Date: Tue, 12 Jul 1994 04:03:02 -1000 From: ahclem0013@aol.com (AhClem0013) Message-Id: <2vu7qm$l44@search01.news.aol.com> Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Subject: Re: Flying the Indian Fighter In article , richard@harlequin.co.uk (Richard Brooksby) writes: A very nice post! thanks oxo = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 12 Jul 1994 02:31:23 -1000 From: richard@harlequin.co.uk (Richard Brooksby) Message-Id: Organization: Harlequin Ltd Subject: Flying the Indian Fighter The weather here is wonderful. It's hot, the sky is clear, and the sun is bright. If you walk up to the top of the Castle Mound above Cambridge there is a wonderful breeze blowing up off the city. The beautiful little paper and bamboo constructions quiver in my hands. At the summit of the mound the kite just leaps into the air, darting everywhere at high speed. A quick flick of the fingertip and it's up and away, into the deep blue day. It's quiet enough there than you can hear the rattle of the tissue as I touch the line oh-so-lightly and send the kite zooming across the sky. Stafford Wallace, that Indian kite master, taught me to fly these wonderful kites. I am in his debt. I found kites relatively uninteresting until I had the challenge of flying the fighters. The kite I had then broke its back, but it's the only one I've ever broken. I'm getting to the stage where I can build my own, but I just can't find the materials anywhere. Where can I buy that light paper and bamboo? In the US I saw fighters built from plastic and nylon. So heavy and sluggish. I read an article about fighters the only issue of Kite Lines I've ever seen, and when I talk about them here I've had responses that indicate that what most people call a `fighter' is not the sort of kite I know. My kites are about 24" across (maximum) and made of paper and bamboo. They weigh next to nothing, and move _very_ fast. A good one requires great mindfulness to fly, which is what makes it such a great experience. No kite, no flier. The smallest is just 6" across, and can only be flown from very light line when my reactions are particularly sharp. I have built fighters out of mylar and carbon fibre rods. They're OK, but they don't rival the paper ones. A big problem I have is that I can't correct the dynamic balance by chewing the spar as Stafford showed me. There are subtle things to do with the way the kite behaves when approaching the ground which I don't yet understand. After handing me back my first fighter Stafford said: `Once you get into kites...' He was right. Find yourself a paper fighting kite and learn how to fly it. Excuse me for rambling. I'm reading my way through the archives. -- Richard Brooksby Zen Buddhist. Fighting kite flier. +44 223 873881 (voice) +44 223 872519 (fax) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 12 Jul 1994 20:09:29 -1000 From: andrew@tug.com (Andrew Beattie) Message-Id: Organization: /usr/lib/news/organisation Subject: Re: Flying the Indian Fighter richard@harlequin.co.uk (Richard Brooksby) writes: >The weather here is wonderful. It's hot, the sky is clear, and the sun is >bright. [...] Thanks for a nice article. >Stafford Wallace, that Indian kite master, taught me to fly these wonderful >kites. I am in his debt. I'd encourace anyone who sees Stafford to just wander up out of the blue and talk to him. He's one of the most approachable people in the flying field (and kite fliers are an easy going bunch to start with). >I'm getting to the stage >where I can build my own, but I just can't find the materials anywhere. >Where can I buy that light paper and bamboo? Why not try Stafford himself? They had bamboo on the stall last time I looked, and if he doesn't already cary the paper, I'm sure that he'll get some next time he goes to get stock, if he knows that there is a demand. Andrew -- Kite jumping is for morons. If you want to fly, get a hang-glider. Netiquette-of-the-day: Think twice before posting! You can FTP the kite FAQ's from ftp.hawaii.edu (directory /pub/rec/kites/faq) The FAQ's have lists of kites, kite stores, kite questions, kite books & plans. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Thu, 14 Jul 1994 05:28:31 -1000 From: kiteman@pro-entropy.cts.com (Mr. Kiteman) Message-Id: <1994Jul14.102831.1015@pro-entropy.cts.com> Organization: Pro-Entropy +1-305-265-9073 [14.4K/8/N/1] (DAR Systems Int'l -- Miami, FL) Subject: Re: Flying the Indian Fighter richard@harlequin.co.uk (Richard Brooksby) writes: >I have built fighters out of mylar and carbon fibre rods. They're OK, but >they don't rival the paper ones. A big problem I have is that I can't >correct the dynamic balance by chewing the spar as Stafford showed me. >There are subtle things to do with the way the kite behaves when >approaching the ground which I don't yet understand. Yeah, I guess chewing on carbon fiber would be a bit... nasty. Seriously, I think one reason fighters are built of such materials here (and I've never built one, so I'm just guessing) is that the synthetics are more common here, and bamboo isn't very common. Plus we don't have that much of a 'history' of using it for kite materials. >Excuse me for rambling. Ramble away. That's what we're here for. [At least, I am. ] Your Friendly Neighborhood Kiteman Miami, Florida - USA ============================================================================= Internet Address: kiteman@pro-entropy.cts.com That's MISTER Kiteman To You, DUMMY! a.k.a. Allan "Kiteman" Gaines in Miami, Florida- an actual NATIVE Floridian! <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =