Kitebuilder.com - Fly... with a little help from your friends.

[Al Hargus]

A number of years ago I wrote a small booklet about my techniques for making single line kite trains. The booklet, entitled "The No Secrets handbook of Single Line kite Trains" was reprinted in two parts in KITELIFE

Original Text and building instructions @ http://www.kitelife.com/archives/099/no.htm

Diagrams @ http://www.kitelife.com/archives/issue38/nosecrets38/index.htm

The article and diagrams are for 4 different types of kite trains, my favorites, why else And the instructions are written with the "Beginning Train Engineer" in mind. All my Trains are made of Mylar, plastic, or paper so you don't need sewing skills to build them!

Pictured below are my 50 kite "Sunday Comics" Train made out of newspaper and my 120 kite "Rainbow" Train made with 1 mil Mylar. Both trains are 18" X 18" Eddy kite trains, made from the instructions supplied in the KITELIFE articles.







Thought that you all might be interested!



_________________
GOOD WINDS

AL
Columbus, Ohio
USA

[KiteSquid]

Al,

Thanks for posting your book on the web!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is great information and I am glad you are willing to share!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am just a caputred pawn looking onto the chessboard that is your zest for kites!!!!! Where you are the KING!!!!!!
_________________
VR/
KiteSquid AKA TakoIka AKA Harold of King George VA
PS Yet another post by the Squid... Doesn’t he ever shut up?
PPS The wind is like the air, only pushier.
PPPS All information provided is for hobby use. None may be used commercially.
PPPPS Vir sapit qui pauca loquitur. x11.5K
PPPPPS Please excuse my speling errorors.

[Al Hargus]

[marty]

I'm not quite sure what is happening in the diagram, but how do you get the proper bow in the Eddy kites? I made up a 30 kite train out of tissue paper and dowels and eventually the bow went flat, the kites became unstable, and would only really fly in really light wind.

I'm thinking that maybe I'll try find a real bamboo matchstick blind and heat the bows with a candle to get the proper curve in them. That should hold their shape much better.
_________________
Gentle breezes...

Marty Sasaki
Arlington, MA USA

[Al Hargus]

MARTY,

As I mentioned in the second part of my KITELIFE article with the diagrams. The original pictures from my book were "Not copyable" although John reproduced the Plans. The smaller diagram of my "Kite Bending Jig" were not included. Sorry

The "jig" was a board about 20" X 10." On that board I drew an image of an 18" spar with the 30 degree dihedral! I pounded large nails into the wood in appropriate places, leaving 1-2" sticking out. The nails became the "Form" for my bend.

I would then cut my cross spars to 18" and mark the center (9") I would then place the spars into a long plastic tube (Water tight and about 20" long by 3" diameter. Mine is PVC pipe with a cap) I'd then pour hot water (hottest I could manage out of the tap) into the spar filled tube.

I would then let the wood dowel "soak" for an hour or more. I would then remove the spars and bend them to fit into my nails in the jig. The wood dowels are pretty pliable at this point so easy to fit onto the jig!

There is a "breakage" rate, as no matter how careful I bend the spars into the jig I break some (so "soak" extra spars)

You have already found that after flying this method tends to "bend back" slightly toward flat, so although I state 30 degree dihedral I have my Jig "set" for a much greater bend, as the spars first, bend back as they dry and second, Field humidity "bends" them back (try 40 degrees + in the jig)

My Jig contains lots of nails And I can bend approx. 30-40 spars at the same time! (I'll try to locate a picture of my Jig soon!)

Leave the "soaked" spars in the jig until "naturally" dry 3-4 hours (Don't try to 'speed" the drying process! I tried a hair dryer once and "snapped" about 50 spars)

I agree that Bamboo is best, and bending with flame holds the dihedral longest, but I don't need to tell you that GOOD bamboo is like GOLD.
I acquired some excellent 1/8" X 39" bamboo through a deal Elmer Wharton made with Takishi Nishibayshi in Japan way back in 1985.

I built my first train with those bamboo spars, which were "Flame Bent" and the picture at the beginning of this Thread of my Rainbow 120 kite train contains many of those original spars. That original bamboo has "progressed" through 7 reincarnations of my trains, is now 19 years old, and still holds the original bend!

As a Japanese kitefliers said to me once, "You never throw away good Bones!"

Hope this helped Marty. Keep me abreast of your project!
_________________
GOOD WINDS

AL
Columbus, Ohio
USA

[Al Hargus]

Oh yeah, one more thing!

I once tried applying "Super Glue" to the "Bend Point" of the soaked and dried wood dowel rods. This does help to hold the dihedral much longer.

BUT, It's just "kind of" messy and consumes a heck of a lot of glue in a large train!


_________________
GOOD WINDS

AL
Columbus, Ohio
USA

[Steve D]

Thanks for posting your articles Al. I've been in a bit of a kitebuilding funk for a few months (got evicted from the dining room when we got new furniture but picked up a nice folding table last night under the guise of having an extra table fo Thanksgiving dinner - can you say kite table!) and this might just be the inspiration I need to get jumpstarted. I've always wanted to make a train and with some dowels, mylar (or cellofilm) and tape, I don't see why I couldn't make one....wil definitely give it a whirl...

Steve D

[Al Hargus]

Steve - I agree that kitebuilding sometimes does "revolve" around the space you have to accomplish your projects.

I am pretty "lucky" in that I don't have other "individuals" time sharing my work space.

I have a 4' X 8' table in my living room for kitemaking. I just call it "A very large and tall Coffee Table"

Let me know how your "Train" project comes out!


_________________
GOOD WINDS

AL
Columbus, Ohio
USA

[Steve D]

Decisions, decisions....red clearphane or red metallic mylar....hmmmmm

[Al Hargus]

Steve - This might sound "kinda silly" but because the material you pick for the sail is being viewed from 1-2-300 feet away you "might" want to view a sample from that distance!

I made a train once that had gold "holographic" mylar letters spray glued to black plastic sails. Built a 20 kite train and when I flew it, found that all I saw was a "glittery" blob in the middle of black kites!

"Red clearphane"??? Not exactly sure what you mean, but keep in mind to "view" clear sails from a distance too. I made one train out of the material they sell to wrap Easter baskets with and, for example, the red was red when viewed close up, but appeared more "pale pink" in bright sun shine 100 feet up!

Lastly, when I "perform" an experiment with trains, either with a new sail material, new shape, new attachment method, what ever. I will make at least 10 kites and fly the "experiment" as a train. Just One kite NEVER seems to provide "experimental" evidence that applies to more then one kite!

Best example of "multiple test kite trains" is my current project, a diamond kite train that will fly in high winds (15 - 20 mph+) ! The "basic" concept is pretty simple, I'm just "Venting" the diamond! That means that I assemble a diamond 18" X 18" in exactly the same manner as my instructions in KITELIFE (same proportions, etc.) and then in the center of the sail I "cut out" another diamond from the middle of the 18" X 18" sail.

In the latest experiment on the field today, I had 10 - 18"X18" diamonds with a 12" X 12" hole cut. Hole is "proportionally" in the same placement of the spars as if it was a kite. This "vented" kite then is a diamond with a diamond hole. (Actual sail is a band of plastic, diamond shaped, four inches wide. Hope my explaination isn't too confusing! Sorry, I'll try to get some pics of this soon!)

I've tried to "play" with my "Holey" kite idea with one kite and NEVER got good results, no matter what size hole! So I have to build at least ten kites to get good test results. I tried 4 "-6" - 10" holes and so far the 18" outside 12" inside holey train is working best.

Winds on the field today were 10 - 18 mph. And the 10 kites I flew had a good, high angle, not much "Wiggling" around, and had almost no pull. Of course, they head straight for the ground when the wind would drop to less then 10, but progress is in sight!

P.S. Just as a strictly artistic "opinion" Red seems to photograph better!

Keep in touch!



_________________
GOOD WINDS

AL
Columbus, Ohio
USA

[Steve D]

Clearphane is a transparent sheet plastic - used a lot to make fighter kites. Same stuff you mentioned for wrapping Easter baskets. You're right - often at a distance red can look pink.

Great idea making a 10-train for testing. I can see how a single kite just wouldn't give much good information.

Do you ever use dihedral fittings like Steve sells or do you simply bend your spars uding hot water and a bending jig?

[Al Hargus]

I have used plastic "dihedral" connectors on occasion! I most often use them when I build a "Big" train. Big as in 36" X 36" (not numbers of...) the connectors for the large sails help "pack up" and "transport"

All my 24" or smaller are "Soak Bent" or "Burn Bent"

No "technical reason" and I do know that they make small ones that will fit 1/8" dowel!

