Kite Lines - Vol.3 No. 1 - KiteLife

of. IngrahamRobert Meston Phipps: WsCopyright © Verve Enterprises, Inc . 1980Reproduction in any form, in whole or in part,is strictly prohibited without prior writtenconsent of the publishersKite Limes is the comprehensive internationaljournal of kiting and the only magazine of itskind in America . It is jointly published b yFishergate Publishing Co., inc., of Annapolis.MD. and serve Enterprises, inc ., with editorialoffices at 7106 Campfield Road .. Balti-more, MD 21207, USA, telephone : (301)484-6257. Kite Lines is on file in the librariesof the NationalAir and Space, Museum, Smithsoni an ; the National Oceanic and AtmosphericSciences Administration; The National Geographicand the University of Notre Dame'sSports and Games Research collection .Publishers : Fishergate Publishing C o ., Inc .,Editor: Valerie GovigAssociate Editor: Richard F . Kinnaird, Jr .Business Consultant: Kalman IllyefalviCirculation/Reader Services : Ju dith Fae cher Design and Mechanicaland Cathy PasqualeBritish Correspondents : Ron Moultonand Clive C . O . RawlinsonEditorial Advisory Panel: R ay Holland, Jr .Guy D. Aydlett A. Pete lanuzziWilliam R . BiggeRobert M . I ngrahamBevan H . Brown Domina C. JalbertWyatt Brummitt Nat KobitzWood Ellis Arthur KurlePaul Edward Garber C urtis Marshall, M.D.Melvin Govig Robert S. PriceEdwin L . Grauel John F . Van GilderGars lime,: II 1 YolenKite associations and clubs are located aroundthe U.S . and the world . Kite Lines works forand with all of them and maintains anupdated file on them . Write for informationabout your nearest group-Subscriptions to Kite Lines : O ne(4 i ssues), $9.00: two years (8 issues), $17.00.Single copies of current or back issues areavailable able (J) $2.>0 ($3.100 overseas) fromAmerica's finest kite shops or the journaloffices . Postage outside the U . S . . its possessionsand Canada is $1 .00 per year additional.Air mail rates for foreign mailings are $3 .00per year additional for Latin Ame rica, $5 .00per year additional for Europe and Israel ; and$7 .00 per year additional for all othercountries . All foreign drafts must he in U .S .dollars through a U .S . bank or the past office .Change of Address: Attach or copy mailinglabel in letter, givingnew address. If mailing label is wrong, please correct it. 1r.Advertising rate sheet and information isavailable upon request .Contributions and correspondence are alwaysinvited . Enthu siasts who contemplate sendingsubstantial material should request our guidelinesfor writers and photographers . Return ofunsolicited material cannot be guaranteedunless, accompanied by ample stamps andenvelope, self-addressed. Accuracy of contentsKite responsibility Lines is the of individualcontributors- Diverse views pre=sented in hireLines are not necessarily those of the editor .publishers, staff or advisory panelists .Closing Dates for advertising, articles andnews are : Feb . 20 for Spring ; May 20 forSummer ; Aug . 20 for Fall ; Nov . 20 for 11 inset .Postmaster Second class postage paid at Baltimore. Maryland . If undeliverable, please sendaddress change Form 3579 to Kite Lines,7106 Campfield Road, Baltimore, MD 21207 .ContentsVolume 3, Number 1, Winter 1979-80A Brief Guide to Safe and Sure Kiting / 13A clip-out, spread-around, handy-dandy basic introduction .Profiles : George Ham's Parafoils Par Excellence / 20By Martin Payne Dowling . Patience and proficiency pay offin the imperial Parafoils of George Ham .The Great Contemporary Kites and their Inventors : First in a SeriesAndrew Jones, Ray Merry and the Flexifoil / 26By Tal Streeter . The most recent of modern original kites asdocumented by American sculptor Tal Streeter . The ongoingprocess of trial, error and inspiration in the developmentof the Flexifoil is explored .'79 EventsHigh Times in the Rockies / 31By Frances Weaver . The Beulah Valley Association forTethered Flight gathers kites for Mother's Day .Rising Again at Kill Devil Hills / 32By Mary E . Ames . Duneside escapades, hobnobbing andrites of the Wrights .Shirone Comes to Seattle / 37By Louise Crowley . The next-best thing to a trip to Japanis to have been in Seattle for the spectacular festivalof cultural exchange known as The Orient Expressed .The Manassas Second Annual / 40"As near to a perfect kite day as I ever hope to see ."The International Exposition of Asymmetrical Kites / 36Update : added prizes-Australian $20 (Hargrave) bills .The Miracle of Sagamihara / 42Story and Photographs by Carl Poehler, Jr . An astonishing kiteexperience and revelation carefully observed .Kites and the Cambodian Spirit / 44By Paul Galloway . Refugee children make and fly kites fromscraps to catch the wind-and perhaps the hearts of kiters .DepartmentsLetter from the Editor / 6Letters / 8What's New / 11New rotor kites reviewed by Guy D . Aydlett, with adigression on The Bull-roarer Effect .Design Workshop / 18Companion kites for fun and games : the Shooting Arrowand the Bull's-Eye Target . By Ed Grauel .Empty Spaces in the Sky . . . / 22The death of William M . Allison .Innovations / 24The Facet Kite by Stephen J . Robinson . A new directioninto geometric exoskeletal kites . Comment by Curtis Marshall .Directory of Outlets / 35Classifieds / 46CoverGeorge Ham sews the "superstar" of his kite collection, theAmerican Flag Parafoil . It's the latest of 15 models he has madein a range of sizes and visual effects to stun onlookers atSan Francisco's Marina Green . Martin Payne Dowling tells thestory in words and photographs (see pages 20-2 1) .

the EditorThe mixed blessings of modern technologyare nowhere better illustrated than in theubiquitous photocopiers scattered throughbusiness offices, schools, postal stations,libraries and shopping centers across ourland . How did we ever get along withoutXerox ® and its competitors to transferinformation both trivial and weighty withincredible speed, economy and convenience?The copier is Everyman's printer .Can anything be said against these newmachines? Yes, something can . They makecopyright infringement as easy as applepie-but not necessarily as American .Where does the individual stand nowafter the recent overhaul of the copyrightlaw? I've read through updates from theCopyright Office . Long debate surroundedthe law's drafting and still much remainsto be resolved . The whole matrix of copyrightstandards and experience will continueto evolve . The thing is shod inTeflon® ; copyright may never rest again .Meantime, we have guidelines-generalprinciples lacing through reports from theU .S . Senate, the House and CONTU (theNational Commission on New TechnologicalUse of Copyrighted Works) .One of the guiding doctrines is called"fair use ." It limits exclusive rights to acopyrighted work, depending on purposeof use, -nature of the work, amount andsubstantiality of portion used and theeffect of the use upon the potential marketfor or value of the work (italics added) .As publisher of a special-interest journal,I find the last factor quite important . Ofcourse, "fair use" allows for brief quotationsfor criticism, comment, news reporting,teaching, scholarship and research .But for further uses the lines draw inmore closely . An example is made of suchspecialized publications as newsletters,which a House report singled out as "particularlyvulnerable to mass photocopying[which] may have a significant impact onthe commercial market for the work ."Libraries, with their copiers, mayallow patrons "isolated single spontaneous"copy privileges as "fair use ." Butlibraries or research centers infringe ifthey copy systematically or for commercialadvantage . The interlibrary loanmenace is carefully circumscribed and itseems that anyone could stumble intoerror if he or she subscribed or purchaseda copy of needed material and by photocopyingmade it available to readers whocould otherwise represent multiple subscriptionsor purchases .Considering the implications of thelaws and guidelines, one concludes thatany case of deliberate copying to avoidsubscription or purchase might be construed,in the case of a specialized publication,as substantial impairment of itsmarket . Could that violate "fair use"?The committees don't spell out everything .But the law does make violators liablefor infringement penalties up to as muchas $50,000 . "Innocent infringement"would be penalized less but not condoned .What has all this to do with kiting andKite Lines? Only that if a buyer of KiteLines copies pages, even though in ignoranceof the law and motivated by desireto help a friend, the result could be lessincome for Kite Lines . While any oneinstance may be relatively minor, it is thecumulative effect of many such instancesthat matters . If someone is interestedenough to want copied portions of thejournal in any substantial amount, he orshe should be willing to pay the reasonableprice .With a limited-interest magazine, wecan grow only to the limits of the interest .We don't yet know where that end willbe . But we feel that those who love thesport will want to nurture its journal,recognizing their interdependence . Wewould not withhold from you the right toshare Kite Lines as you see fit . But weencourage a sensitivity to those smallresponsibilities which have effect only asthey accumulate and which result in thelong-term viability of the magazine itself .Giving credit where credit is due is anothervirtue we'd like to encourage . Toooften, great kite designs are repeated,enjoyed and embellished upon while thename of the original inventor is lost . KiteLines tries to be meticulous in this respect,but even here we have fallen short . I believeit's time and I propose that conscientiouskiters reattach the name of theoriginator to each kite for which it'sappropriate and in this way commemoratekiting's important inventors .Some examples : Hargrave box, Belltetrahedral kite, Eddy or Eddy-Malay (forthe tailless bowed kite), Eddy-type kite(for tailed), the Baden-Powell, RogalloFlexikite, Jalbert Parafoil, Sauls NavalBarrage, Allison sled (for ventless sleds),Allison-Scott sled (for vented ones),Grauel Bullet, Thorburn Stacked Deltas,Bushell Trefoil-the list could go on forpages and I stop at random . (Forgive me,all others of equal merit!)Though many kites were designed inantiquity and lack identification with anindividual designer (as are many "ethnic"kites), we shouldn't let that prevent usfrom showing, where we can, honor tokiting's great names . We should correctaway from anonymity and toward creditation. One who leaves a kite behind shouldbe remembered in the sky-rather than ona headstone .Giving credit where it's due can alsoapply to this magazine . From its pages weall learn (including this editor) . It wouldbe well for more of us to acknowledge adebt to our sources of information, evenas Kite Lines, in turn, strives to recognizethe kites, kiters and writers everywherewho have made the magazine what it is .While we who publish Kite Lines arecommitted to continuing it in the serviceof kiting for as long as we can roll paperinto a typewriter and whether it profitsus personally or not, we realize that if themagazine is to outlast us it must paysomeone to do it . We are therefore dedicatedto achieving profitability . Profitsalso will enable us to improve and increaseour services to kiting . Although noone is sharing our risk, everyone canshare our success .Already we're offering an extra servicewhich you'll see on page 13, our new "BriefGuide to Safe and Sure Kiting ." As you'llnotice, it contains a broad and generalintroduction to kiting that has long beenneeded in answer to questions often posedby newcomers to the sport . It also reprintsthe Safety Code which first appeared inan earlier Kite Lines and which has beenso well accepted by the kiting community .Here's an item we hope you do copy, infull, for wide distribution! Or ask us tosupply you with extra copies .But please, when you cozy up to thatcopying machine, just remember the bestinterests of the magazine and guard themas your own .Windily yours,I

LettersA REALLY KEENE KITERWe have a kiteflying group here in Keeneand fly every Sunday afternoon all yearyes,even in cold and snow .I teach kitemaking for the city recreationdepartment, for both children andadults . I work in the schools and with thehandicapped on a weekly basis . My wifeHelen and I did many kite shows and flyingfor nursing homes . It seemed to bringmuch enjoyment to them. Many wouldhold the lines after we got the kites up .We would be pleased to have anyonecoming this way to call us for a fly . Telephone(603) 352-9305 .Chester E . McMartinKeene, NHCALLING ALL COLOMBIANSI honestly think Kite Lines covers ALLabout kiting . I want to congratulate youfor the great work and a well-designedmagazine . Through it I have learned moreabout kites and the different people involvedwith them in the world .I am in the process of starting the firstColombian Kitefliers Club, since in orderto have an association in Colombia at leastthree clubs are needed . Colombia, becauseof its geographical position, is, accordingto me, better than any other country inLatin America for kite contests, sincemost of the year is summer and thebeloved wind is always around . For thisreason also, Bogota is much better becauseit's located at 2,600 meters abovesea level, and of course we have windsthrough the year . I know by experience,basically attending different kite contests,that there are a lot of fans here, but nobodyhas tried to put them together and Ihave made that my goal .Remember that you have an amigo here!Fidel Jaramillo V .Bogota, ColombiaBRUMMITT APPRECIATEDI have read and reread and I expect willdo so many times over the years . . ."TheSky Is Big Enough for All of Us," byWyatt Brummitt [Spring 1979 Kite Lines] .What a marvelous speech that was . I tendto use words like excellent and marvelousfar too much, my friends tell me, but thistime I use them consciously and deliberately,because I think, along with yourForeword to [Hiroi's] Sculpting the Sky,this particular piece is a minor classic inkite writing . I want to say a very sincerepersonal thank you to Wyatt Brummittfor those words and to you through KiteLines for bringing it to us .Clive C . O . RawlinsonChelmsford, Essex, EnglandTHE THRILL OF THE BEASTEnclosed are photos of one of my kites .It's made from aluminum, 'h-inch dia .wooden dowel, stainless steel and about32 square meters of nylon woven fabric .Like a lot of my friends here, I find mybiggest thrill is getting the beast erectedand enjoying the company of people whocome to watch . This kite flies well and is

With the aid of his friends, Bruce Comfort assembles and flies his giant Hargrave-style box kite in Wellington, New Zealand .very stable . The area shown is Wellington,which is a beautiful city but windy!Bruce ComfortWellington . New ZealandReaders are encouraged to reply to lettersand we will route them to appropriateparties whenever possible. Address yourletters to Kite Lines "Letters," 7106Campfield Road, Baltimore, MD 21207,USA . All letters become the property ofKite Lines . The editor reserves the rightto edit letters for publication .

