A hawk of the subfamily Milvinae (true kites) or subfamily Elaninae (white-tailed kites), found worldwide; the most varied and diverse group of hawks; eats insects, snails, and small vertebrates, or scavenges. (Family: Accipitridae, c.27 species.)
The necessary lift that makes the kite fly is generated when airflow over and under the kite creates low pressure above the kite and high pressure below it.History
The history of kites can be traced back thousands of years to when kites first originated in China.
Today, in addition to kites that are mainly flown for recreation, art or practical use, there are power kites or traction kites. These are steerable kites designed to generate substantial excess lift and a pull that can be applied in related activities such as kite surfing, kiteboarding or kite buggying.
Technology
Materials
Kites require lightweight, but strong twine, as well as paper or tightly-woven cloth to fly. Kites typically consist of one or more spars (sticks) to which the paper or fabric sail is attached, although some, such as foil kites, have no spars at all. Modern kites use synthetic materials, such as ripstop nylon or more exotic fabrics for the sails, fiberglass or carbon fiber for the spars and dacron or dyneema for the kite lines.
Kites can be designed with many different shapes, forms, and sizes. In Asia, children fly dried symmetrical leaves on sewing thread and sled-style kites made from sheets of folded writing paper.
Chinese kite designs often emulate flying insects, birds, and other beasts, both real and mythical. On larger kites, clever hinges and latches allow the kite to be disassembled and compactly folded for storage or transport.
Tails are used for some single-line kite designs to keep the kite's nose pointing into the wind.
Modern acrobatic kites use two or four lines to allow fine control of the kite's angle to the wind. Traction kites may have an additional line to de-power the kite and quick-release mechanisms to disengage flyer and kite in an emergency.
A recent addition to the kite family is the rotorkite. cultural uses
Kites have been used for military uses in the past, both for delivery of messages and munitions, and for observation, by lifting an observer above the field of battle, and by using kite aerial photography.
Kites have also been used for scientific purposes, such as Benjamin Franklin's famous (but dangerous) experiment proving that lightning is electricity (See The MythBuster Season 3 Episode 48 for alternative interpretations of this experiment). Kites were the precursors to aircraft, and were instrumental in the development of early flying craft.
Another practical use to which kites have been put is for fishing.
Kites can be also used for radio technical purposes, either by kites carrying antennas or by using a kite, which carries up an antenna wire ( for MF, LF or VLF-transmitters).
Kites can be also used as light effect carrier, for example by carrying lightsticks or battery powered light effects.
Kite flying is very popular in the People's Republic of China, Korea, Japan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, and many other Asian countries. In all of these countries 'kite fighting', in which kite fighters try to snag each other's kites or cut other kites down, is popular.
In recent years, multi-line kite flying has developed into a sport, with competitions for precision flying and for the artistic interpretation of music.
Kite festivals are a popular form of entertainment throughout the world. They include small local events, traditional festivals which have been held for hundreds of years and major International Festivals which bring in kite flyers from overseas to display their unique art kites and demonstrate the latest technical kites.
The Indian festival of Makar Sankranti is devoted to kite flying in some states where it is a public holiday. This spring festival is celebrated every January 14 (or January 15 on leap years), with millions of people flying kites all over northern India. Highly maneuverable single-string paper and bamboo kites are flown from the rooftops while using line friction in an attempt to cut each other's kite lines, either by letting the line loose at high speed or by pulling the line in a fast and repeated manner.
In Greece, flying kites is a tradition for Clean Monday, the first day of Lent.
During the Taliban rule in Afghanistan, kite flying was banned, among various other recreations.
In Pakistan, kite flying is a ritual for the spring festival known as Basant. However, kite flying is currently banned as some kite fliers engage in kite battles by coating their strings with glass or shards of metal, leading to injuries and death. Kite battle is a very popular sport in Pakistan, mainly centered in Lahore people spend thousands of dollars in preparing different types of kites and threads best suited to battle. The kites that are manufactured for battling are very different from the conventional kites as they are especially designed and made for this purpose. Threads for kite battling are manufactured using especial glues, chemicals and crushed glass and are numbered based on their ability to cut other threads and to handle kite's weight.
In Guyana, on Easter Weekend thousands turn out for mass kite flying. In the capital city of Georgetown the massive sea wall protecting the city from the Atlantic ocean is filled with throngs of families picnicking and flying kites of all shapes and colors.
Weifang (Shandong, China) promotes itself as the Kite Capital of the World.
The world kite museum in Weifang is the largest kite museum in the world, the building has a display area of 8100 m².
Types of Kites
Flat kite Bowed kite Cellular or box kite Centipede kite Diamond or 'geometric' kite (geometry) Scott sled Rogallo wing Power kite Tetrahedral kite Foil kite Lantern kite Weather kite Trick kite Stunt kite Kite tugs Rotorkite Indoor kite Rotating kites Fighter kitesSafety issues
Never let a kite fly in the neighbourhood of powerlines and radio stations, especially those using mast radiators. Never let a kite fly during a thunderstorm or in the neighborhood of an airport.
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