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Old 09-02-2019, 04:01 PM
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mbauer mbauer is offline
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Kite Flying Time!

Last paper project was some time ago.

Finished several little simple jet gliders a couple of years ago,

last year finished the 7ft long SR71 Habu that now hangs from the ceiling.

For several years been thinking of building a huge paper kite.

All models till now have been designed for cardstock. No way is this going to work for a flying kite. Way to heavy!

Which model to make the kite from? Several could work. Why not the SR71 Habu? Ok, at first thought this looked like a good one if it could loose some weight.

After a complete rebuild/redesign it was printed. Then it hit, hold it, this thing is going to take some serious time to build, what happens if it doesn't fly?

Why not re-design something simpler and faster to build to see if the concept will work. Then build the SR71 after some practice.

Deciding to listen to the little voices that recommended this, found what should work. Modified a standard stomprocket; bigger scale: now it is 81"[205.74cm] long with a 49"[124.46cm] wingspan.

Had to make a fiberglass tube to fit the demand for a center load bearing spar.

Small square carbon fiber tubes make up the leading edge and main wing spar. Total weight for the fiberglass tube and carbon fiber frame is 5.2oz [147.42gm].

Not going to say what it is just yet.

Printed the fuselage and wing skins from a 24lb paper roll for my wide format printer. The internal bulkheads as well as the complete nosecone, rudder and tailcone have been printed on three sheets of cardstock 2ftx3ft [60.96cm]x[91.44cm]

Here is a photo of the fiberglass tube and carbon fiber frame work.
Kite Flying Time!-2019-kite-frame.jpg

Any Kite builders out there? Needing help with where to locate the tiedown strings....



Mike
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Old 09-20-2019, 09:37 PM
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mbauer mbauer is offline
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After a quick search found some interesting things about kites.

The SPINE is the major front to back load carrying member.

The SPAR is the cross-wise right to left load carrying member.

Together the Spine/Spar make a cross when fitted for a kite.

The SAIL is what catches the wind, just like on a sail boat.

Made my Spine out of fiberglass wrapped around a 1/2" [12.5mm] square steel pipe.

My Spars and the leading edge of the wings are carbon fiber square tubing 1/8" x 1/8" [3.2mm].

Waiting on the glue to set on the rudder.

Decided to post a little more about this project.

Was going to do a design thread, but realized by using an already made model it wouldn't do any good. When I design one of the next projects I'll post in the Design Forum.

Learning some build lessons on the way to getting this kite in the sky.

Worked with cardstock on all my models. This is the first using regular bond paper.

Lesson one was glue, deforms and causes issues, when using too much. I used way to much on the fuselage. However from 50-feet [15.24m], you can't see the damage.

For the photos of the fuselage:
1) Printed on bond paper
2) Bulkheads printed on cardstock
3) Fiberglass Spine in center glued to cardstock with super glue.
4) Can see where bulkheads are, paper is deformed around every one. To much glue was used...Piece of bamboo skewer taped to a small artists paint brush to reach inside fuselage to glue the formers in place.
5) Left the airfoil shape for the wing attachments. Next model there will only be a straight line. Photos of the wings will show why the change will be needed.

Weight of fuselage and fiberglass/carbon fiber is 9.5 oz [269.3gm].
Weight 5.2 oz [147.4gm] for the fiberglass and carbon fiber system.

Here are some fuselage photos.

Photo 1 shows cutting the fuselage out;

Kite Flying Time!-1-cut-fuselage.jpg


Photo 2 Shows using double sided tape on a square wood dowel to glue the pre rolled fuselage tail-cone.

Kite Flying Time!-2-glue-fuselage-tailcone.jpg

Photo 3 using 2" dia PVC pipe and double sided tape to glue the fuselage. For both the wood dowel and pipe the double sided tape is wrapped around to create rings about every 3-8 inches to grab the paper and hold for gluing. Only way I know to glue really long and big paper tubes:

Kite Flying Time!-3-glue-fuselage.jpg

Photo 4 Looking inside the fuselage to see the bulkhead just forward of the Spine/Spar junction. Notice getting ready to glue the bulkhead. Quite a reach with obstacles in the way:
Kite Flying Time!-4-inside-fuselage-showing-spinespar-junction.jpg

Photo 5 Outside of fuselage with the Spine End visible:
Kite Flying Time!-5-spine-end-fuselage.jpg

Photo 6 Ready for the Wing "Sails":
Kite Flying Time!-6-ready-wings.jpg

Not quite done yet.