What's New:Kites, Books, SundriesKites: RotorsSATELLITE KITEManufactured by Satellite Kites, $5 .95ppd ., this kite was a near-bust . It flew,but just barely .From a flier's viewpoint, Satellite Kite'sflight aspect resembles a squatty cross, ormathematical plus-sign (+) . Well-knownto experimenting aficionados, the configurationis of the kind frequently named aCenter Stabilizer (Disk) Rotor Kite . Thelift-producing horizontal member, in planform,is an approximate 110 square-inchellipse ; its cross-section is more-or-lessstrained into a vestigial S-foil by means ofan S-shaped slot symmetrically cut throughthe intersecting vertical stabilizer disk .Both components are die-cut from aleathery, resilient, plastic foam-flab material-anideal substance for fabricatingersatz "flab-jacks ." The resilience of thismaterial precludes serious crash damage ;unhappily, that very quality deprives thestructure of vital rigidity-rigidity necessaryto maintain in-flight alignment of thekite's working surfaces!Satellite's bridle might be of passinginterest to gadgeteers. It is a closed loopof monofilament that passes through thebrass-bushed ends of the kite's transparentplastic axis-tube ; in effect, the tensionedmonofilament actually serves as the "axle"about which the kite rotates! It is hopedthat the kite centers itself and reformsthe loop into a triangular configurationbridle-leg,kite-axis and bridle-leg . (Flierswho have owned samples of the presentlydefunct Rotoki may remember that theyemployed a similar self-adjusting bridle asa design feature .)ROLL-O-KITEThis rotor kite, manufactured by RAFCO,about $5 .00 retail, flies tolerably well ifcertain precautions advocated by themaker are practiced ; namely, reinforcingthe structure with glue and tying a 15' 1square of cloth about 24 1 T ahead of thebridle junction as a high-wind/rough-air"stabilizer ."As the flier sees it, the flight aspect ofthis kite resembles a squatty Roman capitalH-another "film spool" rotor kite("Patent Applied For"-for some arcanereason) . The horizontal member (liftingcomponent) utilizes the near-ubiquitous,moderately inefficient, thin S-foil crosssection. The vertical-plane members(endplates) are the usually-seen circulardisks that enhance most horizontal-rotor

What's New. . . Continuedkites' directional stability and lift efficiency.These major components are ofmolded or die-cut plastic foam of the styrofoamkind-moderately dense and moderatelyrigid . Minor fittings and pivots areingeniously-tooled, injection-molded thermoplasticmaterial . Metal pivots wouldhave been better . As is often the case withmass-produced kites, this one's performanceis not up to the level of quality thata careful individual designer and makernormally realizes from his or her efforts .However, I'd recommend Roll-O-Kiteto anyone who'd like to get acquaintedwith the genre . Made to a larger scaleabout1 .4 times larger-and provided withsuper-proportionally greater diameterendplates, an efficient fat-foil form, pluscareful workmanship and balance, thiskind of rotor kite is capable of outstandingperformance-and it needn't have itsclean design cluttered with flag or handkerchiefstabilizers, either!SAM DA VINCI'S UFOManufactured by Bargain Basement, $6 .00ppd ., the "Unconventional Flying Object"rotor kite utilizes conventional geometrycommon to the center-stabilizer kind ; i .e .,a more-or-less elliptical planform liftingbodywhich rotates about its horizontalor long axis and which incorporates witha centrally fixed stabilizer disk whoseplane contains the short axis of the ellipseand is perpendicular to the long, rotationalaxis .The sample UFO consisted mainly oftwo '/2-mil membranes of tough, Estar® -type thermoplastic material cemented toperimeters or surrounds of formed translucentImperial Eastman Nylo-Seal® tubing,33-SN-3/16 . The two major componentswere joined together at their commonintersection by flexible transparent adhesive-tapehinges which permitted the kiteto be collapsed and packed flat in anenvelope for shipment . The only assemblyoperation required to prepare the UFOfor flight was that of erecting the stabilizerdisk perpendicular to the elliptical liftingbody and securing the configuration withfour "guide lines" (actually stays) whichwere slivers of peel-and-apply sticky tape .Experienced users of rotor kite airfoilsof high efficiency may well wonder whythe essentially flat tympanous pellicle airfoilof the UFO can be expected to autorotateand subsequently enjoy lift fromMagnus forces . The fact that a flat airfoilis indeed capable of rotating in a fair windand therefore can enjoy lift forces, albeitinefficiently, deserves brief discussionuninhibited by sesquipedalian, scholarlyanalysis of the phenomenon . Colorfully,capriciously and with good cause we maycall it "The Bull-roarer Effect ."Fliers youngerthan 60 may notremember that, toomany generations ago,bull-roarers were currentas popular, simple, homemadetoys . A proper, functionalbull-roarer consistedof little more than a long,thin slat of wood-oftenpurloined from an opportuneshutter or windowblind-to which a lengthof string was tied througha small hole bored nearone end . The child's dutyand-pleasurewas to whirlthe slat rapidly in a horizontalcircle-plane above hisor her head . As the whirlingcommenced, magic happened :the slat acquired rapid rotation about itslong (string) axis and emitted a mostgratifying, satisfying, fluttery roar of amagnitude guaranteed to prod prostrateparents from their postprandial pallets!More magic : As the slat assumed respectablyhigh rotational velocity, noticeableMagnus forces came into play ; prevailedover resistant centrifugal force ; andthe nearly plane, circular path initiallytaken by the slat and its string evolvedinto one of two possible conical pathenvelopes: base-up position-slat high ; orbase-down position-slat low . Either positionwas determined by the rotationalsense of the slat .Since the sophistications of swivelsseldom were savored in the Olden Days,guess what happened? You are right .After being twisted many turns, the stringstored up sufficient torque energy torevolt (if it didn't break) ; it overcameoriginal rotational inertias and obliged theslat to rotate a while in the opposite sense .As a consequence, the bull-roarer slatalternately cycled in high-low-high-lowpaths . These oscillations continued aslong as youthful energy and exuberancepersisted .END OF DIGRESSIONWe resume discussion of the UFO . Thebridle is the usual V-shape ; about 31 incheson each branch ; heavy monofilament witha knotted loop-bight at the junction ; eachbranch extremity is tied to one hole in atwo-holer shirt button (!) ; the remaininghole in each button serves as a pivot bearing. Other pedestrian items are : truncateddressmaker pins as pivots ; pherical plasticbeads as friction-reducing pivot spacers .Originally, the kite's mass imbalanceor vestigial geometrical unsymmetrycaused it to fly in a wing-low attitude .The condition was corrected by shorteningthe bridle branch attached to thelowside pivot .This rotor kite has no "top" or "bottom"as do its brothers which sport curvedasymmetric airfoils . Therefore, on anygiven flight attempt, the current "up"side should move in rotation away fromthe flier, or downwind . One would thinkthat the kite at random would commencerotation in either sense when committedto ample ambient airflow-fifty-fifty,heads or tails . However, the UFO Trollsmust have stacked the deck : the test-kitepreferred to commence turning in thedesired sense four times out of five!Simple but ample instructions packedwith the kite included a phrase that someof us elder fliers may consider to be eviladvice : "To fly, stand with your back to

KITING, we call it now-the serious,involving adult art, science and sport offlying and making kites . It is somethingof a trend, one that started in the 70sand with the 80s is expected to continueto grow in variety and fascination .People are recognizing the values ofkiting as a creative challenge for allages, as fresh as all outdoors, free ofpollution and nonconsuming of energy .The lore of the kite begins with itsorigin in China's Han Dynasty and continueswith its role as the ancestor ofthe airplane . Kites have been used toward off evil, deliver love messages, raisebanners, drop propaganda leaflets, catchfish, spy on enemies, send radio signals,measure the weather, photograph theearth, tow vehicles, advertise politiciansand lift passengers into the sky . Kiting'scultural diversity is reflected in thevaried traditions and designs that characterizekites in different nations . Forexample, in India and Thailand, kitingis akin to a national sport .Today in every state in the Unionand at least 40 other countries, growingnumbers of impassioned adults flykites almost every week of the year .Over 100 U .S . kite shops cater to theenthusiasm, and an equal number ofkite festivals are drawing crowds annuallyin towns and cities-a noted examplebeing Washington, DC, with its SmithsonianKite Carnival . Here the skies arefilled with a United Nations of kites,what Time magazine called a "socioculturalanthology of man's immemorialurge to fly ." Though kites are easy tomake or buy, they are only superficiallytrivial. Kite curricula are appearing onthe university level-while about 40kite clubs are thriving around the world,linked by their own quarterly journal,Kite Lines . Together these influencesare bringing kite civilization to remoteareas-Indiana farmland, urban openspace, suburb, wilderness, shoppingcenter . To fly a kite is to risk addiction .There's a certain kind of day that givesa kiter a case of kite finger itch . That'swhen the trees are a-jiggle against a cleanblue sky, flecked at times by clouds ona briefguideto safeand sureKITINGthe move . It might be a day in earlyspring . Or it could just as well be summer,fall or winter . Kites know noseason . The stereotyping of kiting as aspringtime thing is on its way out. Akiter picks a day, not a season . Patternsof weather vary with geography, so it iswell to become familiar with your area'sweather . Recognize, too, that there'ssuch a thing as too much wind . Dependingon your kite, typical good-flyingweather provides steady winds in arange of 4-18 miles per hour (not whentrees start swaying) .Seize the day . Enjoy the spontaneousappeal of kites. But exercise somecaution . People have been killed flyingkites, but only from real foolishness .Keep safety in mind . In the U .S ., theFederal Aviation Administration has asingle regulation governing kites underfive pounds in weight :No person may operate a kite in amanner that creates a hazard to persons,property or other aircraft .To make this general regulationspecific, Kite Lines has recommendedthe following safety code . While thecode is not all-inclusive, it's a recognizedbasic guide for individual kiteflying .The KITE LINES Safety CodeThe Four Nevers of Kiteflying1 . Never fly a kite in wet or stormyweather, and keep your line dry .2 . Never fly a kite near electricpower lines, transmission towers orantennas .3 . Never fly a kite with wire oranything metallic in its line .4 . Never fly a hard-pulling kitewithout wearing gloves .Five Things to Avoid while Kiteflying1 . Public streets and highways - don't fly in or near them .2 . Air traffic patterns .3 . Bystanders in your kite's lineof attack-especially when flyingmaneuverable kites .4 . Rocky, bumpy or obstaclefilledfields-they can trip you up .5 . Trees-but if you do lose akite to a kite-eating tree, loosenthe line and let the wind fly it out .Some fliers will spend considerabletime traveling to reach a favorite kitingspot . Beaches are an example, becauseof their steady winds . As with shoresalong most bodies of water, they usuallyenjoy good air flow . Wide open hillsides(on the windward side) are ideal . Butanywhere that you can find a few clearacres may serve you well . Schoolyards,parks and farmlands are likely candidates. Less obvious are old abandonedairfields, rooftops and parking lots onSunday afternoons .In these times, it's a great comfort thatkites can still be had for under a dollar .Kiting thus is still one of the mostaccessible of sports . But also a pleasureis the fact that kites are available inever-increasing variety and quality . Thesport thrives on having no standardizedrules or equipment . Once of paper,leaves or silk, kites today are usuallymade of space-age plastics such asMylar® or Tyvek®, or of durable syntheticfabrics, notably rip-stop nylon(also known as spinnaker cloth) . Fiberglassrod spars may take the place ofwooden sticks now . Line is apt to betough braided nylon or polyester, upto 100-lb . test or stronger. Sophisticatedkite reels come in a wide selection . Andalthough you can spend over $1000 ona kite, most are still under $10, remarkablymodest compared to skiing regalia,a golf club membership or a sailboat .Durable kites are recognized as a goodinvestment in high-value family recreation. Often handcrafted in stunning

