Kites are ingenious contraptions that are intended to be flown high in the sky 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. In fact, most kite flying festivals all across Asia have "kite fights," which is a revered and an ancient tradition where participants try to down their opponents' kites by cutting their lines. This is achieved by using small, extremely maneuverable "fighter kites" that are attached to glass-coated "cutting lines." These specialized "cutting lines" are used to cut off the lines of contending 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 fashioned like fish, butterflies and dragons take to the air and soar over the cities and towns. Thailand also supports an International Kite Festival in which all kites fall into one of two categories: 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 contests held every year in the United States and Canada.

Types of Kites

There are many different types 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 put together from do-it-yourself kits or made completely by hand. When creating plain kites, the sticks that are utilized can be of any sturdy, light wood with a straight grain. The covering material can just be regular brown wrapping paper, or a wispy, light cloth, such as silk or nylon. Plastic sheets of different kinds are also used. In addition, cloth is used for the tail and a string for the flight line. There are also more sophisticated kinds of kites that can be assembled.

The box kite consists basically of two rectangular boxes, open on two parallel sides each and connected by a common framework. Lawrence Hargrave conceived of the original design in the 1890's. Box kites are trickier to construct than stick kites, but they are excellent flyers and will maintain their position for long periods. Box kites also adjust well to variations in the breeze, and they do not require 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 item. 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 great enough to overcome gravity, the plane is pressed up and permitted to stay in the air. The same effect of wind pressure is created by the kite flyer as he runs across an open field. As the kite moves in opposition to 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.

Jim Remington is a researcher and writer working for http://www.akiratoys.com, where you can get all the best kites, spinners, and toys at the best prices. Visit us for all your kites needs.