KTAI), which also includes kite retailers.

Material

Kites have been made from the following materials:

Plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...

for example, a Styrofoam-only kite.

plant leaves
Leaves
-History:Vocalist Arnar Gudjonsson was formerly the guitarist with Mower, and he was joined by Hallur Hallsson , Arnar Ólafsson , Bjarni Grímsson , and Andri Ásgrímsson . Late in 2001 they played with Emiliana Torrini and drew early praise from the New York Times...

Grass

Animal skin

Wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...

Metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...

steel

Steel

Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...

, aluminum, etc.

Composite materials

Paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....

Textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...

rip-stop nylon, nylon

Nylon

Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers known generically as polyamides, first produced on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station...

, Dacron, etc.

Glass

Wing character

monoplane
flexible sail
stiffened flexible sail
rigid wing
biplane
multiplane
Low-aspect-ratio - wings that have a narrow chord, compared with their span.
High-aspect-ratio - wings that have a wide chord, compared with their span.
ram-air inflated
closed bladder gas inflated
rotating wing, - also known as Rotor kite
Rotor kite
A rotor kite or gyroglider is an unpowered, rotary-wing aircraft. Like an autogyro or helicopter, it relies on lift created by one or more sets of rotors in order to fly...

or gyroglider (eg Focke Achgelis Fa 330
Focke Achgelis Fa 330
The Focke-Achgelis FA 330 Bachstelze was a type of rotary-wing kite, known as a gyroglider or rotor kite. They were towed behind German U-boats during World War II to allow a lookout to see farther.- Development :...

)

Multiple unit kites:

A multiple unit kite may be made of a single wing, several wings, or several sub-kite units arranged as trains, chains, coterie, single-branching, multiple-branching, arch-kite, "ladder" mill dynamic kite-chain, or combinations of these patterns. World records for the number of kites in a kite train are in the literature; teams of people are used to fly kites of high-count sub-kite units. Parafoil stacks have been built with over 200 kite units.

Multiple pilot

Large kite systems may require more than one pilot. In a team like the "Flying Squad" of nine kite pilots each person might fly his own sub-kite while, as a team, its kites form a unified display. One pilot may simultaneously fly several kites; the pilot with several kites forms one kite system of two, three or more kites in the system.

Applications

Recreation
Art
Meditation
Exercise
Industrial use
Military
Advertising
Transport
Education

Buoyancy

Kites are normally heavier than their supporting medium, such as a kite flown in air. Some kites have their lift augmented by lighter than air gases,allowing the kite to remain airborne without wind or being towed.

Hydro dynamic kites can have positive, neutral or negative bouyancy, relying on hydrodynamic lift to manoeuvre, rise, or dive.

Control

Kites can be controlled by various methods which usually involve manipulation of the tether/control lines, lifting gas density control and in some cases by aero-dynamic control surfaces

Stability

Kites can have positive, neutral or negative stability, in all axes of control, in the same fashion as aircraft. Kites with positive stability tend to return to a stable state automatically, whereas those with neutral or negative stability require control inputs to return the kite to the required position or attitude.

Legality

Kite flying has been enjoyed since thousands of years in South Asia

South Asia

South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...

and the Indian Subcontinent

Indian subcontinent

The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...

. It is used in a competetive gaming style, much like a strategy computer game, and there are millions of people lterally "addicted" to this sport. The goal is to cut off the rival kite (usually flown by someone on a neighbouring rooftop). In order to cut the "enemies" kite line, a very strong fishing line, prepared with glue and powdered glass covers some lenght of the kite line or wire. The kites themselves are usually of a standard size and shape (square shape) and mostly made from paper and split bamboo. After a kite is cut down, it has to recovered by the cutting party.The last flying kite wins the game. The goverment of Pakistan

Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

has repeatedly outlawed this sport. It claimed that some people had been decapitated by driving with their scooter

Scooter

-Vehicles:*Kick scooter, a two-wheeled non-motorized vehicle, primarily a child's play thing, designed to have the rider primarily in the standing position, propelled by a rider pushing off the ground...

s or motorbikes across abandoned glass powder & glue prepared kite wire. Other have fallen of their roofs while engaging in kite flying. Other reasons that were given was that the mass sport and it's associated festivals of Basant

Vasanta (Ritu)

Vasanta or Basant is one of the six ritus corresponding to spring.It is also short for Vasanta Panchami , an Indian festival celebrated every year on the fifth day of the Hindu month Magh , the first day of spring.In Ferozepur, Vasant is celebrated as most auspicious festival than any...

are considered "unislamic" and connected to Hinduism

Hinduism

Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...

. It was also banned in Afghanistan during the reign of the Taliban. However, large sections of society simply ignore the ban.Since there was outrage over the ban, the goverment of Punjab has lifted the ban, however a ban on powdered glass wire has been imposed, as well as the thickness of the wire itself.