designs, today's kites are an art form, fitfor a gallery. But they hang best in thesky . In getting started, your only problemmay be deciding on a kite . It'simpossible to recommend one type ofkite over another, since each has itsown personality . Discovering them willbe your private delight .Another option open to the avid kiteris making your own kite . You may firstbecome enraptured by commercialmodels . In fact, few kiters are weanedfrom them entirely. But many kitersare soon led into making somethingwith their own hands . There's specialgratification in building one's own birdand setting it flying . Many artists havefound in kites a medium of creativeexpression unlike anything else . Theexpenditure of hours of planning andconstruction can be more than equivalentto the cost of the ready-to-fly kites .Most kites on today's market requireminimum assembly and are very easyto fly . But it can prevent problems ifyou check out your kite before flyingit . Look first for balance and properbridling . A well-balanced kite will beevenly weighted side-to-side, will havea symmetrical shape and frame, andwhen suspended from its towing pointwill rock gently and find a balancerather than flip all the way to one side.A kite's bridle should position the kite'sleading edge about 15 degrees higherthan its trailing edge when suspendedfrom its towing point .The bridle is the first point of correctionto check on an ill-behavingkite . Two of the most common bridlingdefects are unequal leg lengths anda too-short bridle . In a light wind, youmay want to increase the angle ofattack with a lower bridle ; in strongwind, you can spill more air with ahigher towing hitch . A little experimentationwill help you find optimumbridle settings . Take to the field-with-your kite-repair materials and (if you'reflying a flat kite or a touchy bowed one)tails, such as crepe paper streamers orrags. Many a cranky kite settles downwith a tail as a baby does with a securityblanket . See that your line is wound onsome kind of reel or winder . Even a tincan is far better for line handling thana fumble-thumbs ball of string . Bewarethe new ball when you reach the end ofthe line, which is rarely tied to the core!Now prepare to launch . For most kites,have a friend walk your kite out about100 feet from you . The wind will be atyour back and in the face of yourhelper and your kite . Have your friendhold the kite lightly by the center sticks .If there is a tail on the kite, extend itfully on the ground in front of the kite .When you're ready and you feel thewind is right, signal or call to your assist.ant for release while you hold the linetaut-and watch the kite rise! You won'thave to run . Just keep tension on theline and let it out smoothly and fastenough for the kite to gain altitude"Pumping" the line spurs lift if thewind is sluggish. Once the kite is upabove the ground turbulence, it willusually settle nicely into the steadyupper breezes .If you encounter a no-wind situation,your alternatives are these : (1) usea lighter kite ; (2) make a "high-start"launch, one even further from yourassistant, such as 200 to 500 feet(3) accept the conditions with grace :there will be another day .As you practice launching, you'llsoon learn ways to do it without ahelper, working your kite right offyour hand and into the sky . (Of course,very large kites always require help . InJapan, whole teams of 100 people flygigantic 48 x 36-foot kites on ropes 1'hinches thick .) You'll also learn how tohandle line and how to land a kite, slackingthe line so the kite doesn't crash, or"walking down" the kite, letting afriend reel in while you walk towardthe kite with the line under your arm .As your kite flies, keep an eye on it .Some kites are so stable they can be tiedoff and left untended . But other kites,less predictable, may need observation .There's a difference of opinion onthe subject of altitude . Some want theirkites far out, to the point of invisibility ;others want to see and manipulatetheir kites .Proficiency in kiting is largely amatter of experience . That holds trueespecially for maneuverable kitesfighters(one-line maneuverables) andstunters (dual-line controlled) . Thesekites are the sport's new wave, dancingthrough the sky . Tournaments to pitskills are on the increase in the U .S .,and include patterned measures ofexecution for stunter kites . "Figurekiting" includes hedge-hopping, diving,figure eights and more, as well as freestyle,poetically performed to music .One caution : maneuverables must behandled with respect because they arespace-consuming and people-threateningas they swoop over terrain ; i .e ., theyare not to be flown on crowded beaches .New enthusiasts can hasten their immersionin the sport through reading .Many kiters recommend Kites, byWyatt Brummitt (Golden Guide series),a buy at $1 .95 . Top choice for a comprehensivebook is The Penguin Bookof Kites by David Pelham at $4 .95 .still available in many stores . Threeother good texts (each $4 .95) are Hiroi'sKites . Sculpting the Sky, Newmans'Kite Craft and Yolen's Complete Bookof Kites and Kite Flying . An art bookabout kites is sculptor Tal Streeter'sThe Art of the Japanese Kite, $17 .50.To become an all-out member ofthe kiting family, the quarterly journalKite Lines is indispensable at $9 .00 ayear. It contains national and internationalnews of kiting events, constructionplans and techniques, profilesof kiters, kite and book reviews,in-depth feature articles-and somevery interesting advertising. New subscriptionsstart with the Kite LinesAnnotated Kite Bibliography, whichlists and evaluates nearly every book inprint on the subject of kites . Kite Linesreflects and nurtures the growing worldwidecommunity of kite enthusiasts . Itis located at 7106 Campfield Road .Baltimore, Maryland 21207, USA .Kite Lines recently expressed somephilosophy that kiters are repeating :Kites make the worldseem smallerand the skyseem bigger .May you find this secret and manyothers for yourself as you explore thisancient pastime and modern sport .©Kite Lines 1980All rights reserved . However, permissionto copy this leaflet is granted to anyoneprovided it is reproduced in full . Partialuses are strictly prohibited withoutprior written consent from Kite Liness

what's New. . . Continuedthe wind and walk backwards ." (Italicsmine-GDA . )Because of its small size (12-inch spanand 91h-inch diameter), it would seem tobe efficacious to reverse the kite's membranecoverings ; that is, apply the aluminizedmaterial to the airfoil and the transparentmaterial to the disk . The resultinglight-blink would make the vehicle morevisible to the flier .UFO flies-not too efficiently, butfairly stably . For anyone who has not yetflown a rotor kite and is willing to shuckout the asking price, UFO can be aninteresting introduction to the Magnusforces phenomenon and, yes, to TheBull-roarer Effect .BEAUTIFUL SINNERKites and Kite Flying, by Ambrose Lloydand Nicolette Thomas (Hamlyn, distributedby A & W Publishers, Inc ., 95 MadisonAve ., New York, NY 10016 ; 1978), 96pages, $6 .98 (+ 75d postage & handling) .Big and beautiful, full of color andbargain priced, this looks like a great book .Unfortunately, it's disappointing .The pages in Kites and Kite Flying are9 x 12 1/2 inches, the largest of any kitebook in print . And this plus the fact thatfull color pictures are lavished on 44 ofthe pages is justification enough for mostbook buyers . Which is fortunate for thepublishers, since the writing has all thespark and authority of hired space-filling .Why another abbreviated retelling ofkite history? The more times Clive Hart's*work is "researched," the more it's degraded. For example, the theory of the"spread" of kites from China through theorient and Oceania and eventually to theWest is here accepted as fact, although it'sonly Hart's speculation . (It's an interestingone . I'd like to see an anthropologistmake a study of kites as an example ofculture spread .)Why another pass through world kitecustoms? And if we must so pass, why iskite fighting barely discussed? (It is mentionedunder Japan and Korea ; India isignored in this book .)Like most kite books, this one turnsup a few good items, such as an amusingadventure told by Baden-Powell . But theerrors are abundant, beginning with themisspelling of some important kite names,continuing with misidentification of picturedkites (a Flexifoil Eurostack is called"a parafoil") and cresting with the garbledsection on "How Kites Fly ." Glaring gapsare reels and the current kite scene . Thereis a bibliography of nine books, a scrambled,out-of-date list of kite associationsand no index . Instructions for making sixkites are included . I will say the drawingsare very neat and clear . While the bookmay aim to delight rather than enlighten,one wonders if so much inaccuracy is anecessary corollary to that purpose .The layout of Kites and Kite Flying ishandsome enough to disguise not onlythe textual weaknesses but illustrativeshortcomings as well . It is inexplicablethat some of the kite choices receivedtwo-page spread treatment . Nor does thequality of the photography in every casewithstand the enlargement ; some of thepictures are overblown in both senses ofthe word .By contrast, some scenes are full ofexciting content, but they are monstrouslyundercaptioned : the kitefliers in themare unidentified . I cry out-Who are you,gentleman with the large bird kite, youngman bridling the huge pink Cody, studiousfellow next to a white Conyne twice yourheight? The reader ought to know . Butmore than that, the authors' worst sin istheir failure to credit the people to whomthe book owes so much of its value . 0

DesignvWorkshopCOMPANION KITESFOR FUN AND GAMES :THE SHOOTING ARROWAND THE BULL'S-EYE TARGETBy Ed GrauelIt seems the hottest thing in kiting todayis the two-line control kite . It comes inseveral shapes and sizes for flying invarious quantities and combinations .Actually, almost any type of kite can beconverted into a satisfactory dual-linecontrollable . On-the-air kites (such as flat,bowed, keeled, box, parawing) are usuallyquite sensitive to the control lines and requiresome training or practice to stuntthem properly . Against-the-air kites (suchas parafoil, sled, rotor) are generally moreforgiving under control, but look prettymuch the same in the air whether flyingsideways, right-side-up or upside down .You can achieve the happy combinationof a readily recognizable stuntingkite with ease of control by use of abowed kite in the form of an arrow-whichalways points in the direction it is going!Then you can combine it with a targetkite at which to shoot .THE SHOOTING ARROWThe arrow itself is cut out in solid-coloredfabric, paper or plastic and the rest of thekite is clear vinyl, which is usually invisiblefrom a few feet below . The design is notdifficult except for the problem of cuttingout pieces which have to fit and be attachedto each other . This means youshould allow about four hours to completethe job .MATERIALS• A 30x36" piece of plastic, Tyvek ® orfabric .• Apiece of clear vinyl 8x17" or 11x14" .Examples are Plastiglass, Clopane or Flex-O-Glass, obtainable at larger building andsupply stores .• Three 1/a"-dia . dowels, one 36" long,one 30" long and the third 6 1/2" long .• Two 3" lengths of flexible tubing with1/ iiinside dimension .• Four eyelets .• One small screw eye .• A 6 t length of cord suitable for bridling .TOOLSIn addition to scissors, ruler, markingpencil and glue, a quarter-inch drill andan eyelet punch are needed . A sewingmachine is optional .INSTRUCTIONS1 . Start by cutting out an arrow shape 36"high by 30 fl wide, as shown in the drawing. If the angles prove difficult, try cuttingthe kite in diamond shape along thedotted lines, then cut away the transparentareas . If the kite is to be made in fabricand sewn, add provision for a 1 1/a 11 spacevertically in the center of the kite for apocket to hold a 1/a??-dia . dowel, 3611 long,as a center mast . If the material you areusing requires hems to prevent raveling,add a half-inch at the top and on the sidesfor hemming . In a pocket, the mast willhave to be tied in by drilling an % " holenear the top and bottom of the dowel,and a cord pulled through the fabric andthe mast with a needle, and then tied .2 . Using a clear vinyl, cut out two halfrectangularsections to go on the sidesand one triangular area for the bottom ofthe kite . As shown in the drawings, 1/2"spaces are provided to allow overlappingof the body of the kite, either by sewingor by suitable adhesion .3 . A 1/" dia . dowel, 30" long, is used as aspreader . It may be fitted with curtain

hooks at each end to be inserted into eyeletson the kite, or pockets may be sewnat the horizontal extremities of the kiteto accept the dowel .4. To install the double bridle, first inserta small screw eye in the lower end of thecenter mast, as shown by the lower X inthe drawing . Then put eyelets or grommetsat the two points shown by theupper X's . The two bridle lines go throughthese eyelets and are tied to a small pieceof doweling on the back of the kite toprevent the lines' pulling through . Thelower ends of the bridles are tied to thescrew eye at the bottom of the centermast . Small rings may be placed on thebridles, down from the top about onefifthof the total length of the bridles, totie on the flying line .5 . Since the lateral stability of this kite isobtained by bowing, either a customarybow string may be tied to each end of thespreader or a 3 !t piece of flexible plastictubing can be slit half-way through in thecenter, bent half-way over and slipped onthe center mast where the spreadercrosses it . A similar piece of tubing is insertedat the center of the spreader, thena piece of 1/a! 1 dia . dowel, 6 1/211 long, isplaced in the open ends of the tubing toachieve a bowing effect . If a pocket issewn for the mast, it will be necessary tocut a 111 opening in the pocket to allowthe dowel to be inserted in the tubing . Analternative to tubing would be a smallhardwood block drilled to slip on thecenter mast, with another drilled hole tohold the 6 1/211 dowel inserted between themast and the spreader .FLYINGYou now have a controllable ShootingArrow kite, which should do well in anywind between 5 and 30 miles per hour . Itcan be scaled upwards without difficulty,but I find bowed kites usually do not dowell in sizes smaller than 36 11 high .THE BULL'S-EYE TARGET KITEAfter you've practiced with the two-lineShooting Arrow kite (so that it will gowhere you want it to, when you want itto), you may be ready for the counterpart,a target to shoot at . This can be in theform of a circular parachute kite in ringsof contrasting color, such as red and white,to simulate a bull's-eye target . Parachutekites need to be made in nonraveling fabricbecause plastic stretches out of shape andnontearing paper doesn't take color well .No special tools are required to make aparachute kite, but the time and careneeded to cut out the sections and tomeasure and install the shroud lines putsthe kite in the moderately difficult classand requires four or five hours to make .MATERIALS• A piece of material 36x42 1/2!' in acolor of your choice (I used red) .• A piece of material 27x27!1 in a contrastingcolor (I used white) .• Twelve '/!!-wide pieces of ribbon 3! 1long for use as tabs to attach shroud lines .• Two 1/2-ounce weights (obtainablewhere curtains and draperies are sold) .• About 20 feet of braided or wovencord for shroud lines .INSTRUCTIONS1 . First, cut out the red fabric in the 36x42 1/2!! oval shape, as shown in the diagram .Then, working from the center point, inscribethree circle at 3 11 , 8!! and 13 !! . Thecenter circle at 3 ! 1 is cut out, and also thecircle between the 8!1 and 13! 1 marks .This is where the white circle is sewn betweenthe two red areas .2 . Establish a center point on the whitefabric and inscribe four circles at 7 1/211, 8!!,13 11 and 13 1/2!! . Cut out at the 7 1/21 1 and13 1/2!! marks .3 . Sew the white section to the two redsections as close to the 811 and 13 11 marksas possible . Sew the overlapping 1/2 11 areasat the 7 1/2 11 and 13 1/2!1 marks .4 . Cut out two 3¼x4½x6½" trapezoidvents in the white section, as shown inthe drawing .5 . Sew 12 tabs at the points numberedfrom number 1 to number 6, and the twohalf-ounce weights at A and B, shown inthe drawing .6 . Cut six 31 pieces from the woven orbraided cord, for use as shroud lines .Shroud lines are tied from tab 1 to tab 1,tab 2 to tab 2, and so on . An overhandknot is tied at the center of each shroudand care must be taken to make the measurementsexact . Even an/.-inch variationwill cause the kite to lean in one directionor the other . The length of the shroudlines from the knot at the center to thetabs should be :#1 to #1 31 1/2!! #4 to #4 301/2!!#2 to #2 3311 #5 to #5 34 1/2!!#3 to #3 30 1/2!! #6 to #6 34 1/2!!The six shroud lines are linked togetherthrough the center knots with a cord tobe attached to the flying line .The parachute bull's-eye kite will flyin winds from about 6 to 16 miles perhour . It can be tied down and the ShootingArrow kite aimed at it from any direction. It makes a spectacular demonstration .Observers won't believe their eyes!

Profiles . . .ParafoilsGeorge Ham'sStory and Photographsby Martin Payne DowlingAlcatraz is vanishing in the fog as thewind on San Francisco Bay makes thekite lines whistle ."I've never seen a kite like that!""It's a patented Jalbert Parafoil . Itdoesn't have sticks ."term "Big" was originally applied toGeorge's jewelry or his ample physique!Within a week of George's introductionto the Parafoil, he reappeared at theMarina Green with his own version . He isone of those rare males who has trainingin sewing machines, so it was a simplematter to use one of his three sewingmachines, pick the proper material andproper needle and sew away! While thesewing machine was simple, designing aParafoil that flew was another matterentirely! "I think I'm having a littletrouble with this Parafoil ."Round and round went the collectionAs George does not own a televisionset, he devoted much time to design experimentsand his productivity increased .In only a few short years, George has designedand created a collection of 15Parafoils . George's designs are varied andat times sensational . His collection includesa "skull and crossbones" blackParafoil, a multicolored "Grandma Quilt,"the "Slim Jim" (2 x 7 feet) and thematching "Twice as Wide" (4 x 7 feet) .At the extremes in size are George's constructionsof a colossal 50 square foot allblueParafoil with 50 large red stars andthe "Baby," a 1'h-square-foot Parafoil .The "superstar" of the collection andthe one which draws the most attention isthe "American Flag" Parafoil (6 x 10 feet)which is proudly flown each weekend atthe Marina Green ."What is it made of?""Rip-stop nylon . I'll pull it down andshow it to you ." The collapse of inflatedcloth is followed by close inspection ."I can make a kite like that!"Three years ago at the Marina Greenon the San Francisco waterfront, George"Big Jade" Ham returned to his car andbegan his new hobby-kiting .George, a native of Nebraska and aCalifornia resident since 1940, acquiredthe name "Big Jade" from his long associationwith rock and gem collectionsspecializing in large pieces of Wyomingjade . It remains unclear whether theof cloth cells,looking more likevery large sausage thana Parafoil . There wasobviously room for improvement-andimprovement didfollow . With an appreciation forthe close tolerances in preparingthe cloth and the ability to preciselysew the cells and rig the kite, George'skites showed marked improvement inflight and stability after a few months oftesting and study . The skill that he developedon his jade jewelry showed itself inthe care with which he produced his"gems" of the air .

Par ExcellenceGeorge conceived the design idea forthis model after seeing an American flagflown on the line below another kite .Thus began the complicated job of preparingpatterns, obtaining the necessarycolored nylon, cutting the stars requiredfor such a large kite and sewing the coloredstripes cutting horizontally across eachParafoil cell .George estimates that the planning,design consultation, sewing and rigging ofthe American Flag kite consumed at least250 hours, an overwhelming task madeworthwhile by the sensational results . Itis a wonder at the end of 200 feet of line .Marion, his wife, encourages, aids andabets him . She helps him launch his creations,untangles lines and does yeomanservice in "walking down" the kites beforeGeorge is pulled away by the San FranciscoBay winds . She serves as an informationsource for spectators' questions andfills the picnic lunch basket on goodflying days .It is necessary to note that DominaJalbert, the inventor and patent-holder ofthe Parafoil design, has been of considerableassistance and guidance . When Georgewas first experimenting with these designs,a friend suggested that the inventor wasthe kind of person who would be interested,helpful and encouraging . It wasfound to be true, and beyond that Jalbertoffered useful comments and suggestionsvia constant correspondence and not infrequenttelephone calls which have resultedin a close and enthusiastic relationshipbetween inventor and experimenter . Withthis encouragement, George continues toturn out Parafoils for his own use .In the future, George indicates that hewill be working on some new shapes anddesigns for patterns to be new "gems" inthe sky over the Marina . It seems thatabout once each month, George teasesthe imagination of other kitefliers withhints of a "new idea" in Parafoils . "BigJade" George Ham hopes to keep the airfilled with kites for many years to come .

Empty Spaces in the Sky. . .ALLISON'S DEATH LEARNEDKite Lines learned only recently of thedeath of William M . Allison on March 22,1978, at age 62, of a stroke, in Dayton,Ohio, where he had lived all his life .Allison led a quiet life, lit by hope forhis inventions and pride in the kite patenthe applied for on September 8, 1950, andwas awarded over five years later onMarch 6, 1956 . Allison was the inventorof the kite popularly called the sled, whichhe himself named the polymorphic kite.He started designing it in the late 40s,finalized the prototype in 1962 and continuedto work on it as late as 1977 .Legend has it that one of his kitesbroke loose one day and was recovereddown the street by Frank Scott, whostarted making modified versions in earnest,to such an extent that the kite becameknown as the Scott Sled. AsAllison's son, William (Terry) Allison,recounts the tale, "Frank Scott got it, cuta hole out of it and made a very erratickite out of a very stable kite ." Scott succeededin popularizing the kite but notthe name Allison, which is still not asrecognized as Rogallo or Jalbert .Terry describes his father as a familyman, employed in maintenance, wholoved to invent things and was fascinatedby "things that fly ." He often flew kiteswith his four children in the neighborhood .In a rare flicker of limelight, Allisonappeared in a Dayton Daily News story in1950, just after he had applied for hispatent . But the article's focus was on thekite's having been tracked as the sourcefor a UFO sighting . He received a measureof appreciation from kite enthusiastswhen Ed Grauel wrote a story about himin the Fall 1974 issue of Kite Tales (predecessorof KiteLines) . Grauel pronouncedthat "Allison's place in the history ofkiting is assured . He gave to the worldone of the simplest, yet one of the finestall-around kites that anyone has evolvedWILLIAM M. ALLISONin over 2,500 years of kiting ."Those of us who have seen hundredsof smiles beam from the faces of fliers ofsleds have hundreds of reasons toremember William M . Allison . V .G .

Sirs :I wasencouragedto forward my"Facet Kite" design toyou so that others might enjoyflying this new cellular kite . If this ,kite encourages others to explore thepossibilities of this construction, I'd loveto hear of any hybrids which result .Stephen J . Robinson7 Hastings Close, Newbold VillageChesterfield, Derbyshire, S41 8RH, EnglandDATE OFPOSTMARK :FEBRUARY 19, 1979Comment by Curtis MarshallStephen Robinson's Facet Kite is of thesame family as Peter Waldron's Prof . Waldofdesign-but appears to lend itself moreeasily to the whims of the imaginativefabricator .The Facet Kite, as presented byRobinson, is actually the basic approachto a whole series of applications-triangular,square, pentagonal, hexagonal, etc .After studying the plan, I decided to buildthe square version since it seemed the leasttime-consuming . The material was 34-ouncerip-stop nylon with 1/4-inch plastic curtainrings sewn in at each point instead of thesplit rings in the plan . For the corners, Iused 3/.-inch-thick nylon disks drilled radiallyat 90 degrees . Lightweight 5 /, d-inchdia . dowels were used instead of the areinch dia . ones indicated . Assembly presentedno problems .The kite is not for light wind andshould be looked upon as usable in moderateto high winds, probably 8 to 20knots . It exhibits a surprising stabilityonce there is sufficient breeze to keep italoft . It flies at a low angle in a moderatebreeze, but climbs to about 70 degreeswith gusts of 12 to 15 knots. There is no"glide effect" and the kite drops suddenlyas soon as the wind slacks off. Althoughperformance is good with either a two- orthree-leg bridle, the length of the bridlelegs must be about equal and close to 36inches each .Successful extrapolation of the designwould seem to require careful attentionto the ratio of weight to wing area . Itwould be altogether too easy to becomeengrossed in the geometry and to forgetthat the cells must not become disproportionatelysmall . This would increase notonly weight but also drag while providingno increase in lift . Nonetheless, I thinkthat it would be intriguing to try this kitedesign with a reduction of 4 :1 as well aswith an increase of 1 :4 . Size alterationsof these magnitudes would probably offersome challenge and provide entertainmentwell into the wee small hours, not to mentionconsumption of calculator batteries .

