By Christopher Quimbly

Project Overview My kite will use tissue paper, straws, and string. 4 25’’ string and 4 45’’ string. We had to build our very own tetrahedron kites. We had to make 4 tetrahedrons and then connect them together.

What I’d Like To Learn How good tetrahedron kites fly. What Materials are used. How long will it take.

Answers The kites flew very good. It will take 3 days.

Materials The materials I used are: Tissue paper Straws String

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. Thrust is created by the engines. Lift occurs because air flows both over and under the surface of the wing. Drag opposes thrust. Although it mainly occurs because of air resistance as air flows around the wing, several different types of drag exist. Gravity is actually a force of acceleration on an object. The Earth exerts this natural force on all objects. Being a constant force, it always acts in the same direction: downward. Thrust creates lift to counteract gravity. In order for an aircraft to take off, enough lift must be created to overcome the force of gravity pushing down on the aircraft. A "G" is a measurement of force that is equal to the force of gravity pushing down on a stationary object on the earth's surface. Gravitational force actually refers to an object's weight (Force equals Mass times Acceleration, or F = ma.). An aircraft flying level at low altitudes experiences 1G.

Basics of Flight Apparent weight refers to how heavy something seems considering the current direction and magnitude of G-forces acting on it. In level flight, 1G is acting on the aircraft and the pilot—both weigh the same as they do when stationary. If the pilot makes a steep climb, the positive G-force temporarily acts on both the pilot and the aircraft, making them in essence heavier throughout the climb. Any sudden increase or decrease in acceleration brings about a change in apparent weight of an object. Human bodies can withstand approximately 9 or 10 positive Gs' or 2 to 3 three negative Gs' for several seconds at a time. Exceeding positive G limits for longer than that causes blood to collect in the lower part of the body and torso. The brain and retinas receive less blood, and therefore less oxygen. Eventually, vision turns gray, followed by tunnel vision and pilot blackout. Excessive negative Gs' have a similar effect, except that blood pools in the brain and upper torso. This causes the small capillaries in the eyes to swell, creating a redoubt effect.

The Diamond Kite 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. Often referred to as an Eddy kite, the diamond shape is the most rudimentary of kite models. It is easy to make by placing two sticks in a cross pattern, stretching material over it, and then attaching a length of string around the outside.

Box Kite 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 Kite 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 Kite 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 Kite 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. At its core, the delta kite is an isosceles triangle with a very long base. Given its aerodynamic properties, the delta kite usually outperforms other types of flat kites.

Power Kites In addition to the aforementioned standard kites, there is another high- performance model making waves in the kite industry. 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.