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  #11  
Old 10-20-2019, 12:00 PM
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Originally Posted by thunderbolt13 View Post
Mike,
Great looking work! I hadn't even considered combining paper modeling into kiting. Many intriguing possibilities....
Kiting is fantastic hobby, perhaps among mankind's oldest hobbies. When you get the chance, look into the design and history of the Cody 'War kite' (Samuel Franklin Cody), and the Tetrahedron kite, as made famous by Alexander Graham Bell. Both are fantastic flyers, extremely stable, and great lifter platforms for altimeter instrumentation and airborne photography (MD80 mini dvr camera, the size of a Bic lighter, about $6.00 on ebay). The Tetrahedron kite's design is modular, and can be configured in many different ways.
The Cody kite, in particular, was used as a 'manlifter' observation platform, often towed behind British warships of the late 19th and early 20th century. The design is a natural flyer; you almost can't keep it down. The Manlifter Cody could lift a single observer to altitudes as high as eight thousand feet. Samuel Cody, a wild west showman, set an altitude record in England, and is acknowledge as Britian's first aviator. This was right at the dawn of motorized flight. Cody died in a motorized aircraft crash (his own design), and was given a state funeral as a national hero in England.
Please keep the pictures coming, and let us know how it flies.
Taut stings beneath your wings,
James
Yes, know about the Tetrahedron kites. Awesome designs can be made. I'm just doing jet fighters, past, present, future ones.

Will check out the Cody Kite, sounds very interesting!

Thank you for the info!.

Mike
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  #12  
Old 10-20-2019, 12:17 PM
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Originally Posted by Algebraist View Post
Mike

What a really nice idea. Very interesting project and looking forward to the report of the flight.
Just wondering, does the shape of the space shuttle lend itself to be a possible kite?

Regards

Kevin
Yes, the shuttle is on the list! The whole bottom will be a nice sail. Probably a quick build design can be made.

I'm cheating a bit, to loose weight only doing partial fuselage shape. Basically an outline that covers the fiberglass spine. So not sure if it will have a full fuselage or not.

The F106 does have a fuselage, but it created issues when hooking the bridle up, tore a path to its natural location, bond paper doesn't hold up well, are just a couple of problems.

For the F22 doing the sail and then the fiberglass spine inside a "profile" shape of the fuselage. Don't know if it will work or even look good. Will be working on it later today.

Modifying a model of the F4 Phantom into the next kite. This one has a total of 6-paints already done, so decided to turn it into a kite next.

New issue is the height of the tail, the fiberglass spine will not be a benefit at all. After several thoughts on what to do, bam, the answer is to
"sandwich" a couple of pieces of carbon fiber flat bar between two sheets of cardstock, using 3M 77 glue to hold everything together.

This F4 kite is 85" long with a 58" wingspan. Lots of carbon fiber in this one.

Thinking of doing the Playboy Bunny paint first, here is a photo of the small rubber band launch glider. Basically just scaling these up and re-drawing as required to turn into a kite. For these F4's had to re-draw the wing and re-paint everything to break it up for easier printing. The fuselage pro-file is the same on the kites!
Kite Flying Time!-pict0096.jpg

Planned to finish the F22, but, the idea of the F4 as the next kite, ended up down the path of spending most of yesterday and today re-doing the F4's into kites ready for printing. For the first time in a long while excited about designing again.

Eventually, as I learn more, there will be a SR71 Blackbird Kite. It will be the biggest of them all! Lots of challenges to get it in the air!

Mike

Last edited by mbauer; 10-20-2019 at 12:53 PM. Reason: Added Photo
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  #13  
Old 10-29-2019, 05:55 AM
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F22 Kite 43" Wingspan x 59" Long

This F22 Kite build is for the smaller version.
Length: 59.48" long
Wingspan: 43.43" Wide

A larger version was created, decided to go with smaller one for flight testing to verify it flies before building it.
Large one size:
Length: 85.77"
Wingspan: 61.93"

Still raining. Sunday the winds were good, but rained all day, decided to go ahead and build the F22 Kite.
Decided to change things up some. Instead of a fuselage, went with a thin “profile” version.
Here are some photos.
F22 Sail with Spine. Spine is actually held in place by the Bridle attachment points (metal eye screws).
Kite Flying Time!-1-f22.jpg
Printed both sides of the fuselage. Then added cardstock before sandwiching a piece of cardboard between the fuselage halves. Would have printed on cardstock; however with a roll of paper can do any length up to 150ft long. Fuselage is 56” long.
Kite Flying Time!-2-f22.jpg
Carbon Fiber layout of pieces. Checking fit.
Kite Flying Time!-3-f22.jpg
Fuselage test-fit over spine. Note two small carbon fiber pins.They go inside attach points on wing and elevons.
Kite Flying Time!-4-f22.jpg
Cardstock added to elevons and then taping all edges of the sail for tear resistance.
Kite Flying Time!-5-f22.jpg
Spine, carbon fiber stiffeners, and fuselage.
Kite Flying Time!-6-f22.jpg
Fuselage ready to glue to spine. Using superglue gel for this step.
Kite Flying Time!-7-f22.jpg
Sliding fuselage onto carbon fiber stiffeners. These slide right up inside the cardboard nice and easy! A little super glue to form a bond.
Kite Flying Time!-8-f22.jpg
Fuselage glued to spine.
Kite Flying Time!-9-f22.jpg

More to follow.
Mike
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  #14  
Old 10-29-2019, 06:50 PM
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JohnM JohnM is offline
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Mike. Have you experimented with dual-line control yet? I used to fly birds and dragons, and it was great fun making them dive and swoop across the sky. I just thought it might be a good idea for aircraft too, but getting the rigging points balanced right can take a fair bit of experimentation.

