Date:	Thu, 3 Nov 1994 10:30:39 -1000
From:	mss@das.harvard.edu (Marty Sasaki)
Message-Id: <39bh5p$8l0@necco.harvard.edu>
Organization: Division of Applied Sciences, Harvard University
Subject: Re: Fighter Kites w/Cutting Line

I apologize to everyone for having to see my two previous posts with no 
message attached. I've been having computer problems. Thanks to Marty for 
forwarding this. :-)

For those of you who worry about using cutting line with your "good" 
kites, buy some cheap paper Indian fighters to play with. This is what 
Johnny does. He's got several boxes of the paper kites just for this 
purpose. 

If you are lucky enough to have someone to help retrieve the 
loose kite and it's still in good shape, just put it up again. If it's 
slightly damaged, then scotch tape works wonders. If it's beyond repair, 
keep the bamboo spars for another kite. This way you don't risk loosing 
your favorite kite. Johnny even gives away paper kites to the kids 
that help him in retrieving. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Gina Hsiung                            North Library Annex
email: hfoao033@huey.csun.edu          Technical Services Dept.
Phone: 818-885-2265                    Calif. State Univ, Northridge
FAX: 818-885-4928                      Northridge, CA  91330-8328




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Date:	Thu, 3 Nov 1994 11:41:48 -1000
From:	sasaki@das.harvard.edu (Marty Sasaki)
Message-Id: <39bles$aj8@necco.harvard.edu>
Organization: Harvard University OIT/NSD
Subject: Re: Fighter Kites w/Cutting Line


Gina Hsiung wrote:
>For those of you who worry about using cutting line with your "good" 
>kites, buy some cheap paper Indian fighters to play with. This is what 
>Johnny does. He's got several boxes of the paper kites just for this 
>purpose. 

This is why I started making fighter kites. Even a Vics fighter was
around $8 at the time and there was always the possibility of losing a
kite. After I started making them, I realized that making them was
very easy and when I didn't care so much about losing the kite I
became a better flyer.

The cheap paper kites are sometimes unflyable without serious work. I
found that they weren't worth the effort.

>If you are lucky enough to have someone to help retrieve the 
>loose kite and it's still in good shape, just put it up again. If it's 
>slightly damaged, then scotch tape works wonders. If it's beyond repair, 
>keep the bamboo spars for another kite. This way you don't risk loosing 
>your favorite kite. Johnny even gives away paper kites to the kids 
>that help him in retrieving. 

I once flew against someone using a big Korean reel. He literally cut
my kite in half with cutting line (after making sure that I really
wanted him to try to do this). I salvaged the fiberglass cross spar,
the bamboo spine was neatly severed.

Nothing quite like having your line suddenly go slack and watching
your kite flutter to ground in two pieces...

-- 
Marty Sasaki            Harvard University           Sasaki Kite Fabrications
sasaki@noc.harvard.edu  Network Services Division    26 Green Street
617-496-4320            10 Ware Street               Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
                        Cambridge, MA 02138-4002     phone/fax: 617-522-8546


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