Single line kites are the classics. Up untill recently, kiting has been a quietly relaxing pastime. After getting the kite up, there is little to do but ponder the issues that can occupy the mind. The poetically inclined never cease to get inspired and reflect on heaven and earth, thin lines, the beauty of the sun and such things.
The main thing was to produce a beautiful kite, both constructionally and esthetically. The models from Pelham's book and his construction methods were well suited to building a quiver of kites to suit winds from practically nothing well into 8 Beaufort.
The most beautiful kites are still the Japanese bamboo and washi (rice paper) kites, boldly decorated with glaring faces of warriors and dragons.
The Nagasaki hata (hata) is a remarkably simple yet excellent fighter kite, traditionally decorated in the colors of the Dutch flag, red, white and blue. The kite derives even its name from the Dutch flag seen waving on the island of Deshima, for a long time the only foreign presence in Japan. The object in kite fighting is to cut the line of the opponent. To that end, the line is run through a mixture of liquid glue and ground glas. Directing a single line kite is achieved by reacting to turbulences with pulling the line or letting go. It is much more difficult than steering a two line kite.
Beauty of quite another plumage can be seen in the kites of Hiroi .., a Japanese kite designer straying from the traditional paths. His kites are lifelike renditions of birds. They are not easy to build, nor easy to fly, but real birds can be fooled by them.
Lastly, the Flying Red Lines of American artist Tal Streeter add yet another dimension to kites and kiting.
European and American kites were largely looked upon as toys, but man-lifting was militarily popular for a short time when aircraft were not good enough or too expensive for simple reconnaissance duties. Balloons were just too easy targets. Kites were also used in gathering weather information.
Lawrence Hargrave built kites as experimental aircraft, to study aerodynamics, and to test different airfoils for lift. His box kite has spawned a number of cellular designs.
The latest chapter in single line kite history was written by NASA. In developing gliding parachutes to ease the landing of space craft, Rogallo created a parachute that could also be used as a kite. This kite was a direct ancestor of the two line kites, which gained great popularity during the eighties.
At one time I had a box kite and a flare, both were lost. I made a lot of Allison sleds, with and without vents, mostly from blue plastic garbage bags. These were easily built, flew without a hitch and looked good at a time when they were still relatively uncommon.
The most remarkable kite thing I ever witnessed was the sight of two Allisons flying out of the North Sea towards the shore. They were easily half a kilometer out when first spotted. The lines hanging into the water were producing just enough drag to hold the kites up. Quite an eerie sight, too, because at the time I was on watch at the Noordwijk surf club, and I worried about people in the water. It turned out the kites came from Scheveningen, another resort, about thirteen miles south of Noordwijk.