Tetrahedron Kites By Chris Quimbly

What I’d Like To Learn I want to learn how and if tetrahedron kites are different from any other kite?

Basics of Flight The miracle of flight exists because man has the technology to oppose natural forces that keep all objects on the ground. Four forces affect an aircraft — two assist flight (thrust and lift), and two resist flight (gravity and drag). The important thing to note here is that when an aircraft is flying straight and level, all four of these forces are balanced, or in equilibrium.

Different Types of Kites Tetrahedron- A tetrahedral kite is a multicelled rigid box kite composed of tetrahedral shaped cells. The cells are usually arranged in such a way that the entire kite is also a regular tetrahedron. Diamond-The most basic type of kite is the diamond shape kite. It was made famous by Ben Franklin during his experiment testing the properties of electricity. Box-The box kite is shaped like a large rectangle with material wrapped around the top and bottom. It was invented by Australia's Lawrence Hardgrave in 1893 while he was trying to create a manned flying machine. Winged Box-The winged box kite shares the same basic shape as the box kite, though it includes the addition of two triangular pieces added to the long side of the box frame. These winged pieces feature strings that are used to control the kite. Sled-A sled kite is shaped similarly to the popular winter vehicle made to travel over ice and snow. However, in the case of the kite, the sled model has: •A rectangular base with curved sides •A flying line attached to the edges of the kite rather than the middle of the frame •Long streamers at the bottom of the kite's base Delta-The delta kite is a triangular kite, similar to the diamond. The triangle frame is covered with material and a line is attached for flying. In some designs, a smaller triangle is added to the tail of the delta to give it more support. Power- Power kites are much larger than traditional kites and are designed to provide precision and power in order to lift large objects, including humans. The horseshoe-shaped frame has lines attached to each end, and is typically used in conjunction with a boat or board. Power kites can be used on the water to kite surf. To do so, a rider is strapped into a harness and stands on a board, which is attached to the kite. In kite land boarding, the rider is lifted into the air by two or three power kites.

Kite vs. Bird Birds glide on the air currents and kites lift and kites sail on the currents. (Refer to slide 3)