I guess some of my preference to "do without" somehow relates to:
1 connector $0.25 X 120 kites = $30

But on a more "basic" level - The Japanese don't use them

The trains will work fine either way!
_________________
GOOD WINDS

AL
Columbus, Ohio
USA

[Progcraft]

I have a question about arch trains. I didn't see much mentioned in your article about them, but the diagram says that a flexable cross spar is desirable.

Would you be able to explain the nuaincance need to build an arch that can be split into two trains? Really, just the differnece in the kite and how they are sewn/tied to the flying line.

Thanks,
P

I discovered that Michaels Craft store carries many, many rolls of various colors of a clearphane stuff. It seems rather resiliant. I don't know if it's 'mylar' or not.
_________________
There is no box.
--------------------
The invisible and the non-existent look very much alike
- Delos B. McKown

[Al Hargus]

Your correct that I don't really mention Arch trains, in any detail in my article! I sometimes refer to my own trains as "In line trains" I've made several arches to exactly the same proportions supplied for my article, and just omitting the cross spar!

An arch train like you see on the field today, isn't really how the "idea" of arches first started. My first "introduction" to an Arch of kites came back with fellow Chicagoan, Elmer Wharton on one of his trips to Japan in 1987 . Elmer brought back pictures of a series of kite arches that were constructed to the same basic dimensions as my own, or any other In line train BUT the major difference lie in the cross spars. The spars were made very thin flexible bamboo. Spars were all secured on the same side of the sails! This spar was completely secured to the sail, not just at the outside points but across the whole sail! The line ran through the center (and at the spar crossing) just as an In line train does. (No dihedral was imparted to the spars - straight!)

The train was then anchored on both ends similar to how you anchor an arch today. But because the kite spars were so flexible each kite could 'fly" in either direction. The kites at the "peak" of the arch couldn't quite decide which way to fly, but the kites on the left and right sides of center flew great, just as any normal In line train would. But either "Frontwards or Backwards"

In the pictures Elmer showed, there were about 10 trains of 200 - 300 kites (?) each had about 25 - 30 feet of open and empty line in the middle of each train. Elmer said that the kite train fliers would at a given time, fly a fighter kite (with cutting line toward the top) and cut that open line in the middle of the arches. Zip, zip, zip you then had 20 In line trains instead of 10 arches. AND they would continue to fly because the spars allowed the kites to fly in either direction.

I just had to have one of these! I also used thin bamboo (but you could also use piano wire as I incorrectly suggested in my article, but remember the warning about metal in kite frames) The train consisted of 80 - 18" X 18" kites. When anchored as today's train are, the "Juggler" (My name for the train) flew well.

BUT I also learned a couple of other interesting "abilities" of this train, and "feats of flight" not possible with arches today! I could anchor one end while I held the opposite end (kites were spaced about 25" apart, total about 170 ft. Long) I could walk anywhere on the field in any direction in a circle around the original anchor (about 80' - 100' distance between me and the anchor) and the kite would continue to fly, due to their ability to "Flip-flop Fly in either direction. Unlike a normal arch, you could anchor one end, and walk directly down wind and anchor the other end. Unlike today's trains that have to be aligned crosswise to the wind direction to work. My brother and I could each hold one of the ends and walk all over the field flying "Our end" most of the time as long as you stayed about 80 - 100 feet apart the train flew fine. You could anchor the train at both ends and "release" either end to make an In line train any time you wanted!

The "Juggler" Kite Train was a lot of fun to just play with and flew in lots of ways!

Here's a personal opinion (and one that's probably going to catch me TONS of flack for a bunch of kitemakers) but I really don't consider Arch trains that fly today REAL Kite Trains! If you approach an kitemaking competitions with a kite that "Requires" two lines to fly it's most usually classified as a Dual Line kite! So how come a kite that "Absolutely" has to have two lines or else it won't fly at all is called a Kite Train? Sorry I did say, personal opinion It would be more accurate to call them "Flying Ribbons" and in fact similar shaped flying devices are called Ribbons!

Although I would classify the "Juggler" as a Kite Train because it can fly on one line (either end to boot!)

Another "short note"


_________________
GOOD WINDS

AL
Columbus, Ohio
USA

[Progcraft]

Thanks Al.

