AERIAL LOCOMOTION 443 



Supporting surface i 



Actual surface ~ 1.7328 



A simple way of calculating the amount of supporting surface 

 in such structures is to remember that there are 32 cells to the 

 square meter of supporting surface. Therefore, the 1300 cells 

 of the kite " Frost King" had a supporting surface of 40.6250 

 square meters (437.3 sq. ft.). 



Ratio of Weight to Surface. — The actual silk surface em- 

 ployed in the " Frost King" was 70.3950 square meters (757-7 

 sq. ft.), the weight of the kite was 27,694 gms. (61 lbs.), so that 

 on the basis of the actual surface, the flying weight was 393.4 

 gms. per square meter (0.08 lbs. per sq. ft.). 



But for the purpose of comparing the flying weight of a tetra- 

 hedral kite with that of other kites in which it is usual to estimate 

 only the aeroplane surfaces that are substantially in a horizontal 

 plane, it would be well to consider the ratio of weight to hori- 

 zontal or supporting surface in this kite. 



The weight was 27,694 gms. (61 lbs.); the resolved horizontal 

 or supporting surface was equivalent to 40.6250 square meters 

 (437.3 sq. ft.), and the flying weight for comparison with other 

 kites was 681.7 g ms « P er square meter of supporting surface 

 (0.14 lbs. per sq. ft.). 



The kite, in addition to its own weight, carried up a mass of 

 dangling ropes and a rope-ladder, as well as two flying cords of 

 manilla rope. The impedimenta of this kind weighed 28,148 

 gms. (62 lbs.). It also supported a man, Mr. Neil McDermid, 

 who hung on to the main flying rope at such a distance from the 

 cleat attached to the ground that when the rope straightened 

 under the strain of the kite he was carried up into the air to a 

 height of about 10 meters (over 30 ft.). The weight of this 

 man was 74,910 gms. (about 165 lbs.). Thus, the total load 

 carried by the kite, exclusive of its own weight, was 103,058 

 gms. (or 227 lbs.). 



The whole kite, load and all, including the man, therefore, 

 weighed 130,752 gms. (288 lbs.), and its flying weight was 

 1857.4 gms. per square meter of actual surface (0.38 lb. per 

 sq. ft.) ; or 3218.5 gms. per square meter of supporting surface 

 (0.66 lb. per sq. ft.). 