: the flatFirst in a SeriesThe GreatContemporaryKites and theirinventorsBy Tal StreeterUntil a scant 31 years ago, there leavebeen only three generic, significantlydistinctive mainstream kiteskite, the hewed kit , , and the cellular o,•'box kite . Lawrence Hargrave's box wasthe first uniquely western kite, a kitewithout precedent in all of history,One which had the added distinctionof p laying a paramount rol e in thedevelopment of the first air lane . Itwas, of course, the airplane which Pitthalt to kite development . As a consequence, the three° haste kites seemeddestined to remain forever the mostperfect relationship between the windand ,r tethered flying object thathumankind would design .But there were to be more kites . Aspilot and fable-spinner Antoine deSaint-Exupery explained in Wind, Sandand Stars, "In anything at all, perfectionis finally attained not when thereis no longer anything to 'I'll" hilt whenthere is no longer anything to takeaway . . . '' Remarkably it appeared thatstill more could be taker away fromthe spare kiteflying machine, to refinestill further- the very essence of anOpin-created byobject in tethered flight. First, in 1948,-ante Francis ;11 . Rogallo's Flexikiteand, in 1950 . William M. Allison's sled,then, in 1967, Domina Jalbert's Parafoil.A ll were American designs . Mostrecently a contribution from Englandhas carried equiva lent rank in theion : the of Flexifoil,manyAndrew Jones and Ray Merry .Each of the four new kites hasMarkedly changed the character ofcontemporary kite forms and flying .Each has a loyal following as well asoutspoken critics, (Kiting is definitelya partisan af fair .) .4 re there now sevengeneric, significantly distinctive, mainstreamkites?*fifteen hundred years ago, Ecclesiasteslamented the futility of life, themonotony of all things, the windblowing in one direction, then theother, tin activities of men: " . .thereis no new thing under the sun. Is thereanything whereof it may b e sato, sec .this is new?" In kites, perhaps yes . Ibegan writing these articles with theintent of widening 111y own knowledgeof these kites, which I greatly enjoyed,and the lives of their inventors . Form y first essay, I choose the Englishman .ANDREW JONES, RAY MERRY AND THE FLEXIFOILA familiar sight in Europe's skies, GreatBritain's speeding Flexifoil is still littleknown in the United States . Whereasspeed has not generally been a considerationin typical kiteflying, the Flexifoildares to break speed records . It furtherchallenges the normal sedentary nature ofpleasure kiteflying by requiring strengthand endurance of its fliers .Advertising literature describes the"Flexifoil Skysail" much as I would, notingthat it "has been called a `flyingmattress' by those who have seen it forthe first time wheeling through the sky . Itlooks quite unlike any other kite . Six feetacross, the Flexifoil pulls like a horse .Land yachters and skateboarders use themto provide traction, attaining speeds inexcess of 20 miles per hour . A train ofFlexifoils has pulled a two-ton van uphillacross grass . The production rip-stop nylonFlexifoil is controlled by twin 200-footlines which run from the hand-held controlbar to the kite . By turning the bar,the flier can make the kite loop, dive andhedgehop just inches above the ground .The name `Flexifoil' derives from the flexingof the single fiberglass spar in theleading edge . This flexible spar enablesthe airfoil form to change its shape inflight and adjust to winds as light as 8miles per hour and as strong as 50 milesper hour . This same adaptability coupledwith the firmness of the spar allows theFlexifoil to accelerate to speeds in excessof 100 miles per hour . The sport of Flexifoilingis rapidly becoming a serious adultpursuit, including formation flying andstunt routines . A train of Flexifoils providesan unparalleled visual extravaganzasweeping across the skyline, lines screaming.Numerous applications for the worldpatented Flexifoil principle are being explored,including sailing, free flight andwind generators . Warning : Do not underestimatethe power of the Flexifoil . Evenone, in a strong wind, produces considerablelift, which makes it unsuitable forchildren under 12 years of age ."Aeronautical staff writer for PopularScience magazine Ben Kocivar verifiedthe Flexifoil warning for himself, flyingthe kite for the first time in London'sHyde Park and writing in PS, "The pullwas terrific . I had to lean far back as Iheld the control bar, maneuvering a trainof three Flexifoils," concluding that itwas "the most sophisticated controllablekite design I've seen ."David Pelham, author of The PenguinBook of Kites, offered the opinion thatthe Flexifoil "is undoubtedly at the zenithof dual-control kite design ." (It was developedtoo late for inclusion in his book .)Reviewing the kite for Kite Lines(Spring-Summer 1978), Curtis Marshall said,"The Flexifoil, in a word, is different. Iwould not compare [it] only to stuntersbut to the whole genera of kites, in whichcompany it more than holds its own ."I've known the Flexifoil inventors RayMerry and Andrew W . (Wilf) Jones severalyears now . We have corresponded andconversed in a variety of situations invarious parts of the world . Wilf stayed atmy home for a too-short month in thesummer of 1978 . We traveled togetherdown south to meet Dom Jalbert inFlorida and Francis Rogallo in North

Carolina . Ray and I were together inFrance for a short time in 1978 . I had firstmet the two in London in May, 1977,about six months after the Flexifoil wasintroduced publicly .My First Encounter with the FlexifoilA train of nine and then 12 Flexifoilswas flying overhead at London's ParliamentHill . The nine-train was called theEurostack ; each 'foil was made in thecolors of the nine member nations of theEuropean common market . The flag/kitescaused a real ruckus as they swooped androared within inches of the crowd of thousandsthat simultaneously ducked in frightand applauded this new kiting phenomenon. Ray and Andrew were taking turnspleasing the crowds at the First BritishKite Championships held at this favoriteflying area . Soon another "stack" replacedthe first, this one consisting of 12 Flexifoilsflown together, spaced at intervalson the dual flying line . Ray was holdingthe control bar. To keep him in one spot,and for the safety of the crowds, a linefrom one end of the bar passed behindhim and was staked into the ground . The12 'foils strained to get up to their zenith,then lunged forward in a downhill rushwhich made a violent crash seem inevitable,but they came out smoothly and zippedback up into the sky, turning once againAn elegant ladderto the clouds ismade up of 29Flexifoils . It fliesinto tempestuousevening skies inOctober, 1979,Victoria, B .C .,Canada . The kitesare rigged byBarry Heibert,Richard Dobrowskiand Bernard Stewartand flown byBernard Stewart .to repeat their breakneck power dive, thistime leveling off and skimming the groundat about six feet, just over the crowd'sheads . A basketball player had better havebeen hugging the ground when he saw thattrain bearing down . Indeed, this 'foil displaywas the closest thing to a roller coasterone could feel in the pit of the stomachwithout visiting an amusement park .Getting to Know Andrew JonesAndrew was born in a rural village to thesouth of London in 1950, his father acommuting director of a London printingfirm . Recently his mother had died andhis father had retired and was livingnearby . Andrew rents lodging on a largefarm estate near Cambridge . He comes toLondon on the average of once a week onFlexifoil business and for exhibitionflights, sleeping on a fold-out sofa inRay's living room.He is slim, bony in the typical pre-Beatle American conception of a properEnglishman-light auburn hair a bit thinup front, older looking than his actual age ."Am I professorial?" he wonders whenI ask how he would describe himself. Ithink not . More a friendly but self-absorbedscientist always puttering about .Walking along or sitting at the dinnertable, one hears someone humming veryfaintly . Finally you identify the puzzlingsound with Andrew, humming to himselfabsentmindedly, oblivious to the dinnerconversation . Then it dawns on you thathe is humming in harmony with the 60-cycle sound of a florescent fixture or someother sound coming through the openwindow . (I make this observation, lest itbe misconstrued, with the greatest of admirationand affection .) Andrew's favoritepastime apart from Flexifoils is 15th- to18th-century recorder music and modelingtiny clay double reed ocarinas upon whichhe can play two-part harmony Elizabethanmelodies . Love of music, he tells us, wasinherited from his father .On an extended visit to my home inNew York state, he flew Flexifoils fromatop a hill behind our schoolhouse at leastonce a day . On one of these days he camerushing in to ask if he could borrow aJalbert Parafoil (the workhorse) to lift atrain of four 'foils caught in a tree . I'msure there was an easier way to do it, butnot one quite so entertaining . Though myown kiteflying generally ceases with thesunset, Andrew continued into the nightwith little flashlights attached at the 'foilcorners . To the neighbors it must havelooked as if the stars had gone crazy .During Andrew's visit I was workingon several kite projects as well as sculpting. Without being asked, he would takeon the problems as if they were his own,working instinctively, it seemed, in a generous,team-inspired way-showing a rare,rare quality indeed .Meeting Ray MerrySoon after Andrew's visit, I had an opportunityto spend some time with Ray Merryin Paris . It seemed a bit crazy, consideringwe were both in Paris for the first time inour lives, but Ray and I were walkingbriskly along the Neuve de St . Pierre inthe working quarter of Paris, heads down,ignoring the sights, dodging the shoppersand stalls crowding the sidewalks, headingfor Ray's hotel . Oblivious to Paris, wewere engrossed in a conversation aboutFlexifoils and sculpture .Ray was telling me about the upcomingBritish open speed sailing trials . Andrewhad devised a train of Flexifoils, six ormore depending on wind conditions, tobe affixed to a beam at midpoint betweenthe bows of a specially designed catamaran .Sailor/boat designers Ian Day and PaulGeoffrey have named their catamaranFlexifoils "Jacob's Ladder" in referenceto the ladderlike appearance of the 'foils

stacked in train one above the other . TheFlexifoils are laid out on shore-a twomanoperation in the competition-and"you'll either be pulled straightaway athigh speed, or-watch out for a devilishwind-you'll be straightaway yanked rightback up on the shore ." Day and Geoffreyhad been in constant practice for somemonths and were confident of winningthe 300 square foot class ; in time, theheavier classes as well. Andrew had beenworking on improved performance 'foils .(Six months later he was successful inincreasing pulling efficiency 40% with anew 10-foot span 'foil .)I looked up from the sidewalk-in disbeliefat this story-for a quick sidewaysglance at Ray . I hadn't really studied himat our first meeting in London a year earlier. Ray has long dark hair . He generallylooks up at the flying 'foils through darkaviator sunglasses. Now off, they'd beenhiding twinkling eyes and thick eyebrowswhich arch together over the nose . Hischeeks seem permanently dimpled in aquizzical, friendly smile . He's an EnglishJalbert, I thought, reminded of the wayJalbert throws you completely off balancewith talk of kites that do all kinds ofthings you never expected kites could (orperhaps should) do .Ray was born into a working classfamily in 1952 . His father is a stevedore .Left, friends and partners inthe invention of the Flexifoil :Ray Merry (left) andAndrew (Wilf) Jones .Below, 100 foot polyethylenetube, 18 inches diameter, flownin 1973, Newcastle-upon-Tyne .His mother died while he was still quiteyoung . Trained as an industrial designer,his natural bent is sculpture . Part of ourboulevard jaunt was spent in my trying tounderstand the conical sculptures Ray envisioned,suggested to him by the flyinglines of the stunting Flexifoils . He doesnot enjoy unrealized or partial solutionsto problems . "I don't know how you feel,but I'm not satisfied if things aren'tperfect ."The Partnership"Common to both Ray and me," Andrewtold me in one of our conversations, "wasthe influence of making things, the importanceof using our hands and fathomingthings out ."I've tried on several occasions toascertain our differences," he continued ."We just happen to be good reflectorswith each other's thoughts . Sometimes,of course, we drag each other down, butwe tend to gain momentum in conversationwith each other. The basic idea, awind-inflated wing, a primitive version ofthe production Flexifoil, came in a flash .We're frequently asked which of us is theprimary inventor . It's absolutely impossibleto determine . We're a single personas far as the 'foil goes ." The productionFlexifoil was several years away from thatlightning flash .They met in 1971 in their first year ofcollege study in the core design curriculumat Newcastle-upon-Tyne Polytechnic, alarge new college built in the late 60s twohundred miles north of London inNorthumberland . Both students hadopted for industrial design courses withan eye to future financial solvency, butboth found the more purely fine artscourses and faculty suited to their talents .It was a one-day fine arts sculptureproject which they tackled together thatled to the Flexifoil . The assignment hada bit of intentional ambiguity built into it .On a blackboard in a room sans teacherwere written several words . Students wereasked to choose one word and interpretthat in an object of their own making .They chose the word winding. They builta sort of wind vane which they hopedwould spin around in the wind .At our first talks in London, Ray recalledthat "Not much really came of that ."Andrew continued, "After trying avariety of forms, we arrived at bag shapes .We found a large polyethylene mattresscover bag . We put a steel ring in the openingand tethered an elastic line to that . Itwas all a bit haphazard, but we kept at it,making do with the materials available tous . About this time we thought aboutmaking the bag lift into the air . We weresurprised by the ease with which a verylarge bag would inflate and stay up withwind coming through a very small opening. We didn't know anything aboutinflated wings at that point, but not toolong into the project we were intriguedenough by the possibilities to do somelibrary research .""There was little to find out," Rayinterjected . "The only thing we came upwith were pictures of a U . S . Air Forceexperimental pressurized wing with athree-wheeled vehicle slung below ."They knew nothing of modern, lightweighthigh-density rip-stop nylon . Theyused cellophane tape and a primitive butadequate hot soldering iron and aluminumfoil technique to heat-weld polyethyleneplastic sheeting . Their first airfoil wingshape had a 14-inch span, eight-inch chorddepth . The second version was three feetsix inches by two feet . The airfoil wingform and gore building technique camedirectly from the balsa and tissue paperairplanes they had both enjoyed as ahobby. The small wings were still tetheredas a kind of kinetic sculpture . The thoughtthat they were working on a kite had not

