El'Cheapo Diamond
Kite Plan

Particularly look for and study the knots for

• "Figure-8" to make a large 'stopper knot' in a loops,
• "Larks Head" knots for attaching a loop at the end of the flying line over a stopper knot. Note one site above calls this a "Girth Hitch" but it is the same knot, just a different situation.
• "Prusik Knot" for attaching a loop with a stopper knot to the main bridle line. A special knot allowing it to be fixed in place but still if 'unlocked' to be adjusted. (See the U-Prusik diagram in "Kite Flyer's Knot Gallery")

Bridling the Kite

With a large needle (or a broken bamboo skewer) thread one end through the sail (and scotch tape) 2cm from the bottom of the kite, and tie it around the longeron (spine), pulling tight. Tie the other end around the dihedral and longeron though the hole in the sail. The bridle line is of course as with most kites on the front of the kite with the spars at the back.

Cut (burn) off a 10 cm length of nylon fish netting line, and make a loop using a large figure-8 knot. This knot will be a stopper knot which you can larks head the bridle line to.

Prusik Knot the loop onto the bridle line (See Kite flyers Knots above for more info) and then adjust its position as shown in the diagram below.

Attach Loop with Prusic Knot | ` | @====@--------| Stopper \ | Knot \ | \ | Kite \ | Longeron \ | \ | \ | \| |

Tieing loop to bridle with Prusik Knot

Actually in a high wind I have found you could just attach the flying line directly to the cross spars and have it work reasonably well, but I recommend you use the above bridle arrangement, so it works in basically all winds.

Later the kite line can be attach with a "larks head" onto the loops 'stopper knot' (see flying below).

Attach a Tail

Cut off a 3 meter length of plastic streamer and thread it behind the longeron spar of the diamond, twice, at roughly the center of the streamer. You do not need to tie a knot in the steamer, just loop it around the spar will hold it in place. (See photo left).

This will give your kite a good 1.5 meter twin tail which will stabilise it.

Their are lots of other alturnatives however...

Take a bread bag, and cut off the bottom to make a long tube. Now put the tube on your left arm (right if left handed), and while holding the scissors just right you can have a partner slowly pull out a long streamer from the bag about 2cm (1 inch) wide. That is the one long streamer is cut from the bag going around and around in a helix.

Even longer tails can be made in the same way from a kitchen tidy bag or other garbage bags, but one bread bag is just the right length (and colourful) for these little diamond kites.

A simple solution for classrooms is to take a roll of crepe paper, and with a heavy pair of sissors, just cut of streamer from the end of the roll without unrolling it.

Chris Sandin emailed to say that an old VCR tape, that prehaps has been eaten up by the video player will provide lots of tails. He also suggested that you could ask at a video rental shops as they probably throw out a lot of damaged tapes. However these are electrically conductive, and can short out power lines - not that you should fly anywhere near such things!

I usually tie the other end to a bit of cardboard tube (left over ripstop fabric rolls :-), tieing it on, to give the kids a good handle to hang on to. I also cut some slots into one end to hold the end of the line when you wind it up and detach the kite.

Hint: After tying a generous loop in the end of your flying line tie a very very small knot in the very tip of the large loop. This small knot creates a small 'handle' which you can grab to very quickly untie the larks head. This save you the frustration of try to use your fingernails on such small and difficult nylon line when untieing it at the end of the day.

The only adjustment that may be nessary is to slide the prusik knotted bridle loop in the bridle line 5mm at a time, downward, if the kite does large loops, or upward if the kite refuses to rise or wobbles side to side. To adjust the bridle, "unlock" the prusik knot by pulling the bridal line straight and sliding the knot. When positioned, pull on the bridle loop while folding the bridle line in half at the knot, to "lock" the prusik knot.

I rarely find any such adjustments are needed on the flying field. If the knot is positioned just above where the spars cross, or maybe a little further up from that point (See bridling) the kite flys perfectly. The kite is very forgiving with a large range of acceptiable bridle points, so a roughly positioned bridle should work fine. The kite even does not mind kids which loves to run with the kite, especially when no wind is available, and is a great way of wearing the ankle bitters out :-)

The original design is very light weight, even so it likes a light sea breeze. Strong winds tend to make the kite loop and dive, and is very difficult to get it to fly well in such winds. Here is a problem chart, to try and help solve such flying problems.

• Kite does not rise (does not loop just wobbles side to side)
  • Bridle point is too low
    --> move bridle loop up 5mm at a time until it rises.
  • Tail is too long and heavy
    --> try shortening it, or removing one half of the double tail.
  • wind is too light for the kite (rarely with the plan above)
    --> let the kids run with it, or try another day.
• Kite zooms upward then loops and dives, repeatally
  • bridle point too high
    --> move it down little by little
  • wind is too strong
    --> add longer and heaver tail, or try another day.

