Date: Fri, 5 Aug 1994 11:21:19 -1000 From: qbank@pearl.tufts.edu Message-Id: <1994Aug5.162119.1@pearl.tufts.edu> Organization: Tufts University - Medford, MA Subject: Untethered kites Untethered kites ARE SUCH RECORDS AS ALTITUDE AND DISTANCE KNOWN FOR UNTETHERED KITES? I am not familiar with kites, so my word "untethered" may not be the proper adjective. I refer to kites that fly free in an atmosphere where wind increases with altitude, thus enabling the kite to get lift because of drag on the string at lower altitude than the kite. My one direct experience with such a kite was several years ago, part of a fluid mechanics class. A group flew a kite up a hundred yards or so, attached an air-filled balloon about one foot in diameter to the string and let it go. The experiment was unusual.; it worked as predicted on the first try. The kite rose, flew over the Mystic lakes, and disappeared over the trees to the northeast. The next day we heard that a kite, string, and balloon had come to roost, entangled on the highest church steeple in Winchester, about five miles away. Coincidentally, that weekend, the Boston Globe ran a story about a young girl and her birthday present. She had been given a kite, went to Revere Beach and flew it, but ran into the problem that the string wasn't attached to the reel. The kite took off and disappeared over the Atlantic, as ours had done over the Mystic Lakes. Some days later, fishermen off Nova Scotia retrieved a kite, flying with its string in the water. It had her name and address. The nearest point of Nova Scotia from Boston is 300 miles, so that kite went at least that far. I'm curious. What is the farthest kite flight known? Has anyone measured heights? Is there a coterie of people interested in untethered kites? Lloyd M. Trefethen, Tufts University, Medford MA 02155 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Sat, 6 Aug 1994 09:42:33 -1000 From: crowell@teleport.com (Carl Crowell) Message-Id: Organization: Kites By Carl Crowell Subject: Re: Untethered kites >I'm curious. What is the farthest kite flight known? Has >anyone measured heights? Is there a coterie of people >interested in untethered kites? I am interested now... there are of course the enviornmental concerns.... = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Sun, 7 Aug 1994 14:51:14 -1000 From: sparks@netcom.com (Steve Millspaugh) Message-Id: Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest) Subject: Re: Untethered kites Carl Crowell (crowell@teleport.com) wrote: : >I'm curious. What is the farthest kite flight known? Has : >anyone measured heights? Is there a coterie of people : >interested in untethered kites? : I am interested now... there are of course the enviornmental concerns.... Although my knowledge is limited to what I read, I remember that George Peters, in an article in American Kite, I believe it was, talked on going down to the beach one day and putting messages in bottles, which were then attached to kitelines and released in a manner that allowed the bottles to provide the drag to keep the kites lofted, and the bottle skipping across the water. I don't think he got any responses, but it sounds like an interesting idea. As Carl mentioned, however, in these more "enlightened" times, I think we would have to oppose such activities as they relate to the environment. Randomly distributing ripstop, spars, and other items about the worlds seas is probably not a good idea, but it does sort of capture the imagination somehow, doesn't it? Steve Millspaugh sparks@netcom.com = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Sun, 7 Aug 1994 22:42:56 -1000 From: alfa@werple.apana.org.au (Glenn Durden) Message-Id: <324r6g$5q6@werple.apana.org.au> Organization: werple public-access unix, Melbourne Subject: Re: Untethered kites sparks@netcom.com (Steve Millspaugh) writes: >Although my knowledge is limited to what I read, I remember that George >Peters, in an article in American Kite, I believe it was, talked on going >down to the beach one day and putting messages in bottles, which were then >attached to kitelines and released in a manner that allowed the bottles >to provide the drag to keep the kites lofted, and the bottle skipping >across the water. I don't think he got any responses, but it sounds >like an interesting idea. As Carl mentioned, however, in these more >"enlightened" times, I think we would have to oppose such activities >as they relate to the environment. Randomly distributing ripstop, spars, >and other items about the worlds seas is probably not a good idea, but >it does sort of capture the imagination somehow, doesn't it? Unless of course the kites/strings/bottles were made of some bio-degradable material. Lets see... the kite can be made of something that degrades quite quickly when soaked in water - the string a bit less so (equal to the maximum time you want the thing to fly). Not sure about the bottle though. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 8 Aug 1994 23:51:27 -1000 From: andrewh@holly.harvard.edu (Andrew Hawken) Message-Id: <327jiv$gsc@beta.qmw.ac.uk> Organization: Queen Mary & Westfield College, London, UK Subject: Re: Untethered kites Carl Crowell (crowell@teleport.com) wrote: : I am interested now... there are of course the enviornmental concerns.... Choose your materials with care. Paper cotton and bamboo kites on cotton line. Perhaps a wooden drag to skip over the sea. I will stand on the beach, waiting. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 9 Aug 1994 13:10:27 -1000 From: svend@cassandra.acru.uq.oz.au (Sven Dowideit) Message-Id: <3292d3$91g@dingo.cc.uq.oz.au> Organization: University of Queensland Subject: Untethered kites with regard to the bottles needing to be biodegradable - how ablut just using a rock or a nice shell??? its only natrul svend -- =============================================================================== Sven Dowideit svend@cassandra.acru.uq.oz.au Applied Climate Research Unit PH 365 4101 (work) University of Queensland 289 2325 (home) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Thu, 11 Aug 1994 13:32:38 -1000 From: Colin_Douthwaite@equinox.gen.nz (Colin Douthwaite) Message-Id: Organization: Equinox Networks Subject: Re: Untethered kites Steve Millspaugh (sparks@netcom.com) wrote: : Carl Crowell (crowell@teleport.com) wrote: : : >I'm curious. What is the farthest kite flight known? Has : : >anyone measured heights? Is there a coterie of people : : >interested in untethered kites? : : I am interested now... there are of course the enviornmental concerns.... Last year I had a line break on a tiny Indian Fighter. It flew at about 200 feet steadily South towards Antartica. So far no one has reported this kite having landed anywhere. It was a greyish white paper/bamboo kite with some deep red lines for patterning. If anyone sees it in either the Southern or Northern hemispheres can they please let me know. It is bound to come down sometime and it might just be a record :-) Bye, = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =