V-shaped Kite Flying and Bernoulli's Principle

Kite Flying - It's More FUN in the Philippines

How do Kites Fly?

This is one of my favorite kite I made since I was in High school, kite flying is one of my hobbies. This is called V-shaped Kite. The last one I made is measuring 6 feet in height and 6 feet in width. The kite frames or skeletal was made by bamboo stick and body from Japanese paper (light and very strong). I want to break this record and to make another one but much taller and wider (maybe 10 feet by 10 feet). The challenge are what materials and string I must used and does it fly?


What is Bernoulli's Principle?

Bernoulli's effect or it's simply called the Bernoulli's principle is a law between flow speed and pressure in the Fluid system. This is discovered by mathematician Daniel Bernoulli in 1738.

Kite fly because of Bernoulli's effect and since it is flown through the air, this is the fluid system. In physics anything that flow is considered fluid. So, how does it really fly?


Kite Flying and Bernoulli's principle

Bernoulli's Principle on Kite

According to Bernoulli's principle, slower air has high pressure than faster air. Due to the angle of the kite with respect to the wind flow, the air below the kite will travel longer or slower compare above it and that causes difference in pressure.

The high pressure below the kite pushes upward creating lift for the kite. The tension in the string determines the angle relative to the wind flow so this should be maintained in order for the kite to fly. For the kite to maintain in the sky, lift and drag should be equal and opposite to gravity and tension from string.

It is not only Bernoulli's effect that is responsible why kite flies, the Newtons third Law also take into effect when the kite is flying. The Law states that "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Without the wind, your kite would not fly because there is no resistance for Newtons Third Law.


9 Interesting Facts about Kites

1. Kites are used in fishing on Solomon Islands.
2. Kites are used by Koreans to announced birth of a child.
3. Chinese uses kites during battles. They are made with bamboo which had a tendency to hum in the wind and frightened enemies.
4. Benjamin Franklin uses kite to prove that lightning is electricity.
5. Kite flying was banned in Japan in 1760 because too many people preferred to fly kites than work.
6.The smallest kite in the world that actually flies is 5mm high and the largest kite in the world is Peter Lynn’s Flag kite, measuring 42m by 25m.
7. The Russians used kites to tow torpedoes in 1855 with great accuracy.
8. The paragliders that brought back the first space capsules to earth were a development of the Rogallo Kite invented by Francis Rogallo in 1948, which was also the model for the first hanglider.
9. In the Orient, kites are given to someone to bring them happiness, good luck, prosperity and cure illness.

How to Make V-Shaped Kite - Body & Wings

How to make a V-Shaped Kite


1. Prepare 4 pieces 6 feet long x 1 cm width x 15mm thick bamboo stick.
2. Prepare 11 pieces 1.2 feet long x 1 cm width x 15 mm thick bamboo stick (the red one).
3. Make a half circular cuts (notch) on the near edge of every stick. This is to make tie's effective.
4. Make the body and wing as shown in the Figure 1 and 2. Use nylon to tie each bamboo sticks and frames.
5. Nylon string is use to support the wing of the kite. Tie it edge to edge of the wingspan as shown in Figure 2.

How to Make a V-Shaped - Kite Assembly

6. Assemble the body and the wing as shown in Fig 3.
7. Use glue to cover it with Japanese paper. Leave the mid part body of the kite uncovered.
8. Make a bridle, you must get the right angle in order to fly this kind of kite. Make necessary adjustment if needed.
9. Don't fly near electric cables and when raining. Enjoy kite flying.


Sources:
World Around us
International Kite Festival
Singapore Kites