Charles M. Miller

“ Kites are so numerous in kinds and design nowadays that, in order to get at any kind of intelligent discussion of them, it will be necessary to segregate them into classes and varieties as the scientist does in his investigations of nature study. There is the great big subject of constructive sport called kite making. The name kite strikes joy to any live boy’s heart and it does him good too. But kite making is too big, so we will try running some cross-roads thru, thus dividing it into smaller groups. ”

“ A long motor has more revolutions than a short one. Hence some advocate a long spined frame to the model aeroplane. Others prefer to cut the frame a little shorter and give great pitch to the propeller which demands more energy at a given time, hence heavier strands, or more strands of the smaller rubber string. With the greater pitch propellers, the model is propelled faster and so may cover as great or greater distance than one with a motor that gives more revolutions in unwinding, but it is possible to revolve so fast as not to propel at all. ”

“ A discussion of design in the drawing work will also be a practical departure from the regular work, and will again arouse the lazy boy to do his best. Now if the teacher will take some interest in the making, even if she doesn’t know very much about it, and especially in the flying of the kites, she will be progressing, and there are but few teachers who cannot learn a good deal about kite making and flying, if they are willing to try. ”

“ The boy with a steady head will sometimes stop playing out and work his kite up a little to get more breeze. If there is plenty of breeze, they are fed all the string as fast as it is pulled out. If a kite drops it may be worked up again, but it must go to the end of the quarter mile and back. A time keeper is placed by each contestant, and officers are needed to keep back the onlookers. As soon as all the string is out the boy slips the loop on the end of his string over a hook on the reel and winds in as fast as he can turn. ”

“ It is not necessary to be a kite maker to be able to judge a kite. About three judges to a group is good, then if one fails to appear you still have two. Try to start at the appointed time and urge your judges to be there on time. Caution the pupils about putting their kites up before the time, as they are so liable to accident if played with beforehand.
Save a place of honor for your superintendents. They may be asked to award prize badges, or to select the prettiest kite in the air, and the most ingenious device, the best made model or the best invention ”

“ It is well to organize a little in the schools that are interested. Some boy may be recognized as a leader and a good kite maker. He can round up the team, get the boys interested and encourage them to enter events not yet taken so as to cover as many events as possible and fewer in the same. The preparation for the tournament gives a great opportunity to the teachers and principals to get in touch with boys. Many boys have come to know their teachers with just such an introduction, and it has been the means of starting a good many boys to work in the schoolrooms on their studies. ”

“ At the beginning of model aeroplane making, everyone seemed to try to see how much surface could be exposed in the planes, now the best models are those with as narrow planes as it is possible to use and still support the air craft. The reason is obvious—there is so much skin friction on broad surfaces. At the beginning, many were inclined to scoff at the rubber band motor, but since flights have been made considerably over a half mile, with this same power, it seems good enough for anybody. ”

“ The effort toward diversification which has resulted in putting manual training into courses of study, in multiplying courses in high schools, in providing ungraded and other special rooms in elementary schools, in breaking grades up into groups for teaching and promotions, in keeping playgrounds and shops open afternoons and Saturdays, in opening the school buildings evenings for social centers or socialized evening schools,—which has resulted in all these changes and others that might be mentioned,—is simply an effort to make the schools like life. ”

“ A coaster brake would let out the string and the winding in could be made as swift as any kite would stand. The wheel used for the drum portion would need quite a little modification to prevent the string from jumping off. As the usual frame would not admit of any widening, some additional framework would also be necessary to make it stable enough. If one is going to do much kite flying, it pays to take time to make a good reel, not the last one described necessarily, as that is more for speed, and is not as convenient as a number of others, but a good simple reel is a great satisfaction. ”

“ Self-propelling air devices must be of the lightest possible weight and yet they must have strength. There will be no attempt to give a great variety of model aeroplanes; but a few can be discussed, perhaps three or four. The first is a little practice model that has been of great service to me, both for study and for instruction to others. It is small and will not fly far. I can wind it up and turn it loose in a schoolroom. It hits rather hard sometimes but nothing has happened to it beyond a broken propeller, and the rubber bands that are used to tie the planes to the spine have been broken. ”

“ A good pulling kite is necessary, as in the excitement of pulling up the car, more strain is put on the kite than one would realize. If a race is on, a fishing reel would be an advantage. This last messenger is not limited to the street car, but the form might be a locomotive and train, an automobile or an air ship. The latter might have adjustable [Pg 74] wings so as to be open to the breeze on the up trip and so be self propelling as in the yacht, and by releasing that which holds the wings open, they will close up, and the messenger would be ready for the down trip. ”

“ When we started kite work in the Los Angeles City Schools, we little thought that so great an opportunity for awakening latent power in a certain class of boys was being initiated, nor did we dream of any such kite tournaments as have been developed during the past six years. ”