entered their minds and as a consequencethey had not yet stumbled onto Jalbert'swork with inflated kites .The early experiments with the twosmall wings were encouraging . "Theyseemed to want to go up into the air,"Ray said . "We decided to try an eightfootspan .""To keep the wind spread across itsspan we introduced a rigid cross stick atthe leading edge . That happened ratherearly in our experiments," Andrew said ."Then it was a question of where totie the line . We had a fan of bridle linespositioned along the beam at each gore,all gathered together and tied to a singleflying line . This line arrangement held usback quite a bit . The wing tended to liftslightly into the air but would wag backand forth on the towing line quite erratically.Quite fortunate, this erratic behavior,as it turned out, for at one time the wingflipped over on its back and took offagain . There was an immediate improvementin its lift characteristics . It wentback up in a wide high flight, arcingbroadly but gently left and right . We thenthought of trying to induce lateral control .At this juncture we were closer to makinga kite," Andrew concluded ."It was a bit like a cricket match asthis thing rose back into the air . Peoplewatching started spontaneously clappingLeft, an early six-foot polyethyleneFlexifoil tracking close to the ground ;1973, Newcastle-upon-Tyne .Below, Ray Merry flying the early mattressbag on -inch model aircraft elastic line .and cheering," Ray recalled ."It was still very much a hit and missaffair whether we could get the thing tofly at all. We put a lot of energy intomaking it fly each time we went out .Some days we would just not get anyflight at all," Ray said .The industrial design faculty couldsee little practical use for the invention ;it was recognition from the fine artsdepartment that provided an ongoingsympathetic and encouraging audiencealongwith friends and family members ."It was all a practice those years atNewcastle," Andrew continued . "Evenafter we'd finished at Newcastle we hadn'treally developed a foolproof kite . The lastthing we did at school was to build thefirst fabric kite . It had a 15-foot wingspan and was made of proofed nylon withthe help of a seamstress in the fashionschool . Brenda Smith (Ray's longtimefriend of college days, now secretary ofFlexifoil, Ltd .) actually made the firstsix-foot wing of spinnaker nylon thesummer after we'd finished college ."Brenda's mother suggested they considerusing net curtaining and this led themto the net-covered narrow leading edgeslot which now exists on the production'foil . A college lecturer who had witnessedthe activity suggested that they reduce thenumber of bridles to three, one at eachwing tip and one in the center . (Thecenter one was necessary to give theoriginal wooden spar needed strength .)Erratic behavior was still the rule .Once, Ray averted a dive, turning thecontrol bar completely over in a reflexivemovement . The wing responded with awide loop .Somewhat later, Andrew's parentscame up to Newcastle . "We went outflying together . My father did a loop rightaround without turning the control barover . That was a moment! Until then wehad thought it necessary to immediatelyturn the bar over to take the line loopsout . The control bar had been, right along,the line counterpart of the kite spar-andequally importantly, a really useful wayto quickly take up our flying lines. Anythingwe could do to get us through tangledlines which were quite frequent wasmost appreciated . In the early stages offlying the wing as a kite, the bar wasshorter than its current three-foot length .We reached out to pull on the individuallines to control the kite . It was later thatwe went to the longer bar and pulling eachend of the bar back for controlled flight ."We experimented with a variety ofpositions for the spar in relation to thelittle vents . We had eight different airfoilshapes by then-six variations on wingspan and two chords . We hadn't completelyfathomed out the workings of the 'foil .We didn't really know how or why itworked . We realized what effect the generalnature of the shape had on its flight(the narrow chord reduced drag andinduced speed), but we didn't fully appreciatethe importance of the flexing spar ."We always wanted to keep it as simpleas possible . We would really have liked tohave done away with the spar," Ray mentioned. "The spar kept us away from theParafoil configuration and its steady flightcharacteristics ."Andrew commented, "But we knewthat this would mean shrouds (as withParafoils), which would have been morecomplicated, not simple, visually, as werequired ."Ray said, "We were still tying the flyinglines off, staking them into the ground .We wondered if we or anyone else couldendure the frustration of tangled flyinglines in a controlled flight ."At the risk of implying at this latepoint that there was outright theft ofJalbert's Parafoil design, I asked for clarificationon what effect the Parafoil had

.withdecorated1978France,had on the Flexifoil development ."We were concerned that we weren'tworking on something that had been discoveredbefore," Andrew began. "Yes, wehad a feeling that somebody must havestumbled on this before. Our natural wayof working is trial and error . Neither of usare readers, so we simply hadn't comeacross an airfoil kite ."In 1975, Ray acquired the Newmanbook Kite Craft. There he saw pictures andread of Jalbert's Parafoils for the first time ."I remember writing and telling you,Wilf," Ray said, "and my initial disappointment."They decided, however, that, apartfrom the inflation aspect, they were ontosomething different . The behavior oftheir kite and the flexing spar which adjustedangle of attack in varying windsseemed novel enough to warrant applyingfor a patent .In the summer of 1976, Brenda suggestedthey go to see an exhibition ofkites at London's Institute of ContemporaryArt . This was the first time the inventorssaw actual Parafoils . They inquiredif anyone would be interested in a newkite idea and were referred to London'sthen-new (three months old) Kite Workshopand its director Eric Gibson . Theywalked over to the shop that afternoon .Gibson tentatively expressed interest inAbove, the first full-size Flexifoil to flysuccessfully, 197'2 : eight-foot wingspan,.Left, Andrew riding herd on a train ofsix Flexifoils in Nags Head, NC, 1978 .red one-inch tapeBelow, Ray flies by the seat of his pantstheir kite and gave them their first spinnakernylon . Shortly after, provisionalpatents were approved . The limited productionkite, christened "Flexifoil," wasshown for the first time publicly on October10, 1976, at the British Kite FlyingAssociation's festival at Old WardenAerodrome-five years after its inceptionat Newcastle .Since then, technical work has continued. Cambridge University's Departmentof Engineering has done wind tunnelstudies of the Flexifoil . Maximum pullachieved in diving is in the range of 100pounds . The production model, in1 .1-ounce rip-stop nylon, weighs 135 .5grams and takes 40 minutes to sew .Andrew is working on a high-performancelow-wind spar. Four-foot span 'foils seemto perform satisfactorily ; three-foot spansin a proportionate configuration have notperformed well . The new generation of10-foot 'foils maneuver slugglishly butgain considerably in pulling power . Theyhave increased both lift-to-drag ratio andcoefficient of lift . A 20-foot span 'foil isin work for the application of pullinglarger seagoing craft .Flying line length of 200 feet workswell for the Flexifoil-and is the legallimit for kiteflying in Great Britain . Theoretically,there is no limit to the numberof 'foils that can be flown in train . Twentynineis currently the maximum knownnumber tried . Flexifoil train kites areseparated by a minimum of two feet ofconnecting line-more in stronger winds .One 'foil flies on 60- to 80-lb . test lines .Four 'foils in train in a moderate windrequire 200-lb . lines . The heavier line requiredadds drag . The technique of controlis very difficult, comparable tospeeding a railroad engine around a curvewith a long line of cars attached . Speed ofthe 'foil has been officially clocked at 95miles per hour . Unofficial reports notespeeds of over 100 miles per hour . Theaverage speed is 60 miles per hour . Accelerationfrom 0-95 is less than threeseconds . In a dive from a 200-foot zenith,the 'foil is at the ground in under threeseconds in a moderate breeze .Andrew wrote to me last spring, recallingthe passing of winter : "I went Flexifoilskiing in the meadow last month . Only Ididn't need skis . Gum sole boots on thesnow were quite slippery enough ."I asked the inventors if they wanted toidentify anyone else important to thedevelopment of the Flexifoil . They hadmentioned in early letters that PeterPowell had a great deal to do with popularizationof the two-line stunting kite .Sid Mills and Mark Cottrell were early enthusiastsand experts at Flexifoil flying,helping to show its potential as a sportkite . Mike Pritchard, an expert in fishingrod technology, made the prototype fiberglassspars and helped solve the productionmodel requirements . Jilly Pelham helpedwork out the pattern and the lay and cutof the fabric for production sewing .In the intervening time from theNewcastle-upon-Tyne polyethylene prototypesto the sleek rip-stop productionmodels, Ray and Andrew have maintaineda steadfast friendship and working partnership. Andrew observed recently, whenI asked him to describe himself and Ray,that Ray had a suit which he wore onoccasion while he, Andrew, hadn't yetfelt the need to own one himself . Ray hasbecome more actively involved in the ongoingFlexifoil company production andbusiness matters . Andrew's main interestremains in research and development . Thecompany hopes to market new productsas well as improvements and new uses forthe Flexifoil .In the exploration of "sailing, freeflight and wind generators," the Flexifoil'sfuture should be most interesting . Its placein kite history is already well assured .

Happiness lights up all the faces at the Mother's Day Kite Festival in Colorado-the annual "do" of the Beulah Valley Association of Tethered Flight .Story by Frances A . WeaverPhotographs by Myron Wood"I couldn't believe it! We came over thelast hill headed for Beulah, and it lookedlike a hundred kites in the sky all at once .I said to my wife, I cannot believe it . Inever saw so many kites-not in the skyat one time . It's beautiful . Whoeverthought kites were that beautiful?!"That is what nearly everyone says whenthe Beulah Valley Association for TetheredFlight teams up with the Sangre de CristoArts Center of Pueblo, CO, and the Boy .Scouts for our Mother's Day Kite Festival .Literally hundreds of people turn out .Some are Beulah residents, but there arenot very many of them (600 or so in all) .Many come 26 miles from Pueblo . Somearrive from cities as far away as Denver orBoulder . Others journey from Alamosaand the San Luis Valley-a hundred milesin the opposite direction .Some of these people make the tripfor the purpose of participating in thekite festival . Others see the kites in the airand stop to see what is going on . Theyusually come back the next year withkites of their own . Some stay 10 minutes .Others hang around for four or five hours .Some fly kites, some take pictures, somegive advice, some buy kites, some justwatch. They all seem to have a good time .There is a fascination in observing anythingpropelled by the invisible force ofthe wind . Mutual management by manand nature .Kites bring that feeling to Colorado .Watching a sky filled with kites, observerstend to choose favorites . "See that bigeagle? It stays up when the others comedown ." "I did not know kites came in somany shapes and sizes . When I was a kid. . ." Most incredulous : "The sky is full ofkites, but none of those people are running!When I was a kid . . ."Here in Beulah, a highlight of ourMother's Day festivals has been the presenceof Dinesh Bahadur, one of the world'sgreat kite masters and promoters . Hisspectacular kites and his expertise in flyingthem are the center of attention . Whywould this man participate in a kite festivalin a sleepy little foothills town in Colorado?Why would Beulah have a kitefestival, anyway?The answer to both questions is thesame : "For fun ." To be more explicit, "Itfeels good . It is a need of our times . Ithelps you to relax and be happy . Youforget the rest of the world and there isonly you and your kite ." So says DineshBahadur . So goes the Beulah Kite Festival .It all began with four housewives whohad become kite enthusiasts in 1974 afterreading about and/or visiting Bahadur'skite store in San Francisco . Dear PeggyGandy, recently deceased, suggested weformalize . We named ourselves the BeulahValley Association for Tethered Flight,having heard that term from DominaJalbert, inventor of the Parafoil . Oh, weconsidered other names like "ColoradoKite Club" or "High-flying Housewives ."The name we chose has more class, wefeel . Beulah Valley Association for TetheredFlight . Little did we know what thatwould get us into!Eventually, we added three moremembers because they have pastures, butwe had no thoughts of expansion orfurther organization . We had served oursentences on committees and in GoodWorks . We invited few people to fly withus-not even our families .Then it happened . The director of theSangre de Cristo Arts Center in Pueblolearned of our group . Kiteflying appealedto her, too . Before we knew what hadhappened, our far-away hero DineshBahadur had been invited to Pueblo for akite festival which would be held inBeautiful Beulah . Just guess who the cosponsorswould be .It is astonishing how little it takes tostart a tradition . We said only, "You ArtsCenter people can handle the promotion,the Boy Scouts have a nice pasture, wewill fix a little picnic for the folks whohelp ." Since those famous last words theshow continues to grow . There is no admissioncharge . No reservations needed .If Mother's Day is bright and sunny, thereis certainly going to be a breeze in Beulah(6400-foot altitude), so the kite festival ison . We have no competitions . Only kitesin the air for all to enjoy .There are now other kite festivals inColorado . We are relatively sure ours hashad the longest run : four years . We cannotclaim to be as important as the kitingevents in San Francisco or Washington,DC . Still, it is ours to share with anyoneinterested in "beauty on the back of arolling wind ."* That is what counts . 0

