Carbon fiber - not just for your bike anymore.

June 2, 2007 8:12 AM

Build your own ultra-lightweight kite, for zero-to-low wind conditions. (In action.)
posted by kaibutsu (10 comments total)

This is good, I will have to try and build this. /kitenerd
posted by everichon at 8:25 AM on June 2, 2007

Cool. Via the links at youtube; 'zerowinds.blogspot' here
posted by acro at 9:05 AM on June 2, 2007

where can one get the materials used for this kite?
posted by cubby at 9:17 AM on June 2, 2007

cubby: here is one place.
posted by everichon at 9:37 AM on June 2, 2007 [1 favorite]

fpp link
posted by acro at 9:40 AM on June 2, 2007

This is terrific! Thanks.
posted by hojoki at 10:20 AM on June 2, 2007

I remember as a child trying to make a kite out of a plastic drop cloth. I thought I could make a sort of "parafoil" if I got the lengths of line from the four corners correct. I used 20 pound test monofilament for line. I only used one control line instead of two, which was probably the reason why the thing twisted uncontrollably.

The winds were too fast that day, and I learned first hand that line breaks usually occur just adjacent to knots.

I wonder if I could have made it work if I added a tail...?

Do they make kites out of Tyvek?
posted by Tube at 12:27 PM on June 2, 2007

Tube, they do.
posted by acro at 12:39 PM on June 2, 2007

Cool! Thanks for the links.

Full disclosure here; I find Tyvek an amazing product, and I make my own credit card protector envelopes out of it. It can be glued with cyanoacrylate (superglue) adhesive. It will also hold pigments from a Sharpie marker or these new gel pens.
posted by Tube at 12:49 PM on June 2, 2007

Hang 'em High fabrics.
posted by spock at 12:50 PM on June 2, 2007