Some times in a smooth, steady non-turbulent but strong wind, I move the bridle all the way to the top so that the lower part of the bridle is not used (all tension is on the upper bridle to the cross spars) and the kite flys high and steady. This is not always the case though, it may work with one kite but not another, experiment.

Of course, with this huge pull, you will have to use a different bridle arrangement. In my kite trains I use a very thick nylon builders line for the top leg of the bridle, the main line, though venetian blind cord should also be good. In long trains you may have to use even stronger line for the lower parts of the train! It is through this leg that the huge pull of the other diamond kites behind (and higher) is passed without damaging this particular diamond.

I also cut a separate segment of main line (builders line) for each kite, about a meter long. This makes it easy to replace individual diamond kites of the field (due to damage), shorten the train (due to that big tree downwind), make the train longer (as you get more time), auction off each kite individually (at the end of some big kite festival) or just to give that particular diamond (with a bat picture or whatever on it) to some kid who helped you out so much. IE: it makes the train a lot more flexible to the situation you find yourself in.

A 'figure-8' stopper knot is added to the front end of this segment (See Knots above). In the other end, a generous loop is added to allow this kite to larks head to the stopper knot of the next kite in the train.

                                 ____  loop to connect
    @-----------------------@---@____) to next kite's
stopper                     ||         stopper knot
 knot                       `'
                       Loop to wrap
                     around cross-spar

The main line is threaded though the hole in the sail. The small loop is then threaded on the diagonally opposite side of the crossed spars, around the dihedral. The looped end of the main flying line is then threaded though the small loop, so that the kite is now locked loosely to the main line in that position.

          Crossed Spars ---v
                         ,;==:.     Builders Line
                        // () \\   /   ____
  @---------------------@------|------@____)
                               `'

The loop should remain loose around the cross spar, just holding the kite next to the main line, as it goes though the hole in the sail to the next kite in the train. The kite then still free to adjust itself to the wind, regardless of the tension in the main line. and can pass its own individual pull to the main line via the small loop.

If loop was tight, or the main line was just tied directly around the crossed spars, the heavy tension due to the kites further up the kite train, could either pull the kite into an odd angle to the wind, or worse, crush the crossed spars, to splinters. Yes 25 kites generate a lot of pull!

Also note that the small loop should not be so small that it can't go all the way around crossed spars and dihedral. Nor should it be so big that it will fall off the line segment during normal handling, before linking all the segments together into the train.

               Adjustable  |
   Thicker     Larks Head  |
Builders Line     Knot     | Cross spar (and small loop)
           \      /        |/  ____
       @---------@---------@--@____)
    Stopper       \      A |    Loop to attach to next kite
     knot          \       |      (larks head to its stopper knot)
                    \      |
                     \     |
                Thin  \    | Kite
                 Nylon \   |   Spine
                   Line \  |
                         \ |
                          \|
                           |

This thin line is used only to set this kites angle to the the main (builders) line and does not carry the pull of the other kites behind this. Finally the larks head then adjusted along the main line so that the angle 'A' (see the above ascii-art) between the upper bridle and the kite longeron is just a little bit greater than the 90 degrees (say about 100 degrees).

Remember the object here is to use the strong builders line to carry the pull of all the kites behind (and higher in the sky) this particular kite. Only the first (highest) lead kite would use the normal diamond kite bridle. This lead kite should be a extra steady kite (diamond or otherwise) and I usually put a extra segment of light flying line from end of the train to the lead kite (see photos). Overall Train Notes: The kites in a train should be spaced more that the spine length of kite, preferable more than double that length. For these 40cm diamonds 1 meter is good separating distance. This can be more, and there is no reason why it should be the same between all the kites in the train, except posibly the topmost "pilot" kite.

Train by Debbie Kinchloe (see Responses Page)

The top most kite in the train is bridled in the normal (non-train) way. Its purpose is to provide stability to the whole train, and during launch help pull the rest of the train into the sky.

To help with this launch the line between the top kite and the second top-most kite is usally much longer than the rest of the train. This allows you to get that kite flying well, out of any ground turbulance, before letting the rest of the train go up.

Other than that top-most kite stability is critical to a good train. A much longer tail is recomeded, and the kite throughtly tested before hand for stability. Often a bigger, stronger, and older kite is used for the top kite. Also in many trains the selected top most kite is completely different to the rest of the kites in the train!

Also as a train gets longer, the pull along that main bridle line gets bigger and bigger! As such you may like to consider using a stronger line for the lower part of the kite train. Nylon brilders line should be fine for a train upto 25 kites, but I recommend going to venetian cord or a good quality dacron line for the lower kites if you want to make it longer.

Err... Did I mention to tie you kite train down well, and have a helper at hand. That pull gets strong fast!

Som a final note... Kite trains were used to set most of the world kite altitude records. However in this case the kites were separated by a huge distance, and the lower kites were flown so as to lift the weight of the kite line rather than to work in a pretty sequence. Trains of this sort require a very different, organisation. Each kite flys independantally with the main kite line forking from its flying line lower down. This type of train however is not generally recommended for kites with tails. However it can be done.