A

Advertising kites: These kites hold advertisements, logos of organizations, slogans for causes. Orders of mass-produced kites imprinted with an advertisement form a significant part of kite commerce.
Aerial photography platform kites:
Airplane kites: Large kite planes are finding an application in renewable energy generation.
Arc Kite

Arc kite

The arc kite or twinskin kite is a type of traction kite designed and patented by Peter Lynn. It is a very stable, safe and secure type of powerkite. It can be used for all kinds of kite powered sports, for example: Kiteboarding, Landboarding or Snowkiting. The shape of the kite is similar to a C...

:designed by Peter Lynn
Arch kite/multiple-kite arch: in this design, one or more lines holds many kites in an arch: a rotary two-anchor rainbow arch and/or a static two-anchor rainbow arch. If the kites making up the arch kite rotate using the Magnus effect

Magnus effect

The Magnus effect is the phenomenon whereby a spinning object flying in a fluid creates a whirlpool of fluid around itself, and experiences a force perpendicular to the line of motion...

the term also applied is rainbow kite or just bow kite or kite bow or "sky bow" or SkyBow; one form of the rotaing arch or rainbow kite is the ribbon kite (in one or multiple segments). Swivels in the line are important. Distinguish between a long arching collection of kites in a bow, or a rainbow pattern from a power kite called a bow kite.

Aqua-glider:These various-formed manned kites were kited behind tow boats over water. Air Force Lt. Col. Bill Skliar in 1959 designed a biplane kite glider nicknamed Bayou Bird. In 1961, Tom H. Purcell designed and flew an aluminum-framed Fleep-like Rogallo hang glider kite over land; in 1962, he kited the same wing (but pontooned) while over water. His effort was imaged and noted in Skysurfer Magazine in its May/June issue of 1973, published by EAA inductee Michael Markowski, author of Hang Glider's Bible. The 1962 Mike Burns SkiPlane and 1963 Dickenson wings closely matched the Purcell, Barry Hill Palmer, and the Charles Richard NASA Paresev

Paresev

The Paresev was an experimental NASA glider aircraft based upon the kite-parachute studies by NASA engineer Francis Rogallo....

1B wing; minor control sticks derived from the triangle control frame were used in each of these kites (which sometimes glided). These kites, towed high, could stop their kiting and release into a glide. See section "B" for boats that have a major operating sector as a kite (for example, a 1930 Peel Glider Boat).

Archimedes Screw Kite: These kinetic rotary kites mimic the Archimedean screw.
Arch kites: a single kite with an arch form, multiple arches, or an arch top

Art kites: Video kites, kites on photographs, fine-art illustrations containing kite images, paintings, sculptures, flight-simulator images of kites, engineering drawings, sewing plans, drawings of kite plans, story illustrations in children's books, patent drawings. A Genevieve Lytton graphic card illustrated a fancy-dress-ball costume involving a hexagon kite with tail and string reel.
Asymmetrical kites: Good kite design and construction practice includes the aim of having the left and right sides of the kite's wing be mirror images of each other, for balance. A collection of builders are exploring asymmetrical designs, which involve special challenges.
Autogyro

Autogyro

An autogyro , also known as gyroplane, gyrocopter, or rotaplane, is a type of rotorcraft which uses an unpowered rotor in autorotation to develop lift, and an engine-powered propeller, similar to that of a fixed-wing aircraft, to provide thrust...

kites: (gyro kite, heli-kite, helicopter kite) use unpowered autorotation

Autorotation

In aviation, autorotation refers to processes in both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. The term means significantly different things in each context....

B

Bag kites: Made from single or multiple bags. Some use paper bags, others plastic. Bags simply as a source of material is a trivial use; other bag kites retain much of the form of the bag.
Balloon kite (heavier-than-air): Part or all of the kite wing is a balloon.
Balloon kite (lighter-than-air, with kitewing all balloon)
Balloon kite (lighter-than-air, with kitewing major element balloon but with large non-balloon wing parts)
Balloon kite with "ballooning" spiderlings: Not a mechanical balloon, but a collection of spider-silk threads used for dispersal of spiders. Richard Miller, in his 1967 book Without Visible Means of Support, described the mechanics of the double-kite system where the upper kite lifts and drags, coupled with the lower kite that lifts downwards and drags; the common kiteline results in a kiting system in free flight. In the chapter, "Flying Kites", he writes that in the nineteenth century Hiram Stevens Maxim

Hiram Stevens Maxim

Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim was an American-born inventor who emigrated to England at the age of forty-one, although he remained an American citizen until he became a naturalized British subject in 1900. He was the inventor of the Maxim Gun – the first portable, fully automatic machine gun – and the...

observed the kiting of spiders; biologists continue to use the misleading term, "ballooning". Bug-hunter Darrell Ubick correctly recognized that ballooning spiders actually are kiting, as noted by Pamela S. Turner in "Super-Powered Spiders". In Tales with Tails: Storytelling the Wonders of the Natural World, Kevin Strauss demonstrates in three places (pages 184, and 185 and 187) his understanding of the "kiting" of the "ballooning" spider (since no true balloon is ever made). Three staffers of the Straight Dope Science Advisory Board in Are Cobwebs Made By Spiders? recognized the kiting of ballooning spiders. A pest-control company has studied spiders and asserts it is kiting that is done by instars (spiderlings), even though the historical term is ballooning. The Rare Species Conservatory affirms that ballooning spiders actually do not balloon, but kite.

