Date: Sun, 24 Oct 1993 16:23:03 -1000 From: rock@netcom.com (Anne Rock) Message-Id: Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services Subject: The Great Pumpkin Flies (single-line) It's been a while since I wrote about a single-line kite project (sorry, Marty Ackerman), and with Halloween coming up, it was time to dust off one of my UFO's (Unfinished Objects): a pumpkin - Jack O'Lantern kite. It's a circle, based on a plan in Eiji Ohashi's book _A Primer of Interesting Handmade Kites_ ....... available from the Kite Lines Book Store ($24.95) ISBN 4-381-07106-9. The text is in Japanese, but the drawings are quite good (based on one). I made the kite because I like the idea of having special occasion/holiday kites (I've thought about making a Christmas tree too). The only special thing about the kite is the use of clear monofilm for the eyes, nose, and mouth openings. On the other hand, the uninteresting part is the workmanship -- it dates from the Early Applique Period, with a subtheme of Rushed Project, Due in 6 Days. I wouldn't want anyone to inspect this kite closer than about 25' ;-) I started it two years ago, a few days before Halloween, and after choosing sleep over finishing the kite, the kite sat around for another year. . . and I just wasn't inspired last year. But, it's finished, and it flies, sort of. The plan calls for a diameter of 360 mm; I enlarged everything by 2. There are a *lot* of spars: a spine that extends by a little more than the circle diameter below the kite, with a 'tail' (many black, orange, and red streamers that I probably didn't make long enough) attached to the bottom; a bowed spreader that crosses the spine 1/3 (of the circle diameter) down from the top; two diagonals that take off down from the crossing of spine and spreader, not connected to either; and two arcs, with the tips of one at 11:00 and 1:00, the other at 5:00 and 7:00, crossing the spine about 1/5 (of the circle diameter) in from the edges. I used 1/16" fiberglass rod for the two arcs and various dowels for the rest. There are two bridle points, where the arcs cross the spine. The jack o'lantern is pumpkin-shaped, in reds, golden yellow, orange, with a black rim rounding the shape out to a circle and providing a dark edge for contrast against the sky. The monofilm used for eyes, nose, and mouth openings is the type of clear material used in windsurfing sails. It's mylar, and like all mylars, is tough until a tear starts. I got it from a local windsurfing sail- kitemaking shop, along with some double-sided (adhesive) dacron tape. The tape is 1/4" wide, and helps hold things in place while you're working and also provides some extra reinforcement/stabilization so needle holes are less likely to start a tear. Trying to work with the tape on curves is what caused the most problems and made the ugliest spots on the kite. Kite, spouse Steve, and I went to the park yesterday to try a first flight. Nice breeze. The kite went up, 360's to the left, 360's to the right. My kite bag, with various tails, drogues, spinners was at home. But I had a little stuff sack (yellow, so we were still color-coordinated ;-), which we tied to one of the tail streamers. Kite flew a little better, so we put a small cardboard tube in the sack, and the kite became moderately well-behaved: it stayed upright, moving a bit from side to side. We didn't fly it all that long . . . at the moment I'm a little disappointed as the design is not as readable from the sky as I'd hoped, but maybe I'll feel better about it when I fly it again. Sometimes I forget to consider the effect bowing will have on a design . . . the helpful spouse suggested I make a jack o'lantern soccer ball (!). I'd like to try flying it at night with some small lightweight lights on it, but that will probably wait til next year. Anne - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - * | * * Anne Rock | Oh Lord, let the words I speak today * * rock@netcom.com | be sweet, for tomorrow I may have to * * Berkeley, CA | eat them. * * | - sign in a Honduran cafe * - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =