Build a Sled Kite - Space Coast Kite Flyers

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BUILD A SLED KITE
Two dowels, one trash bag, about an hour
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This is the kite we build at our kids' workshop, and it's the first one I'd teach anybody, of any age. A sled has no cross spar. It's just a sail with two sticks running up and down it. When the wind blows into it, the sail opens up into a sort of shallow scoop, the bridle holds that shape, and up she goes. No fancy joints, nothing to break, and it folds up and goes home in a back pocket. A grown-up and a child can build one together in an hour, with time out for decorating. -- George

What You Need

	One large plastic trash bag, 30 gallons or bigger. A light color shows the decorating best.
	Two wooden dowels, 3/16 inch thick and 24 inches long, from the hardware store.
	A roll of clear packing tape, or plastic electrical tape.
	Six feet of strong string for the bridle.
	A small plastic ring, like a curtain ring, about an inch across.
	100 to 200 feet of kite line, about 20-pound test, wound on a piece of cardboard or a paper towel tube.
	For tools: scissors, a yardstick, a marker, a paper hole punch, and permanent markers for decorating.

The Plan

The sail is a six-sided shape 30 inches wide and 24 inches tall. The two dowels run straight up and down, 12 inches apart. The wings stick out 9 inches past each dowel, and their tips are 8 inches down from the top.

       A------------B
      /|            |\
    /  |            |  \
  F o  |            |  o C
    \  |            |  /
     \ |            | /
      \|            |/
       E------------D

A to B: 12 in. A to E and B to D: 24 in. (the dowels)
F and C: the wing tips, 8 in. down from the top, 30 in. apart
o = the holes for the bridle

Building It

1	Open up the bag. Cut along one side and across the bottom so the bag opens into one big flat sheet. Spread it out on a clean floor or a big table. Tape the corners down so it doesn't slide around.
2	Mark the six points. With the yardstick and marker, draw a line 12 inches long near the top of the sheet. Its ends are A and B. From each end, measure straight down 24 inches and mark E and D. Now find the wing tips: 8 inches down from A and 9 inches out to the left is F. 8 inches down from B and 9 inches out to the right is C. Measure twice. On the pad we used to say measure twice and still check it a third time.
3	Connect the dots, A to B to C to D to E to F and back to A, and cut out the shape. This is a good time to decorate, while it's flat. Faces, rockets, stripes, your name in big letters. Let the marker dry.
4	Tape on the dowels. Lay one dowel along the line from A to E and the other along the line from B to D. Tape each one down at both ends and every few inches along the way. Fold a piece of tape over each end so the dowel can't poke through the plastic.
5	Reinforce the wing tips. Put a square of tape on both sides of each tip, F and C. Then punch a hole through each one, about an inch in from the point. Without the tape, the string will tear right through the plastic the first time the wind gusts.
6	Tie on the bridle. Tie one end of the six-foot string through the hole at F. Slide the ring onto the string, and tie the other end through the hole at C. Now hold the kite up by the ring and slide the ring until it sits exactly in the middle, three feet from each tip, and tie it there with a simple knot so it can't slide.
7	Tie your flying line to the ring. Use a good knot and give it a hard tug to test it. Pre-flight check complete.

Flying It

A sled likes a steady breeze of about 5 to 15 miles an hour. Go somewhere wide open, with no power lines, no trees, no roads and no airports, and nobody but your helper standing downwind of you. The beach is perfect. Stand with the wind at your back. Have a helper walk the kite out 20 or 30 feet downwind and hold it up by the bottom of the dowels, facing you, so the wind fills the sail. Then they let go, and you let the line out slowly as it climbs. If it starts to sink, pull in a little line, hand over hand, and it will climb again.

Troubleshooting

If it...	Try this
won't get off the ground	There may not be enough wind. Wait for a gust, or come back after lunch when the sea breeze is in.
spins, loops or dives	The wind may be too strong for it, or the bridle isn't centered. Check the ring is in the middle. Then add a tail: tape six feet of ribbon or crepe paper to the bottom edge, halfway between E and D.
leans to one side	One wing is bigger, or one dowel is out of line. Trim a little off the bigger wing, or retape the dowel straight.
folds up and falls	The wind dropped. A sled needs air to hold its shape. Run a few steps and pull in some line.

And when it's up, sit down on the sand and watch it a while. That's the best part. I've watched rockets go up from about as close as a person can get, and I'll tell you a secret: a homemade kite on a good afternoon is every bit as satisfying.

Questions? Built one? Tell me about it at [email protected]
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