Barrage kites: Sausage kite balloons
Balloon kites: Applies to both lighter- and heavier-than-air kite types. The lighter-than-air balloon kite is the kytoon, which is aloft whether or not the wind blows. When the kytoon is not kiting, it floats aloft as a pure balloon; when it is kiting, it is a true kite. Kytoons are used to loft radio antennas, rescue signals, and kite-line laundry.
Barish sailwing:
Beginner kites: Kites of this type are separated by sellers, makers, and leaders.
Bell kites: Developed by Alexander Graham Bell

Alexander Graham Bell

Alexander Graham Bell was an eminent scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone....

Bermuda kite

A Bermuda kite is a kite made using traditional, geometric designs, quite colorful, and is an art form as much as a recreational tool. They are traditionally flown in Bermuda only at Easter. The kites are typically hexagonal, though larger examples, particularly, may be octagonal, or have even more...

:Traditional Bermudian kites flown at Easter

Easter

Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...

; world-record holders for altitude and flight duration
Biplane

Biplane

A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...

kites:
Bird kites: Abstract or realistic-looking bird kites, dynamic bird kites, bird art on kite faces
Boat kites: A 1930 Peel Glider Boat was kited on a 1000-foot line, and would get about three miles of air-gliding distance after releasing its kite line. Many contemporary inflated boats being kited begin and end their kited session as towed boats.
Bowed kite

Bowed kite

Bowed kites such as the Japanese rokkaku, and traditional versions of the more familiar "diamond" shaped kites such as the Malay or Eddy, are tensioned into a bow in order to improve their stability to the point where a tail often becomes unnecessary....

: This term has several meanings: a class of parafoil kite, an early British bowing-top-edge-sparred kite, and the rotating-ribbon rainbow-like two-anchor one-line arch kite. Distinguished from Sky Bow or rotating-ribbon kites and arch-bow stick kites

Box kite

Box kite

A box kite is a high-performance kite, noted for developing relatively high lift; it is a type within the family of cellular kites. The typical design has four parallel struts. The box is made rigid with diagonal crossed struts. There are two sails, or ribbons, whose width is about a quarter of the...

:
Box Delta kites:
Butterfly kites: This type occurs at several levels: art, applique, and realistic motion.

C

C-kites

Leading edge inflatable kite

A leading edge inflatable kite or LEI is a single skin kite with inflatable bladders providing structure. It is useful as a power or traction kite. These kites are flown using 2, 4 or 5 control lines and a bar. A LEI is a great kite for water use because the inflated bladders cause it to float on...

:
Cambodian kites: The Kleng Ek kite, a Cambodian musical kite, is often flown at night; there is also a Cambodian pocket kite. Bamboo is very common for Cambodian kites. To recapture the early Cambodian kites, a book (Khmer Kites) has been published.
Candle kites:
Cantonese kites:
Cayley kite: reproductions of Sir George Cayley

George Cayley

Sir George Cayley, 6th Baronet was a prolific English engineer and one of the most important people in the history of aeronautics. Many consider him the first true scientific aerial investigator and the first person to understand the underlying principles and forces of flight...

s kites
Cellular kites:
Chapi-chapi

Chapi-chapi

Chapi-chapi is a small, two-stick kite that can be quickly constructed from cheap materials such as newspapers, broom sticks, or discarded plastic sheet. It is very popular in the Philippines. The name itself colloquially means, "assembled fast" or "quickly improvised". A strong, straight stick is...

:A type of kite popular in the Philippines, usually constructed from old broomsticks and newspapers.

Cheap kites: Available in several sectors: the home builder aiming to build kites from handy materials (even trash), and the commercial sector that aims to have some kites at low prices to attract customers
Chemiluminescence kites:
Chinese kites: From Beijing, Weifang, Tianjing, Nantong, Jiangnan and Taiwan.
Circle kites: Circular kites, circle disk kites, disk kites, EPS-plate kites (see "Cup kites" below), paper-plate kites
Cody kites: War kites designed by Samuel Franklin Cody (1867–1913)
Conyne kites:
Cube kites:(one or more)
Cup kites: Kites made mostly of cups, often paper or expanded polystyrene (EPS)
Cursor kites: Internet-age cursor images flown give a contemporary look to the sky.

D

Delta or Delta-wing kites: Single-line, dual-line stunt kites; deltas with a triangular box are a variant
Diamond kites: (see "Eddy kites" below) Diamond types appear from mini to very large, and from low-cost beginner utility to high-quality, state-of-the-art target-control diamonds.
Display kites: A class of kites "for display" has come into being for festivals, shows, library exhibitions, museum exhibitions and other events.
Disposable kites: In kite fishing, disposable kites are used. In Philippine kite fighting, the object is to destroy the opponent's kite body directly.
Duryea kite reproductions:(Charles Duryea

Charles Duryea

Charles Edgar Duryea was the engineer of the first-ever working American gasoline-powered car. He was born near Canton, Illinois, the son of George Washington Duryea and Louisa Melvina Turner and died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but spent most of his life working in Springfield, Massachusetts...