At the Wright Kite Festival, Bill Tyrrell's Flow Form kite (Parafoilderivative) awes viewers . Above, Jesse Donaldson of Florida holds a fighterkite while Bill Wetzel of New York checks his Rogallo Corner Kites .Below, Wetzel talks to Rogallo himself, who holds an early original Flexikite .By Mary E . AmesKitefliers from as far away as Cocoa, FL,maneuvered their craft through ficklewinds and even through ocean waves incompetition for 22 ribbons and prizes atthe First Annual Wright Kite Festival inJuly, 1979 . The occasion at Kill Devil Hills,NC, continued the tradition of the NagsHead, NC, kite contests of summers past .The elements proved enough of a challengeat this site-exactly one mile fromthe spot where the Wright brothers flewtheir first glider as a kite in 1900-thatrival fliers fell to cheering one anotheralong and helping each other keep kitesaloft for the requisite five minutes .A modified box kite shaped andpainted like a crab was awarded "best inshow" and "most unusual aerodynamicdesign (novice class)," but not until itsdesigner, Charles Dunton of Richmond,VA, had fished it from the sea andreplaced two broken spreaders . Dunton'skite and A . Pete Ianuzzi's six-foot semicircularmulticolor kite, flying near eachother, were victims of a phantom downdraft which originated high over thebeach and selected only those two kitesto drive, temporarily, from the sky .The most exciting competition occurredamong a dozen novice fliers whotried to get their kites to haul out 500feet of line the fastest on the light morningwinds . Alec Dunton of Richmondwon this with a graceful delta wing birdmade of Tyvek . Eight-year-old MikeRingelspaugh of Rocky Mount, NC, camein second and Kate Thorns of Falls Church,VA, and Dan Ingle of Sylvania, OH, tiedfor third place .Though unable to attend the festival,Rick Kinnaird of the Maryland Kite Societytelephoned in a special cash award forthe kite which best depicted the spirit ofJohn Irving's zany novel The World Accordingto Garp . At that moment, G .William Tyrrell of Huntingdon Valley, PA,was performing barrel rolls with a 200-plus square-foot Sutton Flow Form Parafoil,which ended up draped over thepower lines and was awarded the specialprize on the spot .The winds blew stronger after a briefrain shower and break for lunch, and thecompetition continued for the largesthomemade kite . Bill Wetzel of CliftonPark, NY, captured first place in theexperienced class with a 64-square-footversion of Francis Rogallo's Corner Kite .Tom Lewis took home to Richmond afirst in the novice class for a 46-squarefootdelta made by a group of thirdgraders in summer camp .John Ringelspaugh, Sr ., of RockyMount, NC, placed first in the most unusualaerodynamic design category (experiencedclass) with a homemade Prof .Waldof's double hexagonal box kite . JesseDonaldson of Cocoa, FL, who has beenexperimenting with kite and autogyro designssince the 1940s, won second placein the design category with a split-leveldiamond . The 71-year-old Donaldson alsowon ribbons for "senior competitor" andfor traveling the greatest distance-901miles-to the festival . Pete lanuzzi ofCatonsville, MD, tied for third place with

Top left clockwise : Mel Govig's four-foot Niseikite; Valerie Govig and Guy Aydlett chatting ;Tyrrell's second mammoth kite, a Jalbert,undergoing adjustment by John Stubbings ofKite Kingdom ; Charles Dunton of Richmond,VA, with his "most unusual" crab kite ;Alec Dunton with Tom Lewis, both ofRichmond, admiring Alec's Tyvek® bird.Francis Rogallo of Kitty Hawk, NC, whoentered his 30-year-old Flexikite, theoriginal model which evolved into thehang gliding wing . In the novice class,Larry Carstensen of Johnstown, PA, andEllen Wood of Richmond placed secondand third behind Charlie Dunton's crab .Before and after the competition,about 60 different kites were flown, includingsome oriental beauties, MelGovig's train of miniature diamonds,Valerie Govig's attractive star kite, AyleneGoddard's dress-matched delta, GuyAydlett's handsome delta and a 400 squarefootJalbert Parafoil which Bill Tyrrellacquired two years ago from the NationalAeronautics and Space Administration .No one entered the category, newlyestablished this year, for the best kiterendition, built from scratch, of theWright brothers' 1900 glider . There is arumor, however, that at least one personhas plans to build a full-size replica ofthat glider and fly it next July, on thethird Saturday, at the Second AnnualWright Kite Festival . 0

Stupendous but limber kite made and carried in Seattle by a team from Shirone, Japan, led by Kazuo Tamura ; and a group of "smaller" kites .By Louise CrowleyWhen I was - a child, aged Indian womensat cross-legged on the sidewalk beside theBon Marche, each surrounded by a jumbleof handwoven cedar-bark baskets for saleto the passersby-and quite sensibly, too,because the Bon was the busiest place inSeattle . It still is . A statelier building now,and further uptown, the Bon has neverlost its knack of attuning with almost uncannyprecision to the changing pulse ofthis city . So it would be the Bon thatwould come up with such a presentationas The Orient Expressed .I heard of it through a phone call froma fellow kiter : the Bon was preparing abig promotion with an oriental motif, andas part of it, was going to bring a wholekite team from Japan to make kites-evena giant o'dako, no less-right inside thestore . The Washington Kitefliers Associationhad been asked to help .A week later, the Bon had been transformed. Brightly painted torii entrances,colorful eight-story banners and windowdisplays carried the theme all around theblock . Inside, the main-floor escalatorhad been converted, spectacularly, intothe gaping mouth of a huge Chinese dragon,and topping a decor replete with bamboo,chrysanthemums and oriental artwork, aflock of six life-size crane kites by ShuheiGoto hung from the ceiling in flightformation . The giant o'dako, alreadyassembled and painted with a traditionalkabuki character, covered a 16x23-footsection of the east wall .And everywhere there was activity . Thesound of drums drew me to a stage, wherea team from Kobe was putting on amartial-arts display . I found other craftspeople,artists and performers demonstratingtheir skills on every floor . Halfway upto the kitemakers on the topmost floor, Irecognized Tsutomu Hiroi polishing anangular aluminum abstraction, one of thelargest of a prominently displayed groupof his earthbound sculptures . On anotherfloor I got sidetracked by fragrant orientalcooking demonstrations . Clearly, TheOrient Expressed was a hit .For local kite enthusiasts, of course, itall revolved around Hiroi and the visitingmembers of the Shirone Kite Team . Itwas a visit they and Dave Checkley of theWKA had long hoped for . Dave had metKazuo Tamura of the Shirone team inTokyo a year and a half before, andTamura had told him then that if hecould get a sponsor for a trip to theUnited States, he and other membersof his team would bring their materials,make kites here and leave the finishedcreations when they returned . When theBon began planning for The Orient Expressed,Dave saw his chance and securedits sponsorship for Hiroi, Tamura and fiveother team members . Four more Shironekiters and three Japan Kite Associationmembers from Tokyo and Kyoto joinedthem for the Sunday activities on a tourarranged by the Japan Travel Bureau .Hiroi and Kenichi Koshiba were the onlyEnglish-speaking members of the team,but Dan Kurahashi, a JKA member fromVancouver, B .C ., Canada, was on hand formost of their stay to help interpret .Besides the giant o'dako, the teammade several 10- to 18-foot hexagonalkites and dozens of smaller ones, includingsome whimsical bird and insect kites,during its week of in-store demonstrations .The men's skill in painting them was adelight to watch : they sketched thedesigns-so exotic to us, so obviouslyfamiliar to them-with swift, sure brushstrokesin light gray ink and, keepingbrushes half-dried with quick strokes onscraps of absorbent paper, added colorand shading with the same unhesitatingdeftness . On the smaller kites, a pictureseemed to develop as magically as a

Polaroid print . An equally sure touch wasevident in the way they judged the varyinglengths of bridle lines and knotted thebridle for a big rokkaku ; these men musthave been born making kites and neverstopped since .There was time for flying them, too .The team arrived on a Wednesday ; thatFriday we had a fine kitefly and picnic atGasworks Park, and another on thefollowing Tuesday . And time to talk aboutkites : Dave and Dorothea Checkley putthe whole crew up in their big house onQueen Anne Hill, and most of the Shironekitemen's free time was spent with WKAmembers . Saturday, the Checkleys hosteda reception and dinner for a houseful ofWKA members and guests . The big o'dakowas to be flown at Magnuson Park thenext day, and part of that evening wasspent stretching its new polypropyleneflying line between the trunks of two bigtrees in the parking strip beside theCheckley house .There'd been a good deal of correspondenceabout the flying line beforethe team ever left Shirone . Though not aswell known in the U .S . as Hamamatsu,Shirone, in the Niigata prefecture on thewest coast of Honshu, has been a kitefestival town for some 300 years . Itsteam's regular and traditional line is handmadeof hemp, a controlled substance inJapan and likely to run afoul of customsregulations . So for the trip to Seattle themen had decided on a polypro "un-Manila"flying line, with jute for the bridle . Workingwell past nightfall, they and severalenergetic local kiters pulled and tuggedand wrapped the line as tightly as theycould round and round the tree trunks,where it was left stretching overnight .Meanwhile, the big o'dako had beenposing problems of its own . The Bon hadexpected to have it built, with the others,in the workroom on the eighth floor .That was before store personnel actuallysaw the length of its bamboo poles andrealized the impossibility of moving thembetween floors . It ended up being constructedon the main floor . Then, like theproverbial boat built in the living room, itwouldn't fit through the store's five-footwide,seven-foot-high door openings . Fora while it seemed as though a set of doorswould have to be dismantled, but thenHiroi solved the problem of rolling thekite tighter and squeezing it through .Once out of the building, it was truckedto a large airplane hangar near the flyingsite . Magnuson Park, on the shore of LakeWashington, is still in the process of beingdeveloped as a park on land formerly partof a U .S . Navy air station .Sunday was the big day . The Bon,with co-sponsorship by Seattle's morningnewspaper The Post-Intelligencer, hadscheduled a day-long series of contests andsports events, including boat races in thesmooth water of the breezeless morning .In Seattle, when the wind blows, it'sraining . When the sun shines, there's nowind . Kiteflying contests were scheduledto begin about noon . Before then theShirone team, with the assistance ofspectators, managed to get their giant kitemore-or-less airborne, but could keep itup only until they ran out of runningspeed at a rise in the terrain . But the airdid begin moving a bit as the contestsstarted . The four events were open to allFrom left counterclockwise : "Orient Expressed"theme kite airborne ; preparations for launchof Shirone kite (and J .C . Young's half-visiblecentipede) ; working on one of the kites atThe Bon Marche store; braiding bridle lines;getting the big kite out the door at The Bon .

Louise Crowley and her prize Goto crane kite .comers and to kites of occidental as wellas oriental design, with cash prizes forfirst place in each event and gifts forsecond- and third-place winners . Everycontestant-but only contestants-wasgiven a ticket on the Grand Prize drawing-and the prize was one of those magnificentGoto crane kites . At that, my usualreluctance to enter competitions vanishedin a flash .The judges awarded "Most Beautiful"to Margaret Greger for a multicoloredFlow Form Parafoil . "Most Interesting"(a novice category) was a frame of fourred and blue diamonds jointly constructedby Atsuko Brewer and Faye Leong . "HighestFlier" was young Jim Greeno's doublekeeleddelta . "Best Logo Kite" went to avented delta by Bill Lee . One of my appliquedEddys came in second to Margaret'skite, and the two of us were still congratulatingeach other when Dave, presidingover the awards, urged a small child tocome forward and pick out the prizewinningticket . The kid wouldn't come,and Dave coaxed another . At last, thesecond little kid selected a ticket andgravely handed it up to Dave, and Daveread out-MY NUMBER!Oh, that wonderful little kid! If Iknew who he was, I'd write a new will!My prize crane was 65 inches long, disassembled. There was no box to pack it in,and I was already carrying around a bulgingkite bag and a shoulder tote full ofreels . John Dusenberry locked it in his carfor safekeeping, and with the formalitiesconcluded, I went off to fly kites freelyin the rising late afternoon breeze . Adragon-headed centipede, J . C . Young'slatest, was still waiting for more wind ;but the Japanese visitors were flying smalloriental kites, stunters and Flexifoils werewarming up and various winged-box configurationsappeared among the lighterkites that had held the field earlier .Some friends wanted to see my newbird and we went to John's car, but Johnhad lost his car keys . We combed desperatelythrough the weeds . At last someonefound the keys ; we raised our eyes andthere was the giant o'dako, floating- incredibly! .- above a westering sunOur Japanese visitors flew home thenext morning, but the kites they madehere stayed to brighten Seattle skies . Thehuge o'dako, rebridled and with flightdamage to its mulberry paper skin repairedby WKA members, is again stored in thehangar . The Bon, with no space to exhibitit permanently, donated the giant kite tothe Pacific Science Center, where it willbe displayed at the WKA's next kite showin the spring . The willow-framed, ricepaper-coveredGoto crane will hang, tillthe end of the winter rains, from the ceilingof the biggest room in the Crowleyhouse . It's such a lovely and fragile-seemingwork of art that I hesitated to risk itto the air-but it is a kite : its propercanvas is the sky . As it turned out, Ineedn't have feared . Perfectly balancedfrom its single point bridle, it flies withall the assurance of its living prototype .Cranes, after all, are a symbol of long lifein Japan .

