Kites

Definition: A heavier-than-air, flexible fabric structure or lightweight, covered frame flown at the end of a long line.

Significance: As the first heavier-than-air device to fly, the kite has contributed to humans’ understanding of flight. Over a long and rich history, the kite has ingrained itself in many cultures' folklore, religion, celebration, military, art, science, sport, and recreation.

History and Evolution

Kites have played a special role in the folklore, legend, art, recreation, and religious ceremonies of many cultures. As the first heavier-than-air flight vehicle, the kite has also been used in science and military applications.

The first documented evidence suggests kites originated in China over 2,500 years ago. Originally constructed from bamboo and silk, kites became more widespread with the development of inexpensive paper in the second century of the Common Era (CE). Buddhist missionaries most likely introduced the kite to Japan and Korea, from where it spread to Indonesia and the Malay Peninsula. By the year 700 CE, kites were introduced to the Middle East and used in recreation and a sport known as “fighting kites.” The explorer Marco Polo noted seeing kite flying and crewed kites in thirteenth-century Asia. Through trade routes, kites reached Europe in the early Middle Ages and were brought to what would become the United States from both Europe and Asia.

Military Uses

Over its long history, kites have been used by militaries worldwide to signal, carry messages and food to troops, carry out crewed aerial observations, and rescue. About 200 Before the Common Era, a Chinese general attached a humming device to a kite. When it was flown overhead at night, the enemy fled, believing the sounds came from evil spirits preparing to attack. Another Chinese general used a kite to measure the distance between his troops and an enemy palace. Early Japanese prints depict archers carried by large kites.

In the mid-to-late 1800s, kites were used by the British military. In 1897, a young officer, Captain B. F. S. Baden-Powell, built a 36-foot kite to be used for crewed aerial observations over enemy territory. Baden-Powell also developed a series of tandem kites. In 1901, Samuel F. Cody patented a kite system for crewed observations; the system included a basket that could support a person's weight. Although further significant developments in crewed kite flight were stunted by the Wright brothers' introduction of crewed-powered flight in 1903, the Germans used crewed aerial observation kites from submarines in World War I and World War II.

Science

Kites have been used in scientific investigations of climate and weather, aerodynamics, and electricity. In 1752, statesman and inventor Benjamin Franklin used a kite for his famous investigation into the nature of electrical charges in clouds. Kites have been used in climatic and meteorological studies. The US Weather Bureau has used large box-type kites flown on piano wire that have reached altitudes over 31,000 feet. Various meteorological instruments, such as thermometers, anemometers, and barometers, have been attached to kites to investigate temperature, wind speed, and pressure differences at different altitudes.

Sir George Cayley, who developed the first practical glider, flew those gliders as kites. Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, used kites to study weather and to understand flight. He developed the tetrahedral cell, a strong, light-framed kite capable of supporting a person in the air. Early aviation pioneers such as Otto Lilienthal, Octave Chanute, and the Wright brothers used kites to experiment with and learn about forces, stability, and control. The Wright’s early airplane attempts were flown as kites.

Cultural Importance

Kites have been used in recreation, religious ceremonies, celebrations, hunting and fishing, sports, and art throughout centuries and cultures. Kite festivals are held annually worldwide. These events educate participants, teach kite building and flying, and provide an exciting recreational activity.

Early Chinese drawings depict elegantly sculptured and beautifully decorated kites from the time of the kite's invention. Some cultures have used kites to communicate with spirits or gods. In Thailand, kites have been used to ask the gods for good weather and crops. In some cultures, kites are associated with good luck. It is believed when the line of the kite is cut, the kite takes away bad luck or evil spirits. In Japan, one form of kite, a windsock, is made in the shape of a carp fish, symbolizing the strength and will to overcome great obstacles. In ancient Rome, windsock banners designed to look like dragons were used for military and religious purposes. Koreans fly kites to announce the birth of a child. European hunters used kites to flush birds from bushes. In the Solomon Islands, kites have been used in fishing.

In the late 1990s, a new extreme sport, kiteboarding, was introduced in Europe and spread rapidly worldwide. Large, harnessed kites pull individuals on boards, similar to surfboards, across water or snow. Professional athletes perform exciting acrobatics with these kites at the highest competitive level.

Kite Flight

Like other flight vehicles, kites have different shapes, sizes, and components based on the mission or type of work the kite will perform. Although the variations are endless, basic forms include flat, bowed, box, cellular, and semirigid or nonrigid (soft fabric shape). Regardless of the shape, the aerodynamic forces of lift, drag, and the kite’s weight must be balanced for a kite to fly. The movement of air across the kite’s surfaces provides the pressure to balance the kite’s forces. Extensions to the kite, such as tails, drogue cups, or cones, add stability and balance to the kite.

Kites remain integral to recreation, culture, and science in the twenty-first century. Kites may offer an alternative to conventional wind turbines, providing a new renewable energy source. Drone kites combine the technology of drones with traditional kites and have been used in aerial photography. The technology also holds the potential to monitor environmental conditions in hard-to-reach areas. Advancements have also been made in the kites used in kitesurfing, and the sport continues to grow. Finally, learning about kites remains a central part of many educational curriculums concentrating on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).

Bibliography

“Clean and Green Technology of the Future: Kite Energy.” Bilkent Energy Policy Research Center, 22 June 2022, www.bilkenteprc.com/post/clean-and-green-technology-of-the-future-kite-energy-sarper-g%C3%B6ksal. Accessed 16 July 2024.

“Kitepower Airborne Wind Energy - Plug & Play Mobile Wind Energy.” Kitepower, thekitepower.com. Accessed 16 July 2024.

Millar, Abi. “Using Underwater Kites to Generate Clean Energy.” Power Technology, 28 Nov. 2018, www.power-technology.com/features/underwater-kite-energy. Accessed 16 July 2024.

“Producing Power with Kites - Renewable Energy.” Axpo Group, www.axpo.com/tr/en/about-us/magazine.detail.html/magazine-old/renewable-energy/producing-power-with-kites.html. Accessed 16 July 2024.

Wiley, Jack, and Suzanne L. Cheatle. Dynamic Kites. 2d ed., Blue Ridge Summit, Pa.: Tab Books, 1988.

Thomas, Bill, The Complete World of Kites. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1977.

Morgan, Paul, and Helene Morgan. The Ultimate Kite Book. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1992.