)
Double-kite systems: Two coupled kites, but confined; or two coupled kites in free flight in the same (air-only or water-only, for example) or different media (air and water, for example). An example is kite-surfing with a board as a hybrid water kite, coupled with a power air kite. Without Visible Means of Support by Richard Miller (1967) details two coupled air kites, with the upper kite in the jet stream

Jet stream

Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents found in the atmospheres of some planets, including Earth. The main jet streams are located near the tropopause, the transition between the troposphere and the stratosphere . The major jet streams on Earth are westerly winds...

and the lower kite below the jet stream. Two (or more) kites, kite-lined to one anchor, one mooring or one kite operator, are included here. Two kites (or more) communicating with each other for a purpose are coupled.
Dragon kites: Two categories: those mimicking the figure of a dragon in a decoration or figure kite, and those of a series of kites in a train or stack.

E

Eddy kite or diamond kites:
Edo kites: Rectangular traditional Tokyo kite. Edo is old name for Tokyo.
Electricity-generating kites: There are hydro kites and air kites specifically designed to generate electricity as their dominant purpose. Also, there are kites that have electricity generation as a secondary arrangement.
Exotic kites:do not fit other categories.

F

Fast kites:Two definitions: a) kites that move fast (high-speed kites), and b) kites that can be made from scratch in a fast or quick manner (see "Q" for Quick kites). Some fighter and sport kites are built so that they can move very fast under control. Speed records are reported. Kite surfers appreciate power kites with high speed. Kites in other media like water, soil, or plasma have speeds specific to their conditions. Speed is relative to the activity and purpose. Kite-fishing requires speed.

Feather kites: ]
Fighter kite

Fighter kite

Fighter kites are kites used for the sport of kite fighting. Traditionally most are small, unstable single line flat kites where line tension alone is used for control, and an abrasive line is used to cut down other kites....

:
Figure kites:(mimic shape and appearance of animals, insects, people, objects, products)

First kites:The first of a type. Invention kite.
Fishing kites: Some believe that there is no better way to present bait to fish than with a fishing kite
Flat kites:
Flexible-wing kites:with variable amounts of stiffening by spars and rigid parts
Flexikites:and its reproductions
Flexifoil

Flexifoil

Flexifoil International is a designer and manufacturer of kite products. Started in 1972 by Ray Merry and Andrew Jones in Cambridgeshire, England, Flexifoil has become known for its power kiting products. Flexifoil owes its early success to its original Stacker 6 kite, which became the first...

:(original and then company kites different from original).
Foil

Foil kite

Foil kites are soft kites based on the design of the parafoil. They consist of a number of cells running fore to aft, some or all of which are open at the front to allow air to inflate the kite so it takes on an aerofoil section...

:or parafoil

Parafoil

A parafoil is a nonrigid airfoil with an aerodynamic cell structure which is inflated by the wind. Ram-air inflation forces the parafoil into a classic wing cross-section. Parafoils are most commonly constructed out of ripstop nylon....

kite
Funny kites: These kites evoke laughter.

G

Gallaudet kites:Gallaudet Hydrokites: Garbasail.
Geometric kite.
Genki kite.
Giant kites:<
Gibson Girl was a type of cellular kite for radio antena raising from rescue raft.
Glider kites:Manned and unmanned aircraft intended primarily for gliding are frequently tested and flown as kites under tow from ground or water vehicles or animals, machines, or other people. Some glider kites released to free-flight gliding may or may not be free-flight kites, depending on how payload may (or may not) be tugging the glider's wing through a tow line set. Primary manned gliders, kited, are glider kites when being kited; when released to glide, these are not kites. Conversely, the hang-lined hang glider pilot may be kited up in his or her aircraft but when released to free-flight, such aircraft remains a gliding kite or kite glider. The Martin Glider was kited by many different means.
Gyrocopter or helicopter kites:(see autogyro)

H

Hang glider: Usually manned. Many hang gliders are true kites; hang gliders that are not true kites are not covered here. Ed Grauel includes hang gliders in his typing of kites.
Hang glider kites that are unmanned: Unmanned kites as mimics of manned hang gliders (kites or not).
Hargrave kites:(Lawrence Hargrave

Lawrence Hargrave

Lawrence Hargrave was an engineer, explorer, astronomer, inventor and aeronautical pioneer.- Early life :Hargrave was born in Greenwich, England, the second son of John Fletcher Hargrave and was educated at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Kirkby Lonsdale, Westmorland...

