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Who said kites and sleds don't mix?
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Location: Blogs Sly Comments |
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| Posted by: Emory Schley |
2/11/2007 1:25 PM |
Do you know what a sled kite is? No, I didn’t either until I read
an article about one. A sled kite has two main support arms, parallel to
each other, much like the runners on a sled, hence the name. There’s a
couple of crossbars as well, as I presume a sled has (I wouldn’t know for
sure. I’ve never seen a sled in real life.)
Can you tell I’m from Florida – born and raised? :-)
DuPont makes something called Tyvek, which is a fiberglass-like
material wrapped around a home’s framework during its construction, which
provides a degree of strength, waterproofing and insulation to a dwelling.
Other manufacturers make similar products as well. As you might suspect,
Tyvek is a pretty robust material, but you can cut it with scissors or
knife, fold it, roll it, tape it up with duct tape, and generally have your
way with it, while it maintains its robust quality.
Good sled kites are made of Tyvek or some similar material. Tyvek
also accepts paint well, so a sled kite made of Tyvek can be pretty
colorful. A sled kite four feet wide and six feet long develops enough lift
to raise a full-grown man off the ground, or so I’ve read. The
recommendation is to tether the sled kite (while it’s aloft) to something
substantial – like a pickup truck, for example. Normal kite string is
insufficient for such a kite. Stronger stuff has to be used so the kite’s
lift doesn’t break the string.
I happened to come into possession of a small narrow roll of Tyvek
the other day, and I’ve been anxious to build a little mini-version of a
sled kite. I want a mini-version because I no longer have a pickup truck,
and a guy my age shouldn’t exert himself too much with all that huffing and
puffing, and running and stuff that big kites require. So a mini-kite would
seem ideal.
If I happen to get one off the ground someday, perhaps I’ll include
some photos here. March is coming, and it would be a shame to waste
those traditional March winds , don'tcha think?
You're invited to add your comments below, if you like...
-– ---------– -—
In today’s print column in the Star-Banner, I explore the subject
of selling more newspapers, and exactly how readers fit into that equation.
Whatever you do, you DON’T want to wind up on the “Didn’t Buy the Full
Quota” list. Today’s print column explains how to avoid that travesty! |
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Re: Who said kites and sleds don't mix? |
By Dick Washburn on
2/11/2007 12:16 PM |
Sounds like fun! I Googled Image: "sled kite" and came up with a really good plan for a sled kite made from a Kinko's bag! See Looks easy and all I need to do is find a Kinko's this side of never!
If a "guy your age" wants to get into kite flying, I found an old large fishing reel and fishing pole, cut off just beyond the first "eye" make a great gadget for playing out/retrieving kite string. Old reels and poles can be found at yard sales and such for cheap. I've used these for years and the only problem I've found is that there are always some wags that come along and want to know what I'm fishing for...Answering "Flying Fish" usually shuts them up! |
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