Classic Toy Kites
A kite is a flying tethered man-made object. 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. In addition to the lift, this deflection generates horizontal drag along the direction of the wind. This drag is opposed with the tension of the one or more lines held by the operator of the kite.
Today, in addition to kites that are mainly flown for recreation, art or practical use, there are sport kites and power kites. Sport kites are flown in aerial ballet. Power kites are multi-line steerable kites designed to generate excess force which can be applied in related activities such as kite surfing, kite landboarding or kite buggying.
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Kites can be designed with many different shapes, forms, and sizes. They can take the form of flat geometric designs, boxes and other three-dimensional forms, or modern sparless inflatable designs. Kites flown by children are often simple geometric forms (for example, the diamond). 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. The finest Chinese kites are made from split bamboo (usually golden bamboo), covered with silk, and hand painted. On larger kites, clever hinges and latches allow the kite to be disassembled and compactly folded for storage or transport. Cheaper mass-produced kites are often made from printed polyester rather than silk.
Tails are used for some single-line kite designs to keep the kite's nose pointing into the wind. Spinners and spinsocks can be attached to the flying line for visual effect. There are rotating wind socks which spin like a turbine. On large display kites these tails, spinners and spinsocks can be 50 feet (15 m) long or more.
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. This type of kite consists of a rotor or rotors much like the rotors found on helicopters and autogyros. In a proper wind the rotors spin and create lift. This type of kite may have two control lines, one for each hand.
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