)

Helikites:A type of kytoon filled with helium. Heliktie is a true kite, yet lighter-than air for staying aloft when kiting is insufficient for keeping the helikite aloft. Helikites are used for bird control and antenna-lifting.
Hexagonal kites: US 51860 patent was for a hexagonal kite by T. Perrins, granted January 2, 1866. A Birt kite may have preempted, in fact, the same kite. Ed Grauel opines that the Birt kite at the Kew Observatory preempted the Perrins kite; he noted that the same kite later became known as the barndoor or house kite. .
High aspect ratio kites: Tow-launched hobby unmanned sailplanes are true kites during high-start kited launches; they may hold the record for single-line single-anchor high aspect ratio kites made by humans. However, the rotating ribbon single-line double-anchored Skybow kite (rotating ribbon arch kite of two anchors) that sits in the sky nearly as a rainbow is a kite with extreme aspect ratio. A different non-rotating ribbon kite by Anders Ansar follows the Barish sailwing concept to the extreme; Ansar suggests more than two anchor points. He also explains how two sailors holding a ribbon kite, e g on ice wearing ice skates, can sail straight upwind or straight down wind, the latter faster than the wind.
Historical kites:Historical kites are builds that aim to match some historically important kite, sometimes to represent the first occurrence of a particular kite design. Patent kites are a subset of historical kites where the aim is to build a kite that materially illustrates a claim in a kite patent.
Hydro kites

Paravane (water kite)

]The paravane is a towed winged underwater object—water kite. Paravanes have been used in sport or commercial fishing, marine exploration and industry, sports and military. The wings of paravanes are sometimes in a fixed position, else positioned remotely or by actions of a human pilot...

: Water kites – kites that fly in water or on the surface of water.

I

India kites:
Indoor kites: May be confused with zero-wind kites.

Inflatable single-line kites: Distinguish between closed-bladder inflated kites (sausage balloon kite, other-form balloon kites) from open-bladder ram-air inflation (Jalbert parafoil and its derivatives) and the single-surface flexible-sail dynamic inflation (Rogallo and Barish wings). A kite can have two or three types of inflation parts (Jalbert's 1944 patent claimed a kite that had the closed-cell inflation as well as a sailwing part). Over-water flying applications have invited air kites having light-than-water flotation capability; power-kiting for kitesurfing with leading-edge-inflated (LEI) bladder held inside textile pocket is one such use. Another is in fishing kites

Invisible kites:(radar-invisible, very-low-visibility translucents, out-of-sights, non-lighted night kites, imagined kites, kites flown by the blind as they feel the line tension change)

J

Jalbert parafoil kites:after inventions of Domina Jalbert

Domina Jalbert

Domina Jalbert invented the ram-air inflated flexible wing often called the "Jalbert parafoil".-Life:Settling into Boca Raton, Florida, after arriving from Quebec, Canada, he established his business Aerology....

Japanese kites:

Java kites: (pre-Malay kite, pre-Eddy kite)
Jesus kites: This type of kite is found in both art and flying kites. Aquilone di Gesù kites use art on standard kite forms or specialized figure kites. In the Philippines, noted kitemaker Eulogio Catahan is a leader in Jesus kites.

K

Kid kites:This type of kite is fit for young kids. Both hobby authors and commercial suppliers note this type of kite.

Killer kites: Three types of killer kites are recognized in kiting. One type of killer kite has the task of taking out of flight another kite; such is in sport and also in practical kite energy operations to take out a kite that is fugitive. Another killer kite regards the notorious kites that cause death and injury; some nations' kite festivals have been marred or cancelled because of killer kites; governments have gotten involved to halt or slow the effect of killer kites. The kite's glassed lines or the kite's metallic base material have resulted in far too many deaths and injuries. Death by kites is part of the reason the world knows this kite type. Another type of "killer kite" are those that simply deeply astound viewers and users with some unique exciting quality.

Kirby kites:(also known as a bird kite – a variant of the Malay kite) (not to be confused with the manned glider called the Kirby Kite, which was a kite launched into a gliding or soaring session) (also not to be confused with the radio-controlled Airworld Kirby Kite scale glider, which has a kite life when being given a kited launch)
KiteSail by Maurice Grenier
KiteShip by Dave Culp.
Korean kites:
Kytoon

Kytoon

A kytoon is a kite with a significant amount of aerostatic lift from a lighter than air gas carried within.The primary advantage of a kytoon is that it remains up and at a reasonably stable position above the tether point, irrespective of the wind.The kytoon has been used in peace and war...

:A shaped balloon that kites (two general types: 1) lighter-than-medium, in which it moves within a gravity field 2) heavier-than-air kytoon, or heavier than the medium in which it flies. Density is implied when saying "heavier"-than-the-ambient medium). For air, some kytoons are less dense than air (using hydrogen, helium, heated air); other kytoons filled with, for example, unheated air are not buoyant in still air but are still kited. Includes barrage kites of the kytoon type that Domina Jalbert

Domina Jalbert

designed for defense purposes and peacetime antenna-lifting by ham-radio operators. Car dealers raise advertisements with kytoons (see Observation balloon

Observation balloon

Observation balloons are balloons that are employed as aerial platforms for intelligence gathering and artillery spotting. Their use began during the French Revolutionary Wars, reaching their zenith during World War I, and they continue in limited use today....

