HOW TO BUILD A KITE THAT WILL FLY 
Before starting to build a kite it is well to know a few of the funda¬ 
mental things about the size, shape, and materials that are required to make 
a kite that will fly successfully. 
The most important part is the framework. This should be made of wood 
that is both light and strong. The different pieces of the frame work must 
also be uniform in thickness, width and length, because a piece that is 
thicker or wider at one end than it is at the other will over-balance the 
kite and cause it to dart to the ground and be broken. 
Split bamboo is the best wood for kite making, altho it is very difficult 
to fasten the joints together. White pine, white cedar, yellow pine, spruce, 
and cypress are probably the best woods that can be procured in this 
locality for making kites. 
Putting the string around the frame work is the next important thing. 
The distance from the top of the upright piece to the end of the cross piece 
must be the same on both sides, and the same is true of the bottom part of 
the kite. If the sides of the frame work are strung unequally the kite will 
pull off to one side and dart, or will not fly at all. The best cord to string a 
kite with is a piece of small, hard twisted fish line. 
Next to be considered is the covering. Silk of course is the ideal cover, 
but a good quality of strong tissue paper answers the purpose just as well. 
If you build a large kite a good strong wrapping paper will do for the cover, 
or a piece of cambric is also an excellent material to use; but if used it 
should never be put on the bias, as it is liable to unequal stretching and will 
unbalance the poise of the kite. 
The bridle, or bellyband, is the next important thing about a kite. All 
kites must have a bridle as it is impossible to fly a kite with the kite line 
tied directly to the kite frame. The kite is dependent on the bridle for the 
TWO STICK 
Material Required 
Lumber—White pine, yellow pine, spruce, cypress or basswood. 
Pieces Finished Sizes—In. Use 
1 Cross piece 
1 34"x;hi"x36" Upright piece 
proper distribution of pull by the kite line, and it also gives the proper tilt 
of the exposed surface of the kite to the breeze. The kite line may be 
fastened to the bridle a little above the normal point to make it fly directly 
overhead, and to make it fly low fasten the kite line below the normal point. 
The kite line should be light and strong; for small kites a four ply wrap¬ 
ping string is most commonly used and is very satisfactory for kites up to 
three feet. The hard twisted four-ply fishing twine is the best and of course 
the strongest, but is rather expensive. It does not tangle up as easily 
as the cheap string and will not burn the hands when letting out the line. 
A reel to wind the kite line on is very useful, but is not necessary. It 
makes the kite line easier to hold, keeps it from getting tangled, and the 
line can be taken in, or let out much faster than by the old fashioned string 
wind. 
The tail comes next and is very important as kites having flat surfaces 
exposed to the breeze will not keep their poise unless balanced at the 
bottom by the addition of a tail. The tail can be made of a string with a 
number of pieces of paper 4 inches wide and 8 inches long, fastened to it 
about every eight inches apart. At the bottom end of the tail string a few 
strips of cloth can be fastened for weight. In a strong wind a longer tail 
is needed than in a light wind. If your kite is unsteady when starting to 
fly pull it down and adjust the bridle or the tail. Sometimes it will require 
two or three adjustments before it will fly steadily. 
If your kite starts to dive to the ground let go of the kite line just before 
it strikes. This will allow the kite to flutter down, and it will not strike the 
ground hard enough to be broken. 
The two kites in the drawings are simple two and three stick flat kites 
which any boy can make with few tools, and a little time and patience. 
FLAT KITE 
Hardware, Etc. 
25 
One-half inch brads. 
Strong twine. 
Tissue paper or cambric 253^x38 inches. 
