Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-04-02
How to Make a Kite.

AAoN w M&hS a.
The following article, written by Prof.
S. II. Peabody, formerly teacher of natu
raj science in the Chicago High School,
and now professor in the Massachusetts
Agricultural College, describes good way
10 make kite
Among the various kinds, the " three
stick kite " is probably the surest for the
beginner. Get three light, thin, straight
ticks of cedar, pine or similar wood /;
smooth them, and let them be about ha I
an inch wide by an eighth thick-perhap>
little more. Make two OF them thirty
inches long, and the third twenty inches.
Mark point ten inches from the end OF
the long sticks, aud in the middle Of the
short one; cross the three sticks at these
points, and tie them firmly with twine.
Cut notches lengthwise across the ends OF
tho sticks, and tie strong Irvine from end
to end, making the outline of an irregular
slx-slded figure, of which the bottom may
be sixteen inches long; the sides about
eighteen and one half the shoulders eleven
and the top eight inches. These numbers
may vary; 1t Is necessary only that the
corresponding sides should be exactly
alike, or the Kite will not be well balanced.
This finishes the frame,
| Now lay down sheet Of strong, light
paper, place the frame upon it. and cut
the paper about two inches larger than
the frame, all around. Fold the outside
over the strings, ami paste down with a
: ,,ooI knfioH Hpur tho
corners where they overlap.
The next thing is to hang the kite.
Measure from each lower corner five inches
along the sticks, make small hole on
each side of the stick through the paper,
and tie in the ends of a string which shall
measure. when tied, about fourteen inches
from stick to stick This is the lower loop.
la like manner tie an upper loop, about
eight inches long, to points about three
nches from the upper end of the same
stick. Remember to have the loops on
the face side Of the kite; that is, the side
on which the sticks are nor seen. Join the
middIes Of the two loops by string about
twenty inches long this is the belly band.
Hang the kite by the belly-band over your
finger, and hold it so that when one end
Of the kite touches the floor, the other may
be about foot above it there is the
place to tie the line, making it so fast
that it will not slip. When the kite
floats in the air, it should lie at an angle
of about forty five degrees; if it stands
too straight, the string is fastened too low
on the belly band f.; if too fiat, the string
is not low enough.
The kite must have tail to balance it
If the tail is TOO heavy, the kite will not
raise it; il too light, as is usually the
case, the kite will not " stand steadily
but will dive from side to side. Whenever
it does that, it should be taken in ana
, more weight added to the tail. Cut
i pieces Of writing paper, four inches wide
r and six or eight long; fold back and forth
fan-l like, and tie three inches apart on
S string, until you have made three or -four
/ yards. Then cut a quantity of strips hal
an inch wide, and twelve or fourteen inche
e long tie the bunch of them by the mid
y die fold the ends together and tie again
e making tassel, which you may tie to th'
. end of the tail. If the stripes are OF col
: ored tisue-paper, all the gayer. Tie
: string about twenty inches long to the tw
lower corners of the kite, and fasten tn
! tail to the middle of it. Choose a smooth
b close, well-spun string,-ineu is best, AM
costs most,-not too large, or its weigh
b will make it sag or too small, or tn
$ kite will fly away with it. Finally, don
). try to fly kite when the wind don't blow
t Now, just as each of your good mother
r has recipe for making cookies, which sh
e thinks is little better than any other, S
e every boy who has experience in kite-mak
r ing, thinks his way is rather the best, an
q quite likely he may find fault with some c
+ the proportions. If SO, he has perfec
# liberty to change them to his liking. Til
n important items are the kite must b
! truly made, so that one side may just ba
:. ance the other it must hang at the prop
q er angle to the wind !; and the tail mu:
). be rightly proportional in weight to tn
4 size OF the kite.
If the kite don't behave well at frs
4 think which Of these items has not bee
# carefully attended to, and correct. Don
give up at the first trial.