. The kytoon is a true kite in flight in an appropriate moving stream of material, fluid, gas, or air; it is also a true balloon

L

Laddermill
Laddermill
A Laddermill is a hypothetical airborne wind turbine consisting of a long string or loop of power kites.The loop or string of kites would be launched in the air by the lifting force of the kites, until it is fully unrolled, and the top reaches a height determined by designers and operators; some...

A complex of sub-kites in a loop line with various uses, one of which is the generation of electricity; invented by Dr. Ockels of Delft University.

Landboarding kites:Kite landboarding

Kite landboarding

Kite landboarding also known as Land kiteboarding or flyboarding, is based on the ever-growing sport of Kitesurfing, where a rider on a surf-style board is pulled over water by a kite. Kite landboarding involves the use of a mountain board or landboard, which is essentially an oversized skateboard...

uses traction and power kites.
Lang kites:
Langley kites:See Samuel Langley
Leaf kites:(traditional, decorative artistic mimic, fishing leaf or novel)
LEI kites:Leading-edge-inflated kite
Lighter-than-air air kites:
Light-emitting kites: Chemiluminescence kites, electrically lighted kites (battery and also real-time in-kite generated electricity for the lights, light-reflection kites
Low aspect ratio kites:

Spider gossamer kites made of spider silk

Ballooning (spider)

Ballooning is a term used for the mechanical kiting that many spiders, especially small species, as well as certain mites and some caterpillars use to disperse through the air. Many small spiders use gossamer or especially fine silk to lift themselves off a surface or use the silk as an anchor in...

are low-aspect-ratio kites made by a spider. Man-made long sausage-balloon kites are low-aspect-ratio kites.

M

Machijirushi kites:fine paper and bamboo from Hamamatsu continue, after centuries of use in celebration and town kite-fighting.
Magnus effect

Magnus effect

The Magnus effect is the phenomenon whereby a spinning object flying in a fluid creates a whirlpool of fluid around itself, and experiences a force perpendicular to the line of motion...

kites:rotate span-wise.
Malay kites: (pre-Eddy kite)
Manned :Man-lifting kites
Maori kites:
Miniature kites: Over 800 miniature kites were on display in 1999 at the Muncie Convention Center in Muncie, Indiana, USA for the world's largest such event; it was called the AKA Miniature Kite Art Gallery. Also known as tiny kites, small kites, or little kites.

Musical kites: The Cambodian Ek (Khlèng-Phnorng or Khlèn-Èk) musical kite is an enduring part of the rural Cambodian culture.

N

Night kites:
Novelty kites: Novelty kites bring vitality to kite-building and flying. Festivals frequently have an award category for novelty kites.

O

Octagonal kites:Four-stick octagonal kites exist; collapsible eight-stick kites that pop up like an a common umbrella have been registered in patents. A fine-art example of an eight-sided regular octagonal kite is illustrated. Stop-sign and octagonal box kites are other examples.
Octopus kites:Figure mimic of octopus

P

Parachute kites:(see paraglider below) Parachute

Parachute

A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...

s that have a directional venting small (parasail, directional parachutes) or massive (Jalbert

Domina Jalbert

parafoil, Rogallo parawing) are kites moored

Kite mooring

Kites are given mooring by many methods. Watercraft and aircraft traditionally have the term "mooring" applied to making the watercraft or aircraft fast to some external object...

to free-falling body or payload. Symmetrical, non-directional zero-lift/drag ratio parachutes are streamers and not kites; no net deflection from the stream occurs in a true parachute.
Parafoil

Parafoil

Parafoil stunt kites:
Paraglider:manned (these are kites both in free-fall, and kited either by the pilot or secondarily by a towing or moored device or powered harness system).

Parasail:Parachutes modified to have a positive lift/drag ratio, so the wing can be kited to carry humans or other payload
Paravane

Paravane (weapon)

The paravane is a form of towed underwater "glider". It was developed by Cdr Usborne and Lt Burney financed by Sir George White, founder of the Bristol Aeroplane Company....

:Water kite
Pentagonal kites: also known as penta- or five-sided polygonal kite. The five points give ample opportunity for a head, two hands and two legs. Distinguish pentagonal kites from five-point star kites that are ten-sided (unless art is simply showing the five-point star). Five recalls the shapes of humans and animals.
Picnic plate kites:See Plate kites, below.
Plasma kites: Distinguish ambient flying media: blood plasma, space plasma or confined scientific-laboratory or industrial plasma streams. Plasma is the most common phase of matter in the universe.
Plate kites: paper, plastic or EPS foam picnic-plate kites. This type of kite includes figure, artistic, dragon, and rotary kites. The most simple kite is the single plate, uncut and left as a circular kite; complexity is up to its maker.
Powered-harness hang glider kites:

Powered paragliders:(Powered paragliding

Powered paragliding

Powered paragliding, also known as paramotoring, is a form of ultralight aviation where the pilot wears a motor on his or her back which provides enough thrust to take off using an adapted paraglider or paramotor wing...

)

Q

Quantum kites:
Quick or Fast kites:Quick kites are kites that can be made quickly; simplicity may or may not be characteristic of a quick kite. Commonly available materials are used by quick-kite designers. Specially ordered materials are not used, and few (if any) tools are needed.