Another thing that never occurred to me back then was using a fishing pole to get a heavy kite up into the wind. Some of the Chinese dragons flew beautifully once they were up there, but they could be very awkward to launch.

Are you aware of these people and their magazine? ... Kiting Magazine | American Kitefliers Association (AKA)
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Last edited by JohnM; 10-29-2019 at 07:16 PM.
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  #15  
Old 10-29-2019, 10:45 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnM View Post
Mike. Have you experimented with dual-line control yet? I used to fly birds and dragons, and it was great fun making them dive and swoop across the sky. I just thought it might be a good idea for aircraft too, but getting the rigging points balanced right can take a fair bit of experimentation.

Another thing that never occurred to me back then was using a fishing pole to get a heavy kite up into the wind. Some of the Chinese dragons flew beautifully once they were up there, but they could be very awkward to launch.

Are you aware of these people and their magazine? ... Kiting Magazine | American Kitefliers Association (AKA)
Hi John,

Just visited the site. Interesting. The education menu is a great place to see how many different types of kites there are.

Bookmarked, will visit and do more reading.

Thank you for the link!

No, dual line. Single line only many years ago when a kite cost $0.15 at the local grocery store.

Thinking that if these fly, then can get into different control systems.

Be happy if they fly, real happy if they don't fly upside down....or sideways!

Rain forecast for next 10-days.

Do you still fly kites? What type? Checking out the fighter kites, looks like fun. Then again the guy riding in his buggy was interesting too.

Best regards,
Mike Bauer

Last edited by mbauer; 10-29-2019 at 11:02 PM.
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  #16  
Old 10-30-2019, 10:52 AM
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It's been a few years since I've flown one now Mike. My Rugrats have all grown into teenagers so Grandpa doesn't get dragged down to the beach for the day anymore. Don't even see them very often either.

I just looked in the cupboard and there's still a few frameless parafoils and an octopus that has never been flown. Silly price on Wish.com that I couldn't resist. The big Chinese eagle is still there too. Last time I flew that from my back garden it caused quite a few cars on the A5 to stop and watch as they thought it was one of our local Ospreys. It is pretty realistic, even close up. If I get a chance, I'll put it together tomorrow and post a picture.

Of course, the bestist ever kite I ever flew was the Irving Delta Two Para-wing that I used drop with in Service. With the right weather conditions, we could get them to behave like hang gliders and used to travel three or four miles away from the drop point. We had a lot of success tow launching them with cars and motorbikes. Long before Bungee ropes were invented of course, but I'm sure we could have Catapult lanched if they had been available. Dunno if anyone's tried it yet with the modern Parafoils.
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  #17  
Old 10-30-2019, 08:35 PM
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Didn't know what the Irving Delta Two Para-wing was. Very interesting.

The Dash one bravos and T10s that I had the opportunity to fly in the late 70's were nothing like the Irvin.

Mike
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  #18  
Old 10-31-2019, 05:42 AM
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F22 Raptor Kite Completed

Completed the F22. A few photos, would be more but batteries on camera died.

Ready to fly weight is 15.9oz. Almost the same as the bigger F106 Delta Dart. Guess should have weighed the cardboard in the middle. That and two laminates of 125lb Tag cardstock must add up quick to more weight.

Will be modifying construction technique to put it on a diet.

Elevon Junction, used 5-minute epoxy to bond spine/carbon fiber and then on the carbon fiber connections.
Kite Flying Time!-10-f22.jpg

Wing Sail Nose section 2mm carbon fiber supports, taped to top of sail to hold in place. Note cardboard was bent this shows in this close-up of the fuselage side. You can also see the bulge at the bottom, this is the fiberglass spine that I made. Cost for these made of carbon fiber is $22 for a meter length. Finished fiberglass is more, to keep cost down looks like I'm in the fiberglass layup business.
Kite Flying Time!-11-f22.jpg

Wing attachment, 5-min epoxy again, also taped leading edges after wrapping around the carbon fiber and gluing.
Kite Flying Time!-12-f22.jpg

What the wing sail looks like. Can you guess which side I printed first? A little issue to fix before printing second half.
Kite Flying Time!-13-f22.jpg

Hoping this one flies really well!

Could have launched both kites yesterday around 11am in the morning, however boss didn't think it was a good idea....

Already have an F4 Phantom printed and ready to cut out, after the weight of the small fuselage on the F22, re-thinking construction for it. Will need to find a lighter material for the fuselage. Some kind of foam probably....

Waiting for good wind and clear skies,
Mike

Last edited by mbauer; 10-31-2019 at 05:51 AM. Reason: Explain final photo difference
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  #19  
Old 11-16-2019, 08:30 PM
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Well tried to fly the F22 on Tuesday. Cold and not quite enough wind.

Did find out that it needs a couple of lines for stability to the wings. Wanted to twist back and forth for what little flying it did while running into the wind.

Once modifications are done, will post more.

Mike
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  #20  
Old 11-16-2019, 11:49 PM
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This project is interesting to follow.
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