Kite Lines - Vol.1 No. 2 - KiteLife
Kite Lines - Vol.1 No. 2 - KiteLife Kite Lines - Vol.1 No. 2 - KiteLife
By Tom Van SantTOM VAN SANT is a sculptor, painterand muralist with a list of commissions,exhibits, consultant appointments andawards that could fill two pages of thisjournal if we thought such airing wereneeded . We prefer to air his kites .Van Sant has spent all of his time overthe past four years creating `flyingsculptures. "These have been exhibitedin London, Paris, Los Angeles, Australiaand Honolulu, and are now inHolland, accompanied by a film ofthe kites in flight . Van Sant's craft aremade of fiberglass tube and nylonspinnaker cloth decorated with speciallyformulated, colorful dyes whichpenetrate the nylon and sizing . Hislargest kite is a centipede type of 50segments, totalling 300 feet in airbornelength . Typically, each kite folds downto a size that may be carried by oneperson . Also, a design requirement ofthe artist is that each kite must springeasily into the air with only asoft breeze .I offer the Van Sant Trampoline as aunique prototype among kite categories .I stumbled upon this kite design insearch of the maximum lift, minimumweight form . On a six-foot-span model,there are 18 1/2 square feet of surface ata total kite weight of 9 1 /2 ounces . In1975, I recorded by line scale a 37-pound lift in a high wind . Stability isexcellent. The kite climbs and operateseasily in light or heavy wind, singly orin tandem . Aerodynamically, the flexibilityof structure and lashing is thekey. The kite functions in a manner
unlike any other style or variant Iknow (with superficial resemblance inpattern only to French pear-top variantin Pelham .*) . Description follows :Flexible peripheral structure : Thebasic structure is composed of fourtapered flexible fiberglass tubes (flyrod) connected in the shape of an oval .Nylon fabric is stretched within theoval, unencumbered by any compressionmember. This allows the oval tochange shape under variable flightstress . Collapse of this shape is restrainedfrom outside the oval .Flexible lashing : The fabric is attachedby continuous loose-lashing, aswith a stretched tarp or trampoline .This allows the necessary self-adjustmentand equalization of pressure asthe flight stresses change and the kiteconfiguration alters .Independent dihedrals : The liftingpower is not restricted or diminishedas it would be if the wing had a builtinpositive or negative dihedral forstabilization . The two dihedrals operatefrom the independent verticalmember. Also, each dihedral serves adual function, the upper as bridle,the lower as the force restraining thecollapse of the oval . These forces inturn keep each dihedral taut .Paraboloidal flight configuration : Infull breeze, the kite flies horizontallyon the wind, the line nearly vertical .The drogue becomes operative in restrainingoverflight . The foil is fulland bulged upward . The dihedralsplane and become lift surfaces . Avacuum forms on the top side . Thewing tips are forced up and back (thestructural members being more flexibletoward the tips) . The kite assumesa partial paraboloidal configuration(saddle-like) . Though it seems contradictory,the lifting shape becomes aconcave, positive dihedral .About my approach to kites, I simplymake and fly them for my pleasureand the pleasure of my friends . We gocamping on the more isolated beachesof California and fly the large onesas a kind of art-happening natureconnectioncelebration . Then we builda big fire, cook dinner over it, drink alittle wine, sleep under the stars, andstart over the next day.
- Page 5: The American Kitefliers Association
- Page 8: LettersUPS AND DOWNSFascinating fac
- Page 11: Conyne kite . So far we have had a
- Page 14 and 15: Kites Past :Historic NotesPerson-Li
- Page 17 and 18: the end is notin sightMillions of p
- Page 19 and 20: Countdown of the Bigge trainof sled
- Page 21 and 22: How to Conduct ThemTHE FLYING DUTCH
- Page 23: aided or monofilament nylon .Here i
- Page 28 and 29: What's New :Kites, books, SundriesK
- Page 30 and 31: What's New(Continued)as the kite ap
- Page 32: What's New(Continued)zines . These
- Page 36 and 37: News From Here & There(Continued)ab
- Page 39: ½-fo coolNews From Here &There(Con
- Page 43: News From Here & There(Continued)ha
- Page 47: News From Here & There(Continued)Ki
- Page 51: News From Here & Therel Washington
- Page 54: Flying withThe Old ProBy Bob Ingrah
- Page 58 and 59: THE DUTCH KITE2. Open paper flat .
- Page 60 and 61: June6Thomas Ansboro files first rot
By Tom Van SantTOM VAN SANT is a sculptor, painterand muralist with a list of commissions,exhibits, consultant appointments andawards that could fill two pages of thisjournal if we thought such airing wereneeded . We prefer to air his kites .Van Sant has spent all of his time overthe past four years creating `flyingsculptures. "These have been exhibitedin London, Paris, Los Angeles, Australiaand Honolulu, and are now inHolland, accompanied by a film ofthe kites in flight . Van Sant's craft aremade of fiberglass tube and nylonspinnaker cloth decorated with speciallyformulated, colorful dyes whichpenetrate the nylon and sizing . Hislargest kite is a centipede type of 50segments, totalling 300 feet in airbornelength . Typically, each kite folds downto a size that may be carried by oneperson . Also, a design requirement ofthe artist is that each kite must springeasily into the air with only asoft breeze .I offer the Van Sant Trampoline as aunique prototype among kite categories .I stumbled upon this kite design insearch of the maximum lift, minimumweight form . On a six-foot-span model,there are 18 1/2 square feet of surface ata total kite weight of 9 1 /2 ounces . In1975, I recorded by line scale a 37-pound lift in a high wind . Stability isexcellent. The kite climbs and operateseasily in light or heavy wind, singly orin tandem . Aerodynamically, the flexibilityof structure and lashing is thekey. The kite functions in a manner
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