R

Race kites:Kites specially designed for high-speed traction racing (on land, water, ice, snow).

Radio-controlled kite:unpowered Both for sport and commercial purposes, the complexity of more than one line emphasizes control of power, position and attack angle. One line simplifies reeling and line control. A project in the power-kite sport field is the Slarc. Radio-control de-powering and release systems are being developed. Instead of the drag of two, three, four, or five lines, the single-line radio-controlled kite has the drag of just one line.
Radio-controlled kite:powered scale and manned Distinguish a product that is not a kite (called RC Kite) from true kites that have radio controls on a kite-lined kite wing.
Ram-air kites:Sled kites with ram-air cavities and Jalbert parafoil power kites are ram-air kites. The wind rams into the cavities and inflates sections of a kite to give the kite shape and sturdiness.
Recycled kites: Kites made from recycled goods
Revolution kite or Rev kites:(four-line revolution stunt kites by Joe Hadzicki)
Ribbon kites: Rigid kites:(no flexible sail part)
Rogallo Corner kites: First intended use: radar reflector for rescue
Rogallo Parawing kite

Rogallo wing

The Rogallo wing is a flexible type of airfoil. In 1948, Gertrude Rogallo, and her husband Francis Rogallo, a NASA engineer, invented a self-inflating flexible wing they called the Parawing, also known after them as the "Rogallo Wing" and flexible wing...

:
Roller kite.
Rolloplan kites:(German origin)

Rotary kites:Vertical axis rotary, spanwise rotary, mixed rotary, streamwise axially rotary. EPS, Styrofoam, and balsa special Magnus-effect rotary kites can be made with several construction methods for two-line control kites for heavier breezes. Many spanwise rotary kites are two-line control kites. However, UFO-SAM is a single-line rotary Magnus-effect kite; one of the leading makers of the kite has died, but a manufacturer has continued offering the kite.A two-line rotary kite using a special control bar is instructed in the patent by J. R. Carnwath filed on Mar 29, 1948. Kites that revolve but do not obtain lift from the revolving motion are distinct from Magnus-effect lifters or gyrocopting lifting rotating kites; Thomas Ansboro of Scotland, in 1891, instructed in a US patent 464412 about a revolving hexagonal kite where the bridling is critical.
A ringed UFO rotary kite patent indicated a special bridling ring and a central rotating ring (US Patent 4779825). The very high aspect ratio rotating spanwise ribbon kites (Skybows) are continuing to gain interest; these require at least two swivels. Also, a variety of rotary kites that are nearly streamers rotate almost windward; some are vaned and some are not. In 1995 Carl E. Knight and Jo Ann F. Knight instructed a rotary kite that rotates near windward for its axis (not like autogyro or spanwise magnus).
Rokkaku orRokaku kites:
Rotating Ribbon kites: One version is called Skybow. The long ribbon is at least a two-anchored system with at least two swivels, but may be segmented to allow segments of ribbon to rotate at different speeds. Autorotation

Autorotation

In aviation, autorotation refers to processes in both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. The term means significantly different things in each context....

, giving lift via the Magnus effect

Magnus effect

The Magnus effect is the phenomenon whereby a spinning object flying in a fluid creates a whirlpool of fluid around itself, and experiences a force perpendicular to the line of motion...

, allows a rainbow arch kite to fly. A human operator at one end, with a fixed ground anchor at the other, is one example; a separate human operator at each of two anchors is another. More than two tethers can be used.

S

Sauls' Barrage kites:
Sail kites: Sails that are fully tethered and give a net positive lift are sail kites. Sailing vessels on water and land use sail kites. The kiting tethers can be short or long. Power kites are frequently sail kites as a power kite

Power kite

A power kite or traction kite is a large kite designed to provide significant pull to the user.They come in three main forms: foils, leading edge inflatables and supported leading edge. There are also rigid-framed kites and soft single skin kites. There are several different control systems used...

is used to sail a skier, landsailing buggy

Kite buggy

A kite buggy is a light, purpose-built vehicle powered by a traction kite . It is single-seated and has one steerable front wheel and two fixed rear wheels. The driver sits in the seat located in the middle of the vehicle and accelerates and slows down by applying steering manoeuvres in...

, wakeboarder, ground wheeled vehicle, boats and so on.

Self-erecting collapsible kites:Collapsible kites that self-erect upon a triggering event to full kite form have special niche uses and appeal. Positive-inflated kytoons would be typed here, if a triggering erected the kytoon. Already-erected kites like the parafoil are self-inflating, but not usually considered as needing erecting (since they are already softly finished in form, except for placing them in the wind).
Show kites: See "Display kites". Show kites are one category of display kite.
Skating kites:See Kite skating

Kite skating

Kite skating, sometimes referred to as Kiteblading, is a land based extreme sport using powerful controllable kites to propel riders of inline skates or off-road skates at speeds up to 60+mph across parking lots, desert dry lakes, grassy fields, and sandy beaches.Typically used in rough terrain,...