“ The kite flying side will not help so much as the gliding. When the aeroplane kite is well up, if the string is allowed considerable slack, the model will glide if well balanced and if the planes are tilted properly. Balance will be necessary both to right and left and fore and aft. It is very interesting to get such a model pulled well up in the air and have a release that will cut the kite line. The punk method is good, only that we would like to have better control of just the time for cutting loose. ”

“ Ugly monsters with large mouths and highly colored bodies with heavy lines on them to outline scales are very striking. It is necessary to have these open at both ends or they will be torn open, also it is best to have a light framework about the head to keep that in shape; the rest of the body will usually be taken care of. Long serpents and fish are good for the purpose. If the grotesque does not appeal to one, long and short streamers can be used in abundance. A kite line decorated with pointed streamers of various colors would be very beautiful. ”

“ Browns, greens, reds, blues, etc., may be used in their individual color schemes, but the throwing in of some opposite color has a spicing up effect that is helpful. A dark brown, medium brown, a dull yellow, and a light but not brilliant yellow, give a good combination. Some color schemes that are very beautiful for rugs and interior decoration do not carry far enough to be used on a kite. Some very brilliant colors that might shock us close by, are charming when far up in the air. ”

“ As the ideas and plans contained in this book have been worked out and carried into execution in the schools of Los Angeles by the author, they have demonstrated a wonderful socializing power. By recognizing kite-season in the schools and carrying the discussion of it into the shop and classrooms, ending with a great kite-tournament each year, not only have very many boys been reached who would not have responded to other influences, but the whole community has been stirred to sympathetic interest in the schools. ”

“ Boys are liable to make a mistake in getting their string too short, so it must be measured. I place a couple of nails one hundred feet apart in the rail of the board fence, the boys wind about that until they have the required length, and by counting the string I can soon see if it is correct. If the string is given back to the boy, there is a temptation to take out some. There is no disadvantage in letting out the string from a stick in the races, if there is a reel to attach it to when it comes to the winding in. ”

“ A double bridle with a kite line to each, makes a dirigible kite possible, which may be useful in a number of ways and which can give much amusement in kite antics that is not possible with a single kite line. ”

“ A pleasing modification is an ingenious tail attachment that is hinged to the body so that the tail drops and is raised again by the breeze, giving the appearance of fluttering when a little distance away. Fig. 47 is a photograph of three that were flown at one time and were mistaken by many for real birds, while Fig. 48 is a photograph of a pair with fluttering tails. In each picture the back of one bird is shown. In Fig. 47 the birds are flat but in Fig. 48 the bodies are rounded out, giving a keel to the kite. This is done by making a light framework of small split bamboo. ”

“ Most boys will stick to kite making against great discouragement and some will continue, for long periods, working patiently and carefully until they succeed. The string is often a source of great annoyance, it [Pg 141] snarls up and some lads will cut out the hard knots, but others will tackle the knotty problems and untangle them, they will do the same with knotty problems in life later on. It is patience that wins in many a tangled strife. Boys do not as a rule have as good feeling for color harmony, or so the ladies think, as the girls ”

“ Reels are very convenient for most kite flying and quite necessary for high flying where so much string must be let out and wound in again, but an absolute necessity for events where racing is an important feature. Many devices have been used at our tournaments and some have been very clever. A simple and effective reel can be rigged up in a kerosene box. The box is long enough to allow a seat for the kite flyer, a foot brake can be arranged, and an all around satisfactory reel can be made at light expense. Fig. ”

“ In the messenger races, it is necessary to measure the string. At a tournament it is necessary to do this beforehand. It is not necessary, but more interesting, to have all the contestants operating at the same time. In case all cannot operate together, each can be timed. Some very comical devices might be devised as messengers, not so much for speed as for amusement. Certain motions might be developed that would add much to the entertainment of all. ”

“ If a little variety in outline is desired, split bamboo or reed could be used to make such forms as are desired; even string connections can be made.
In making hollow form objects both patience and skill are necessary. A form that is interesting but not representative of any real object is shown in Fig. 99. Another is the arrow kite, Fig. 100. The flying bird kite should make a good problem for some ingenious chap. The framework and stringing is shown in Fig. 101. The cross-section of the body of the bird is about the shape of a tailless kite. ”

“ The kite mounts up in the air and is pulled with great violence toward the reel. If a string breaks, the time keeper stops the winding until the kite is again attached. No allowance is made for mishaps. The kite that is jerked down into the reel first is winner, and the owner is usually a pretty warm boy. The helper can take turns in winding.
Other races should be similarly conducted. We have had races in the construction of a tailless kite, including the lashing and stringing of framework and covering, attaching of bridle and the kite must fly. In all pulling contests, spring scales are used. ”

“ A small kite can carry up a great amount of silk or linen thread but one should have a reel and gloves to handle it. Shoemakers thread and upholstering twine are also used. Some think that waxing a string makes it stronger, but by actual tests before and after waxing, there was no appreciable difference in the amount of endurance of strain before breaking. Waxing does preserve the string and prevents fraying and untwisting. ”