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Kites are devices that are meant to be flown in the air at the end of a string. Building kites and flying kites is an informal pastime, as well as a competitive game in several parts of the globe. As a matter of fact, nearly all kite flying festivals all across Asia have "kite fights," which is a venerated and ancient custom where players attempt to cut down their adversaries' kites by cutting off their lines. This is achieved by using small, extremely maneuverable "fighter kites" that are attached to glass-coated "cutting lines." These specialty "cutting lines" are used to cut the lines of competing kites.

In Korea, men, women and children fly kites all throughout the opening days of the New Year. Kite flying is also something to look forward to, and an essential part of the boys' festival, which is held each May in Japan, and in China, one day each year is commemorated as Kites' Day. On those days, thousands of kites shaped like fish, butterflies and dragons take to the air and soar over the cities and towns. Thailand also sponsors an International Kite Festival in which all kites fall into one of two classes: chula (male) or pakpao (female) kites. The kites are immense and need quite a lot of people to fly them. There are also kite-flying competitions held yearly in the United States and Canada.

Types of Kites

There are numerous assorted forms of kites. The simplest kind of kites is the two-stick solitary plane bow kite. It can be purchased ready-made or it can be assembled from do-it-yourself kits or made completely by hand. For simple kites the sticks can be of any strong lightwood with a straight grain. The covering material can be ordinary brown wrapping paper, or a wispy, light cloth, such as silk or nylon. Plastic sheets of different kinds are also used by kite makers. In addition, cloth is used for the tail and a string for the flight line. There are more advanced types of kites that can be made.

The box kite consists basically of two rectangular boxes, open on two equivalent sides apiece and linked by a general framework. Lawrence Hargrave invented it in the 1890's. Box kites are more difficult to build than stick kites, but they are excellent flyers and will maintain their position for long periods. Box kites also adapt well to changes in the wind, and they do not have need of a tail.

How to Fly Kites

Kites take to the air, like airplanes, on the aerodynamic theory of wind pressure against a heavier-than-air object. The engine and propeller of the airplane generate wind pressure as they propel the aircraft all the way through the air. When the pressure is strong enough to conquer gravity, the plane is pressed up and permitted to stay in the air. The similar consequence of wind pressure is produced by the kite flyer as he sprints across an open field. As the kite moves against the wind, the string tips the face of the kite onward. The wind shoves up on this tipped face and raises the kite, just as a wedge pressed beneath an object lifts it up.