Rotor Kites are to me are one of the most fascinating kites. They don't even fly like a normal kite but are constantly rotating in some way, often producing wierd secondary effects, like light flashes, noise, or strong line vibrations.
While this kite has three main classes (See Rotor Kite Types), it is the UFO style of rotor that I am interested in (See photos throughout page). I must have built more than a 100 of these, over the last few years and they never cease to amaze me.
The spinning surface offers scope for some animation with two images or patterns flipping rapidly from one another. A favourite pattern of mine is a couple of red dots, flipping from one position to another. From the side a spiral pattern can produce an interesting effect.
The vibration the kite produces on the kite line is always a big surprise to people who have never flown one before. And the silver mylar UFO's, flying in sunlight, can send splashes of light in all directions and act like a beacon visible from 10 Km away when all other kites have long shrunk to invisibility.
The photo right shows my nephew who never bothered to look up and see the kite. But he was fascinated by the flickering shadow of the kite on the ground, in the noon day sun.
Simon Harbord had this to say about UFO kites...
Baffling thing flashing in the sky, put a mini torch on the line just below shining up at it in the dark, and wait for the UFO reports to pile in. The rotating mylar sail is too wierd to be a kite.