As you can see this is a big kite! Hard to take photos to show any detail.

Mike
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Old 09-28-2019, 12:06 PM
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Wing Sails & Repairs Needed

Realized that I made a couple of big mistakes on the fuselage.

Each one is going to require surgery. Forgot to drill and install the Bridle attachments into the fiber glass Spine.

The Bridle is the string attached to the kite. The Kite Line is the string you hold.

To fix will require two holes to be made in the bottom of the fuselage.

The other problem is the old rudder was way to big, I did not design any re-enforcement for it.

To fix, already cut the old glue/paper to surgically remove the rudder. This created a huge damaged area. Plan is to drill some holes in the spine to add a carbon fiber strip that the rudder can be glued to for support.

Printed half a fuselage "shell" that will be glued over the damaged area to hide my mistake. Then the rudder will be added as a final piece.

When I printed the fuselage, did not know that one of my print heads was clogged. The wings and fuselage are a different color than the nosecone and rudder. Main reason I used to do all prototypes in white was to check fit, this kite would look better if that would have been the case.

Different color ink, patches everywhere, you'd think it has flown and crashed already.

Here are some more photos of the fuselage while adding the Wing Sails.

Wing root glued. Notice the wrinkles and distorted paper along the fuselage? Can see where every bulkhead is, there are 8-total. Figured that they would help hold the fuselage shape when flying. Also see that did not line up wings and fuselage junction correctly, will need to move some bulkheads around to line the fuselage and wing sail tabs.
Kite Flying Time!-wing-root-glue.jpg

This photo shows both wing sails attached at the wing root.
Kite Flying Time!-wing-sails-fusleage.jpg

My favorite glue tool Monoject 412. Need more? press the plunger harder and slow down. Need less? Less pressure on the plunger and go fast. Aleene's Turbo Tacky Glue inside.
Kite Flying Time!-monoject-412.jpg

Final leading edge glue photo shows the carbon fiber leading edge the paper sail is getting wrapped around for gluing.
Kite Flying Time!-leading-edge-gluing.jpg

WEIGHT: 11.8oz [334.5gm] at this stage with wings completed.

Options to lower weight for future models? HP has several lite weight papers/vellums to buy. Tracing paper is an option as well as a see thru vellum for doing really lite weight plots that can be handled and not tear.

More photos soon as the repair jobs begin. Yes, it is my version of a F106 Delta Dart. If this model works: More kites to follow: SR71 Habu (Already Printed), F86, F16, F15, F18, F22, F35, F4, B52, B47, B1, B58, XB70, ME262, ME163, already have drawings created for these. Just need to convert into kites. 3D Profile Models that use rubber band and wood dowel for get up and go.
Kite Flying Time!-3d-profile.jpg

Final photo of paper model storage area, notice kite at bottom right of photo, can see the damage from when I removed the rudder. Old rudder visable under the usb cable on top of color laser printer.
Kite Flying Time!-paper-model-storage-area.jpg


Mike

Last edited by mbauer; 09-28-2019 at 01:03 PM. Reason: Typos/ forgot to add weight
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Old 09-29-2019, 12:21 PM
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Yesterday's work and what was planned changed.

Wanted to finish the F106. Looking at all of my rubber band powered 3D Profile models got me to thinking, instead of a huge fuselage why not try just the 3D profile version.

Spent yesterday sitting at the computer re-drawing my YF22 model from years ago. Updated to the F22.

Will finish my work on the F106, and since the last sheet is printing will start work on the F22 next.

Been thinking about all of the models I've made and sold on eBay. There is a market but it isn't really that huge anymore.

Rockets are fun, but kids would rather play on their cell phones.

Kites have a strong following. Lots of the people who fly also design build their own.

Lots of programs on the web explain and also calculate to help design/build your own kite.

I plan to sell these paper model kites on eBay once they fly. Will have to mold/make all the fiberglass and buy the carbon fiber, they will be fairly expensive. Ink alone costs $9 per sheet when printing the 24"x63" [60.96cm] x [160.02cm] sheets. F22 is will be 60" or 5ft long.

More to follow.