Hey, I don't suppose you have a good, close up picture showing how you use 'another line and a needle "sew" the kite to the main flying line.' do you??

Cheers,
P.
_________________
There is no box.
--------------------
The invisible and the non-existent look very much alike
- Delos B. McKown

[Al Hargus]

"Pictures" Gosh I wish I could fix the problem I'm having with my scanner! I think the main problem here is an eight year old computer

I've got about four boxes of pictures I've taken over the last 20 years.
(Many of the last 5 years of pics come back to me on disc and digital, so "recent" era is covered)
I'd like to share, and will promise to take more pics soon,but enough "personal" whining

In reference to "sewing' the kite to the line. I'll see if "despite a picture being worth a thousand words" I can describe "sewing" in less then that

After all the kites for the train are complete (but no tail yet)! I measure off the length of the main flying line by multiplying # of kites times distance I plan in between them. I then mark the main flying line at those points with marking pen.

I then thread the main line (continuous) to a needle. (I use a really big one, that I think is made for sewing canvas, huge eye hole) and "poke" the main line through each kite at the cross spar (bridle point) After I get a "bunch" of kites threaded. I move each in turn to one of my previously marked "kite positions"

I then thread a separate line (often using dacron or nylon 30 - 50 #) to a "much smaller" needle. I then "sew" the small line through the main line at the marked spot. I tie that smaller line to the cross spar of the individual kite, and put a drop of "Super Glue" on that knot to hold it secure! I then move to the next kite and the next mark and repeat the process!

This method is pretty time consuming, and does create difficulties if you break a kite in the middle of the train when you fly it, BUT the main advantage is that there are no knots or breaks in the main flying line. My 120 Kite "Rainbow Train" flies on only two continuous sections of main line 180 feet long. The train is connected in the center with rings and a small carabiner, so I can fly two 60 kite trains if I want! Besides threading 180' of Kevlar through 60 kites to attach them is, somewhat of, a project!

The entire "sewing" method I use revolves around "Line Strength" and one last thing about that! At my anchor "ring" as well as the mid-train break I employ a technique that works especially well with Kevlar called "The No-Knot" method. (Invented by the late Steve Edeiken and Rainbow Kite Co. I think?)

With "No-knot" I use this tool made for the purpose (similar to what I think, for sail making is called a "Fid" It looks like a crochet <did I spell that right?>needle only smaller, and has a "latch" that covers the line when you pull it back through the center) and I rethread the line back into itself through the hollow center of the line. When the line tightens during flights. One half of the line, "Inside" the rest of the line, pulls tight, similar to those "Chinese finger handcuff" toys you might have seen! Sorry, this process DEFINITELY needs a picture, sorry!

Extra work for all this, I know, but after almost 20 years it's a process that cuts down on the infamous "break aways" I haven't had a train line break on my for many, many years.
Besides I'm getting tooooooo old to be chasing anything but the women

Hope that helped? Or did I make it more "confusing?

Word count = 625. I made it


_________________
GOOD WINDS

AL
Columbus, Ohio
USA

[KiteSquid]

[marty]

I would have to look it up in some of my plastics info, but in general Spectra, and to a lesser extent, polyester, is pretty impervious to solvents and such. One of the main reasons that Spectra is so hard to color is that chemicals don't react to it very well.

Kevlar does deteriorate with exposure to ultra-violet light. The team flying lines that I flew on back in the early 1990s was Kevlar spliced onto Spectra. The Kevlar was to avoid wear on the lines from kite to line collisions. The Kevlar gave out much sooner than the Spectra did.

The splicing needles, or fids that many fisherman and kite folk use are actually needles used in machines used to manufacture knit fabrics. Look at a knitting machine available at some sewing machine stores and you will see a row of several hundred of these needles.
_________________
Gentle breezes...

Marty Sasaki
Arlington, MA USA

[Al Hargus]

[CJQ]

Some time age the company I worked for produced electrical power plugs and connectors fabricated with nylon. The moisture content of the nylon parts at the time of assembly was very important. Assembly of some parts was with rivit type fastners. the rivits put the nylon under tension or compression. If the nylon was too dry, cracking would occur . To eliminate the problem we would soak the parts in water . My guess to fly line failure is that the alcohol combines with the water content of the line,and since the water and alcohol mix ,and the alcohol evaporates it takes the moisture out of the poly type material, thus causing brittleness. Just my theory.

CLIFF