Sled kites:include the Buda Jewish Kite of 1904, the Scott and Allison Sleds

Scott sled

A Sled is a type of kite developed in the early 1960s by Frank Scott of Ohio and based on an earlier design by William Allison, also based in Ohio. In 1964 it was featured in 'Kite Tales' the newsletter of the American Kitefliers Association, as a result it became much more widely known...

and many variations.
Signature kites:Kites made by a particular person become prized possessions for some people.
Single-piece kites:
Sode or Sode Dako kites:This type wins attention with its shape, especially in Japan.
Soft kites:Parawing, parafoil, some un-sticked sleds, Barish sailwing, Playsail, KiteShip, foils
Solar kites:in plasma or photonic media; Solar-kite engineers and scientists are expanding the definition of a kite. The sail may be full of solar-energy electricity-generating material. Another example is the Solar Max Delta Kite.
Soil kites:
Sound-making kites:
Square kites:
Stacked kites:Stacking sub-kite units
Stunt kites

Sport kite

A sport kite, also commonly known as a stunt kite, is a kite that can be maneuvred in the air.A related kit also controllable and used for recreation, but capable of generating a significant amount of pull and used for providing movement is the Power kite.-Competition:Developments in multi-line...

:New type of stunt kite
Styrofoam kites:When Styrofoam dining plates are used in a dragon-kite segment, when a kite is made from styrene drinking cups, or when kites are made with the dominant material styrofoam or EPS foam, then the kite world refers to the kite type as a styrofoam kite. This allows use of recycled materials.

T

Target kites:As designed by Paul Garber, a key gunnery practice target in war. Francis Melvin Rogallo, inventor of a fully flexible kite in 1948, also filed a patent on Jan. 23, 1963 for a target kite that used stiffenings, which was also a corner reflector

Corner reflector

A corner reflector is a retroreflector consisting of three mutually perpendicular, intersecting flat surfaces, which reflects waves back directly towards the source, but shifted . Unlike a simple mirror, they work for a relatively wide-angle field of view. The three intersecting surfaces often have...

.

Tetrahedral kites:Inventor Alexander Graham Bell

Alexander Graham Bell

Alexander Graham Bell was an eminent scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone....

focused on these types of kites; This kite type was a dominant interest of Mr. Bell's.
Thai kites:

Toy kites:
Traction kites:for relaunching from water, differ from dedicated land traction kites
Train or Kite train:Connect many kite-body units onto one line in various ways and have a kite that is a kite train, or train of kites. Dragon kites, centipede kites, and some arches are trains. A train of mini kites is a mini-kite train.
Trainer kites:Kites of lower power that are used to practice maneuvers before higher-powered kites are used.
Tukkal or Tukal kites:Special four-stick kite

U

Underwater kite

Paravane (water kite)

::Water kites have an analogous presence in other liquids as the flying media; kite expert David Culp published about non-water media for kiting within those fluids rather than air (see "Water kites" below). An early presentation of an underwater box kite was repeated in the Drachen Foundation Kite Journal from a 1909 Scientific American article.

V

Ventilated kites:Flying kites in high or stormy winds is achieved in several ways; one way is to have high-porosity or ventilated kites Effective sail area is reduced, while shape and appearance can follow known kite shapes of non-ventilated kites.
Victory kites: One series of noted kites: the Victory kites of Stormy Weathers (yes that is his name) include Star Victory, Swift Victory, and Winged Victory. Mr. Weathers was respected for building kites from common materials.

W

Waffle kites:such as those made by Joseph LeCornu
Water kites

Paravane (water kite)

: This mechanism handles a water kite or underwater inverted kite; also spelled paravane, paravanes. Underwater kiting of heavier-than-water (even ballasted) instruments serve industry and science.Domina Jalbert

Domina Jalbert

told Tal Streeter that water kites are hardly different from air kites and could have many applications.
Water relaunchable kites:Air kites that can be launched and relaunched once the kite's wing and lines are settled on or in the water.
Woglum kites:(variant of the Malay kite). Gilbert T. Woglum in 1896 flew a train of kites over a parade and hung a golden flag from the main line.
Work kites:or working kites:are kites designed to perform specialized tasks or produce work or energy.

X

X-treme kites:Extreme sport kites.
X flat two-stick kites: the frame is "X" format with two spars; rectangular or square or cut to form X. Flat kites made of two sticks. Artistic alphabet character "X" kite.

Y

Yacht kites:Leslie Hunt's book, 25 Kites, includes a yacht-kite plan.
Youth kites:Kites for the very young. Also beginner kites, kid kites, kiddie kites. Kites suitable for the very young are almost always small single-line kites using cotton kite line. Festivals sometimes have a category called "youth kites".

Z

Zero-wind kites:Kite pilot stays within a tight ground circle, or pumps the kite line without moving, or walks or runs when there are zero-wind conditions (also known as nil-wind, null-wind, no-wind, indoor kites). The Ninja zero- and low-wind kite plan is open for all for non-commercial use.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Kite types

Manufacture

Material

Wing character

Applications

Buoyancy

Control

Stability

Legality

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

See also

External links