Mike

Last edited by mbauer; 09-29-2019 at 12:34 PM.
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Old 09-29-2019, 04:01 PM
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As a kite lover and flyer I am compelled to say, This Is Interesting!
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Screw the rivets, I'm building for atmosphere, not detail.
later, F Scott W
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Old 09-29-2019, 04:07 PM
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southwestforests southwestforests is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mbauer View Post
Rockets are fun, but kids would rather play on their cell phones.
Kites have a strong following. Lots of the people who fly also design build their own.
Lots of programs on the web explain and also calculate to help design/build your own kite.
Talking rockets, kites, and computers, brings to mind that NASA have a kite physics curriculum website.
https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/kite1.html
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Screw the rivets, I'm building for atmosphere, not detail.
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Old 10-17-2019, 08:40 PM
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mbauer mbauer is offline
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Southwestforests: Thank you for the link.

Really new to kite flying, last time was the 1960's. Favorite used to be a diamond Jolly Rogers.

Always willing to learn from advice, see something to add; please do.

Lots to learn if you want to design them. At first thought it would be easy just to convert a huge cardstock model to kite flying.

Wrong: The wing root has a really unique curve shape to it to meet the fuselage on my big models. This allows a stronger connection, and helps the fuselage keep its round shape during construction. For kites all that is needed is a straight edge. Even better a one piece sail, like my next project.

You can see, in previous photos, the sail is loose on both sides due to leaving the airfoil shape wing root. This has been fixed, next kite will have straight wing roots.

Works best to remember to drill the bridle attachment eyelet holes into the spine before adding the fuselage shell.

Major damage was done when drilling and epoxying the eyelets in. Easy to destroy lite weight 24# Bond paper.

Mike

Last edited by mbauer; 10-17-2019 at 08:43 PM. Reason: Typo
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Old 10-17-2019, 09:11 PM
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F106 Kite Completed-Time To Fly

Time to follow-up with a final build thread update. Next phase will be getting the right weather day for flight testing. Snowed all day yesterday, then rained afterwards, winter in Alaska is here.

More photos showing finished F106 Kite ready for flight. Bridle is attached, surgery and repairs have been completed.

Major redesign on nosecone as well as rudder. Both were reprinted much smaller than the originals. Lost 4" of length with the nosecone change. These changes helped keep the prototype weight near 1lb.

Ready to Fly weight is 1lb 1.1oz.

Here are some photos showing surgery and repair. Note you can see that the kite does not set well on the exhaust cone. Bond paper crinkled big-time!

Surgery to fix rudder removal damage, you can see the small slit on the left side on top of spine, rudder carbon fiber support attach location:
Kite Flying Time!-surgery.jpg

Had to drill several holes in a row into the spine to add this rudder attachment. Xacto knife to cut the fiberglass spline linking the holes as a slit to slide the carbon fiber support in. Lots of fun doing this after the fuselage was built!
Kite Flying Time!-rudder-support.jpg

Notice that there seems to be damage to the new rudder repair in the previous photo. To glue the rudder skin in place, sprayed the rudder on the inside with 3M Supper 77. Plan was to insert the rudder fuselage attachment tabs and then fold the skin together around the carbon fiber support. This almost worked the first time.....Here is the photo of it working correctly the second time.
Kite Flying Time!-rudder-glued.jpg

Now for the damage when drilling the bridle attachment points, more damage was done screwing the eyelets into the holes. 5-minute epoxy was used as a thread locker-so had to insert fast. A final injury when trying to clip the bridle swivel onto the eyelet, my hand slipped and tore out the side. Barely touched it!
Kite Flying Time!-spine-bridle-attachment.jpg

Decided to stand it up on its tail, the exhaust cone was printed with cardstock to be able to do this, well as you can see from the fuselage shape, there was a protest, and it won't go away. Tried pulling the seams to try and get the wrinkles out.
Kite Flying Time!-final-ready-fly.jpg

Bridle is attached, bought a kite reel off of eBay. Came with 500ft of 100lb kite string. Interesting device, looks like it should work great!

Will post flight test pictures as soon as the weather stops raining and ground dries or freezes for good.

Mike

Last edited by mbauer; 10-17-2019 at 09:28 PM. Reason: Typo
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Old 10-17-2019, 09:30 PM
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Kiting Season Again!

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
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Old 10-19-2019, 11:28 AM
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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
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