Of the fewer than a dozen basic, or generic, kites extant in the world today—the number is a source of contention—the Sled is one of the most popular. It is easy to make and a good flier.

Architect, city planner, computer programmer Marten Bondestam has an unusual vision. He wants to establish a really active Nordic kite federation. What makes his concept surprising is its scope—the association numbers nine nations. Nine? Yes, that’s the number. All are independent or semi-independent, all have their own flags. In addition to the obvious Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland, included are the Faroe Islands, Aland (a big island between Finland and Sweden), Iceland, Greenland, and Sameland (the former Lappland).

Waiting time for me! So there’s time to catch up with the aerodynamic sermonizing I’ve been meaning to get to for a year, specifically: Myth l. That the upward performance (that is, the lift to drag ratio) of kites is primarily a function of profile and aspect ratio. Wrong. The strongest determinant of L/D is angle of attack. Low angles of attack yield high L/D in an inverse relationship; profile and aspect ratio have comparatively little effect. Myth 2. That the lift coeffiicient (power for size) of a kite is primarily determined by its profile and aspect ratio.

I have (with a bit of help) just established an absolutely definitive new benchmark in customer abuse. This is how it happened:

Tom Crouch, our Sikorsky maven friend with the convertible, and I arrived at the Garber Facility, entered the lobby of the main building, a large metal A-frame structure, and proceeded to the back. It was hot in the metal shed. Aeronautic artifacts filled the huge space from floor to ceiling. We moved toward a big freestanding box painted white in the center of the building. The box had a door with the type of handle you might find on a meat locker. We walked inside. The fluorescent-lit room was air-conditioned and contained a collection of art prints and posters associated …

I’m not at all sure about it, but the more kites I observe and the more of them I construct, the more I am beginning to suspect that kite aerodynamics may be ruled by the number three.

Almost a year ago, Richard Synergy of Toronto flew a kite l4,509 feet into the air to set a single kite altitude record. It was the culmination of l0 years of effort. With the mark now headed for the Guinness Book of World Records, Synergy looks back and says the whole thing was well worth the effort. Unable to get commercial sponsorship, he basically pulled it off alone, backed by a loyal volunteer crew, and he estimates he spent $70,000 on the project out of his own pocket during the decade. “

The dragon is made thus: Make a quadrangle of the small pieces of reeds, that the length may be to the breadth, one and half in proportion. Put in two diameters on the opposite parts or angles, where they cut on the other. Bind it with a small cord, and of the same bigness. Let it be joined with two others that proceed from the heads of the engine. Then, cover it with paper or thin linen, that there be no burden to weigh upon it.

Scott Skinner:

Thirty five kite enthusiasts, many with years of kite flying and kite making behind them, were carried back in time by the historical kite experts at The Drachen Foundation’s first historical kite gathering in Haltern, Germany. Organized on site by Achim and Sabine Kinter from nearby Gelsenkirchen, the participants were promised a look at historical documents, antique kites, and kite building techniques from 100 years ago.