• The kite should definitely be constructed indoors. I made the mistake of taking the Tiger Cub Scouts to the location where we would fly our kites. Even with minimal wind, the kite sails would blow off the picnic table.

• Any older kite builder available should show a demonstration of the various knots (using a good length of rope). This would certainly be great for scouting groups, since they learn about other knots not normally used by the scouts. It would also be beneficial for non-scouting groups, since it would be easier to see how the knots are actually tied on a larger piece of rope or line.

  The younger kids simply cannot tie these knots, so I tied all of the knots and attached all of the lines.

  The last thought I have is an organisational one.

• I found it much easier to preassemble 6-8 "kite kits" as opposed to waiting for each boy to trace out his diamond, cut it out and then begin decorating it. This could, however, have to do entirely with the age group!.

  Each "kite kit" contained the pre-cut sail, wire, the dihedral, a long wooden dowel to be measured and cut, a 60cm length of line and 40m of line already wound on a small handle.

  Additional note from Anthony :- use a 6cm length of thick cardboard tube to wind kite line onto. You can get lot of these from a fabric shop, either by asking or looking around the back. A hacksaw cuts through the thick cardboard tube easily. Also by cutting notches in the ends you can hold the end of the line in place, and stop it unraveling when in you aren't flying.

• The only items then to be dumped on the table for everyone to share are the markers, tape and scissors, pliers to cut the dowel and sand paper to smooth the ends. I think the older kite builders might enjoy actually measuring out the sail and cutting it themselves.

• Note from Anthony :- To make the instructions simpler for a class situation, I suggest you do away with the dihedral all together. Just use a straight cross spar. This can be just tied, (or wired) to the longeron (spine), and/or to stop it slipping up the longeron, glued applied to the joint.

  You can also do away with the complexity of the bridle. Just have the kids tied the flying line directly to the cross spar, THROUGH the hole in the kites sail. Note: you will find even with that instruction a number of kids will tie the line from the back of the kite, which will NOT work. So keep an eye out and make sure they do it right.

  A longer tail is also recommended. A bread bag cut into one long strip (see "Attach a Tail" above) will be fine for this.

To do this double or triple the above dimensions and substitute the following parts, or variations...

Spars

6mm (or 1/4 inch) dowel, for spars. The longeron (or spine) will be one piece, though you will still use two pieces for the cross spars when creating a dihedral for the kite.

No Dihedral Variation

Instead of using a dihedral, or bowing the spar, you can just use a straight piece directly, as your grandfather probably would have. The kite will be stronger, but not as stable. You can compensate for this by using a longer (and thus heavier) tail.

I do not recommend this, though it does work and may be better for workshop situations.

Dihedral Tube

Use a thin walled, brass or aluminium tube with the appropriate inner diameter for your dowel. To bend this.. center the metal tube over a gap in some wooden boards and tap a chisel with a hammer lightly in the middle. Don't bend it too much. (See Dr Deleto's Eddy kite for some details of this.

Alternitivally, insert some dowel into the tube and bend it the same way you would with the balloon stick above. You may however require a vice to hold one of the dowel.

Sail or Kite Skin

Ripstop is good, and you can sew it, hemming the edges to prevent fraying, and add spar pockets with folded strips of ripstop. This allow you to remove the cross spars for transport. It is however expensive.

Tyvek is also an excellent sail material:- it is easier to draw on, allowing the use of plain crayons, felt tip pens, or cheap craft paint you can get at the local news agent shops. It also does not stretch, can be cut with scissors but will not tear; and it is water proof. You can also glue or even sew spar pockets onto the sail! Unfortunatally it is not as easy to get a hold of, is heavier. But is it a lot cheaper than ripstop.

Bowed Cross Spar Variation

Instead of a dihedral you could also use a bowed crosspar... Soak the dowel in water for 24 hours, then bend dowel using nails half hammered into a bit of scrap chip board (or whatever) to hold the bend while the dowel drys throughly. When dry the dowel will have a permanent bow in it! You can do this with a group of dowel all together.

I myself have been lucky to find a dowel in the hardware shop which has been standing so long the dowel has a bow in already. If you find such a spar take it to the shop manager and see if you can make a deal! These dowel are often un-sellable by the shop and the manager may let you make a deal to take then of his/her hands ;-)

You can also bow a longish (over 1 meter) dowel with a 'bow line' stretched and tightened from one end of the spar to the other, like a bow as in 'bow and arrows'. You should be carful when doing than that the dowel has no imperfections, or bowing too much with a very dry wood, otherwise the dowel can shatter.

Dr Deleto's Eddy kite

Responses

If like this plan, and/or build one, please mail and let me know what you think. Including any ideas, suggestions or other experiences. That way I can add them to the above so others can read and benefit from your results. :-) Photos especially welcome!