Flying at Manassas, from left counterclockwise : L'Albatrosflown by Lucien Gibeault of Quebec, given the "man and beast"award ; a triple-sized Flexifoil variant by Curtis Marshall withKinnaird's Cody in background and launchers in foreground-Meg and Curtis Marshall, W .D . (Red) Braswell, David Checkley ;William Pase of Ottawa and his innovative fineflyingunguyed "inverted box," which assumesshape automatically in the windand won "spectator's choice" ;a doubled-up decorative Prof .Waldof box made by the CloudPleasers-John Rausch and Bruceand Carolyn Kennington, withone of their deltas over it; (inset)Garry Woodcock of Torontoand his little engine that could .How better could a kiter spend a beautifulOctober weekend than with 110 fellowenthusiasts from the U .S ., Canada and England?It was the American Kitefliers Association'ssecond annual meeting and festivalon October 4-7, 1979, in Manassas, VA .Under a dazzling display of kites, theget-acquainted reception was hosted bythe Maryland Kite Society on Thursdaynight in the Ramada Inn's hall . The nextmorning was the meeting proper, atwhich bylaws changes were adopted andboard members and officers elected . Aresolution was passed to "endorse andsupport Kite Lines magazine," reflectingthe mood of good will present . The afternoonwas given to workshops on kitephotography, knots and such, but mostof the real idea-swapping went on informallyeverywhere in a constant buzz .The kite auction was held that eveningunder the masterful gavel of Mel Govig andnetted AKA $2700 for the donated kites .The prize of the auction was a hugeShirone rokkaku kite donated by theJapan Kite Flyers Association and broughtto Manassas by David Checkley of theWashington Kitefliers Association . Itsparked the highest bidding of the nightand was sold to Pete Ianuzzi for $290 .On Saturday was the festival at thesuperb site of the Manassas BattlefieldNational Park, and the weather was sunnyand wind-blessed . Approaching the fieldand seeing the sky punctuated with colorfulwonders was like entering kiter'sheaven . One finds it difficult to unload acar and assemble kites while feasting theeyes and babbling incoherently . It wasspectacular!-one inventive kite after another. A high point (or rather, as Nick VanSant joked, "a new low in kiting") camewhen bets were taken on how much timeRick Kinnaird's Cody, previous victim ofseveral quick crashes, would spend in theair . To the sound of many gasps, it flew-and flew well-and flew long . Relativelylong, that is . For a full 9 minutes 43seconds it filled the sky-and then crackedup into a tangle of orange and yellowmuslin and sticks plunging to earth .To list any kites is to leave out some,but here goes : Peter Powell stunters flownby the ebullient inventor himself ; SteveEdeiken flying an elegant stunting trainof Nagasaki-patterned kites (awarded"most beautiful") ; Dave Checkley's glitteringbeauty of a centipede ; Bill Biggeand one of his Janus airplane kites ; a stackof pastel Flexifoil Skysails trailing lightribbon tails ; Hugh Harrison's flags of theU .S ., Canada and Britain flown from theline of a Jalbert Parafoil ; Betsy Lewis'snovel dorsal-finned Allison sled, pulledwith line and winder from inside a beautifulwalking stick handcrafted by BobKatkowsky ; Bill Rutiser's rokkaku withdecoration to simulate asymmetry ; TomHerr's specially-made Parafoils ; JohnSherburne's all-day-up eagle Conynes ;Hank Szerlag's racy black and yellow"ladybug" circular kite ; Peter Waldronwith a new star-shaped variant of hisProf. Waldof kite ; Gerard van der Looof Holland with the only kite that"Charlie-Browned" in a tree . On the fieldand at the banquet that evening, manyawards were made, but most of us hadalready been rewarded .For me perhaps the undiluted momentof grace was at day's end on the field whenSteve Edeiken and Olan Turner performeda stunter sky ballet to music . Withoutrehearsal, filled with risk, it was extemporaneousflying poetry . Dusk rolled quietlyover this dreamy scene, soft as a MaxfieldParrish vista . Mary Ames later said, "Itwas as near to a perfect kite day as I everhope to see ." I second that .Valerie Govig

Story and Photographsby Carl Poehler, Jr .On May 5th, 1980, the people of Sagamihara,Japan, will mark the 150th annualflying of the giant kite, a festival of colorand culture . Interrupted only once byWorld War II, this impressive ceremonybegins on Children's Day (formerly Boys'Day), which is one of the important holidaysin Japan and is part of Golden Week,so called because many festivals and observancesoccur at this time . Some Japaneserefer to it as Golden because they workonly a few days and are free to celebrate,rest, relax and enjoy the remainder, andthis is contrary to their normal work ethic .But for the inveterate kitefliers there isno rest . All over Japan, kite groups springinto action and their lively festivals aboundeverywhere . Carp windsocks fly fromhouses in cities, towns and farms . Kitesdot the skyscape . Many are tethered to afield post, where the farmer can till andenjoy the flight that signals his expressionof the glory of the season .The kitefliers' holiday is full of franticactivity as kites for centuries have beenthe ultimate statement or expression ofthe Japanese vernal rituals . I compare tovotive prayers the many kites that arededicated and flown in honor of a firstbornson . The young parents' prayers,hopes and pride ride with that kite as itventures aloft to brave the vagaries ofwind and achieve a successful flight, symbolic,perhaps prophetic, of the victoriesto be won by the newborn of their union .Sagamihara is 60 miles from Tokyo'sShinjuku Station . It is a little over anhour's ride on a rapid transit train . Uponarrival at Sagamihara, a taxi is recommendedfor transportation to the festivalsite, which is just a short distance fromtown . (The members of our tour tried thebus, went in the wrong direction, endedup in a farmyard asking directions bywaving hands and using inadequate vocabularyand finally were rescued by a helpfulpolice patrol who radioed for a taxi .)The flying area is on a hill . There is anasphalt road with a masonry wall along theleft side and a dirt field on the right about100 yards wide, running parallel with theroad . Beyond the field, there is a slight riseand dense tree growth edges the clearing .The wind seems to flow up the hill followingthe road and being funneled along bythe trees, creating an ideal flying spot .At the lower end of the field to theright, a raised platform stands with colorfulred and white cloth draped from thehandrail to the ground . It has a flat roofedtop with balloons, flowers and bannersdancing around the edge . TraditionalPreparations for flying the great kite ofSagamihara : top, braiding the bridle lines ;center, a kite anchor ; bottom, repairingdamage before the next flight .Japanese music is playing on loudspeakersand women in kimonos are posturing,turning and stepping in unison, some ofthem on the stand and others in front ofit . The entire sight is colorful, traditionaland very Japanese .Just beyond, to the left, is a ponderousframe of cedar timbers, stoutly bound togetherwith heavy rope . The center isfilled with fieldstones for ballast . On topof the frame and every member are stackedsandbags, two and three deep, and thewhole massive pile is tied to a groundstake that Paul Bunyan might have driven .Two stout poles back-brace the wholeagainst overturning. The immovable object .This imposing anchor gives a prescienceof things to come .The kite tether is fastened to andsnaked from this crib, the rope being overone inch in diameter . My eyes follow itsline across the field, past a tent commandpost, with tables and chairs beneath forrest, refreshment and shelter for officials,police, politicians and press, on throughthe legs of onlookers to the hands of runningmen, their aqua hapi coats and lightstraw hats identifying them as the kiteteam, pulling the heavy line, having a tugof war-and winning!Suddenly it appears . Swooping upvertically, it fishtails left, right, left, twinrope tails waving from each lower corner,

Getting ready to take the kite down field for launch at Sagamihara .a web of 37 bridle lines draped from thesquare face to meld into the ship's hawserthe men have in tow . The effect is stupendous. I have seen giant kites, but this isoverwhelming . The face of the kite is 36feet on each side, or 1296 square feet ofsurface . That is larger than the floor areaof an average house . I run for the kite andthe kite is sailing towards me . All at oncethis colossus is directly above and blottingout most of the sky . I can sense the forcesinvolved to lift this behemoth-1640pounds-and stand hypnotized as it swingsponderously above . A police whistlesounds an alert, the wind is dying, thishulk is coming down and it is directlyoverhead! I swing around, frantic armwaving is clearing people away, a womanpushes her baby in carriage pell-melldown the road . The group in my areadives for the stone wall . By crouching atthe base, we have a safety triangle if thekite drops vertically ; of course, we couldbe impaled if it sideslips into the wall .The descent is quick but gentle, thekite poises face down, then drifts leaf-liketo the ground, tearing some of the coveringand ties, but these are quickly repaired .On the ground, I see the bow of the kiteto be four or five feet and the tension tobe held by a heavy wire strand at eachmain brace . The kite face consists of papersheets 24 x 40 inches emblazoned with"supergraphics" in red and green . This isattached to a light split bamboo frame8 x 8 inches each way and tied to bamboopoles 24 inches on center vertically by40 inches on center horizontally . Thissecond frame is criss-crossed, diamondfashion, with heavier bamboo poles . Polesare doubled at the center and edges .The craftsmanship of the frame seemsonly fair ; an edge sighting reveals greatunevenness and variation in the bowing .It should be noted that the kite had beenflown for two days and undergone manyrepairs, so these imperfections are nodoubt the result of several hard landings .Viewing this kite at rest and being curiousabout the aerodynamics involved, I findthat each square foot of surface has to lifta full pound and one-quarter of kite . Thishigh weight-to-sail ratio seems at the timemiraculous. I think : this should not beable to fly ; but of course I have witnessedit . A 10 meter to 15 meter wind persecond is given as the velocity required tolift the great o'dako . My wind chartsuggests an 18 mile-an-hour wind, whichwould be equivalent to 8 meters ; it doesseem to jibe, it is possible and I can believemy eyes . I would estimate the wind at 18to 22 miles per hour that day, at timesdying, so a long sustained flight is notpossible . Late in the afternoon the handmaderope and bridle are removed fromthe kite and braided to store for the nextyear . The paper, already tattered, isstripped from the frame . Everyone gathersat the officials' tent to hear a shortspeech from the kitemaster . Then it'sstrike the tent, pack up and go home, forthe giant kite is flown for two days onlyand on the third day the bones (bambooframe) are ritually burned . Thus it goesuntil the next year when a new framewith its fresh paper cover is mated withthe veteran bridle and line to again repeatthe lifting of a mighty symbol over theroofs of the village . The symbol representsa prayer for the planting, a thanksgivingfor a child, a fresh opportunity for a betterlife, a new miracle of Sagamihara .

THECAMBODIANC SPIRIT I 1By Paul GallowayKhao I Dang-From a distance, you seethem . Tiny, white, hovering in the wind .Scores of them . Above hundreds of primitiveshelters housing thousands of the dispossessed-refugeeswho have enduredwrenching hardship-kites are flying .If the slaughter and death that haveeviscerated Cambodia in the last four yearssignify the human capacity for atrocityand cruelty, these small kites affirm theresiliency of the human spirit .The children make them from scrapsof paper no longer than two hands . Thetails are fashioned from the labels of foodtins, glued together . The kite twine hasbeen spun from plastic wrapping .Khao I Dang is a new camp for Cambodianrefugees . It is about 10 miles from theCambodian border, and its 2000 acres aredesigned to hold 200,000 people who havefled the war and famine in their country .The refugees arrive in buses and trucksfrom the huge settlements along the Cambodianfrontier . After they are examinedby volunteer nurses and doctors, thosewho are not admitted to the hospital areplaced in groups of 100 .Ly-Thy Ngorn, a short, frail youngman of 22. with piercing black eyes, was amedical student when Pol Pot took overCambodia in 1975 ."I want to go to the United States,"he said . "I have cousins who live in California. We admire your liberty, yourhuman rights ."Ly-Thy's chances are remote . The Thaigovernment may hold these refugees inthe new camps indefinitely . There are160,000 other Indochinese refugees inThailand who are marked for relocationin other countries .The United States has agreed to accept14,000 refugees a month .Walking among the narrow, low shelters,a Westerner will attract children, whoappear suddenly, like schools of minnows .They will babble and touch the visitor,and they will smile .It is not possible to know how deeplythese children have been damaged emotionallyand physically by their ordeals,but the smiles offer hope .As we walked toward the roadblock atthe entrance of Khao I Dang, preparing toleave, Ly-Thy called to me . I walked tothe Red Cross tent to see what he wanted ."I must ask you a question," he said .Kites made from scrap paper are flown by two boys in a Cambodian refugee camp in Thailand ."During [the regime of] Pol Pot, so manypeople were killed . It was worse thanHitler." He pronounced the name as"Hit-lee-er .""In four years," Ly-Thy continued,"most of our intelligentsia were killed .Students, professors, doctors, all LonNol [non-Communist] soldiers ."I understand the United States madean objection . You said there was nohuman rights under Pol Pot . My questionis, why did not the United States help us?"I tried to explain that the country wasexhausted after the Vietnam War and inno mood to become involved in anotherwar . I tried to explain that we wereanguished about Cambodia but that thecountry was reluctant to become involvedin such things again ."But the United States is for liberty,"Ly-Thy said .I said I was very sorry . We shookhands and said good-by .As we drove away, we saw them . Scoresof them . Tiny, white and hovering in thewind . Kites were flying above Khao I Dang .

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