Does the diameter and weight of a center mast influence the way a kite flies and, if so, what weight and diameter should be used? To determine the validity of these questions, four dowels for use as masts were cut 30 1/4 inches long, in diameters of 1/8 inch, 3/16, 1/4 and 5/16, for use on a standard 64 inch wide delta wing Valkerie. Three measurements for each of the four masts were taken when the kite was in the air: l. minimum wind speed required to lift the kite, 2. maximum wind tolerance and 3. normal angle of elevation—to …

Samuel Franklin Cody (no kin to Buffalo Bill) was a brash cowboy and Wild West showman whose outrageous feats on horseback paled next to his triumphs of self-promotion. That he went on to become a British aviation pioneer, buried at the age of 46 with pomp and circumstance in a British military cemetery, is a largely forgotten story carefully reconstructed in no-frills prose by Garry Jenkins, a London journalist. He does justice to a man whose ‘determination and dauntless courage’ were noted by no less than King George V.

Interest in the strange, wonderful life of aerial pioneer Samuel F. Cody has never waned since his death almost a century ago. Evidence for this can be found on the Internet where Jean Roberts, a foremost expert on Cody, has mounted an interesting and well illustrated web site: http:// www.sfcody.org.uk/.

Here is a meticulously produced large format volume that will be treasured by anyone interested in the magic of flight and the pioneer aeronauts who believed in their dreams. The aeronautical related items of art and artifacts——balloons, zeppelins, fanciful and practical airships, mainly—are drawn from more than 20,000 objects that reflect humanity’s vision of human flight as well as its fulfillment—from antiquity dating back 5,000 years to powered flight at the beginning of the 20th century.

The first-ever patent for a kite was issued in France on Sept. 27, 1800 to the Englishman George (Georges in French patent use) Pocock for one or more diamond-shaped kites designed to pull a carriage with four people. It was the 3,116th patent issued in France and was 66 years before the first American kite patent was issued, 82 years in Germany and 55 years in England. Also, it was 54 years before the next patent for a kite was issued in France.

The use of kites in scientific research is a recurring theme, so it came as no surprise that a 1909 Scientific American article on sounding apparatus included a box kite in its description. But a look at the title of the article provided a surprise. “Deep Sea Sounding Apparatus : Some Recent Improvements,” it read.

Kite flying in Nepal is seasonal and associated with one of the biggest festivals, Desain, a harvest celebration dedicated to the goddess Durga. The most joyous time of the year in Nepal, Desain is celebrated all over the country, by all castes and creeds, both Buddhist and Hindu. The festival takes place during the bright lunar fortnight ending on the day of the full moon in late September or early October. By this time, the monsoon rains are normally over and the rice harvest completed. The weather is pleasant, neither hot nor cold. The sky is clear and blue. A …

It always starts with the most innocent of messages, and this was not an exception. The fax read: “An interesting rarity coming up at auction. See if you have it already or if you are interested?” My interest piqued, I read on: “ Tatsusaburo Kato. Kites of Japan, A Vanishing Art. Tokyo 1971. One color-woodcut and 13 colored original drawings on Japan-paper by Tatsusaburo Kato, each with a seal and in an envelope of Japan-cardboard together with a patterndrawing in two colors and a paper kite. Original folder in cassette. One of only 100 produced copies.”

For the first time in 144 years the stars were correctly aligned, so the six-week Kumba Mela festival at Allahabad, India, early this year was quite special. Millions of Indians turned out to honor a spot where the god Krishna spilled a drop of holy water on his flight away from demons. By bathing in the water at this confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers, Hindus washed away their sins and received great spiritual sustenance. The photograph was made from a kite by Nico Chorier of Montpellier, France.

Think of a living national treasure kitemaker and one thinks of Japan, Right? But these wonderful people can be found elsewhere around the globe, sometimes in surprising places. One clear candidate for the honorary title is Eulogio Catahan, 74, of Angeles City, the Philippines. Angeles City adjoins Clark Air Base, formerly the largest U.S. military installation outside the country, but now operated by the Philippines.