Kitebuilder Online

[gduran]

Does anyone experiment with "silver" as fabrics. I was trying my first kites, and constructed a 4 cell tetraedrical design and a box kite. It seems to work well.
What is your experience with this material?

[wdrwilson]

Do you mean a Silver Mylar or something else.. could you elaborate?

--Bill

[Progcraft]

Argentina!!
Welcome to kitebuilder gduran. I think your our first visitor from the part of the planet.
Sorry, I have no input on silver fabric.
But, how's the flying in Argentina? Are you by a beach? or inland? Are there lot's of flyers/builders in your area?

Look forward to seeing you around more.

Cheers,
P.
_________________
There is no box.

[knotronda]

Progcraft,

The person asked a simple question and then you have to go and hi-jack the thread. BTW, how is the flying in Argentina?

knot(ty)ronda

[Grant L]

Welcome gduran I have used silver and other mylar to make sedgwickubes and tertahedral. The main thing is to make all of you cuts as one continuous cut for each side. If you start a cut, stop in the middle and then continue the cut, there is a good chance that the kite may rip at some later time at the spot you stopped. I have also put tape along the edge as reinforcement. While the kite sail is laying flat, I tape along the edge, (trying to keep it smooth,) with half or more of the tape on the table, rather than the kite sail. Then I take a straight edge and cut the tape right at the sail edge.


I think that here in the USA, you can't have a silver mylar kite larget than 12 inches I think it has to do with conducting electricity across power lines by a wayward kite. Too bad I had a 50 foot silver mylar dragon when I was younger and really loved that kite It looked sooo cool flying and flashing in the sky

[Dorsal]

Metallic Mylars show up on RADAR screens, and may appear as an unidentified aircraft to ground controllers or another aircraft. Since air traffic is so prevalent here in the US, and as responsible custodians of the art of flying kites, we must always be sure not to threaten the security and safety of anyone in an aircraft.
_________________
"The wind is the perfect reminder of God.
The only way we can prove it exists is by observing the things it affects.
That's why I also believe in the wind!"
Dennis

[Grant L]

I don't know that I've ever seen a kite on my scope at work, but we can watch the trucks going down the expressway on certain days

[Kitesquid]

It has come to my attention that some kitebuilders are using aluminized polyester film (Mylar) on their kites. I remember Mylar Cobra kites from my youth and wondered why they are off of the market, so I searched the Consumer Product Safety Commission's web site for pertinent information and here is what I found.

BE CAREFUL with aluminized Mylar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The consumer product safety commission made it ILLEGAL to fly kites made of the stuff. After pressure from the insurance industry and the power companies, that is why you don't see them on the shelves of Wal-Mart anymore.

You see, it is conductive.... If you get it across a power line it will complete the circuit between the wires. The aluminum can go into a plasma state that is so hot that it can cut power lines, and the flash is BIG so it can cause retinal damage, that is why welders wear very dark lenses in those hoods when they are making small arcs.

Aluminized Mylar does look wonderful in the sky and I love about a 2 inch wide tail that is hundreds of feet long, but I will not fly it if there is ANY power line anywhere in sight..... You never know where your kite may end up....

Here is a link to the federal law:
US Federal Law TITLE 16 CHAPTER II PART 1500 Section 18

Here is the pertinent excerpt:

[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 16, Volume 2]
[Revised as of January 1, 2002]
[Page 426-431]
Sec. 1500.18 Banned toys and other banned articles intended for use by
children.

(1) Any kite 10 inches or greater in any dimension constructed of aluminized polyester film or any kite having a tail or other component consisting of a piece of aluminized polyester film 10 inches or greater in any dimension presents an electrical hazard and is a banned hazardous substance because its design (specifically its size and electrical conductivity) presents a risk of personal injury from electric shock due to its ability to conduct electricity and to become entangled in or otherwise contact high voltage electric power lines.

Two documented incidents... Thi doccumet is dated 1979 which was before the ban...

Proposed Ban On Alumininized Kties

It is worth the read if you enjoy flying kites made of Mylar.

Forewarned is forearmed.
_________________
VR/
KiteSquid
AKA TakoIka
AKA Harold
King George VA


P.S. Yet another long winded post by the Squid.....

P.P.S. The wind is like the air, only pushier.

[Stan]

My wife has radar on the boats she drives, so I'll take a Mylar fighter next time I mooch a ride.

BTW Target stores have some nice prismatic giftwrap film for cheep.



Stan

[Grant L]

I bought the silver/gold prismatic stuff I used for the Sedgwickube at the local dollar store. They also had blue/silver, red/silver