History Of the Kite

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Simple pleasures are the best, and kite flying ranks as one of the simplest pleasures life has to offer. Most people have enjoyed kite flying at some point in their lives, either as children flying a simple diamond kite, or if they're lucky, they've kept up the hobby well into their adult lives. Many of us enjoy kites, but few are aware of the vast length of time kites have been with us or of the many contributions kites have made to our society. The history of the kite is a fun story to read!

The kite has universal appeal, delighting everyone with its colorful and graceful flight. Like the elegant bird of prey from which the kite drew its name, it soars and glides through the sky. The kite is the first aircraft constructed by man.

Kites were developed by 500 BC, and possibly earlier, so people have been flying kites for at least 2500 years. Western tradition gives credit to a Greek scientist named Archytas of Tarentum as the inventor of the first kite in in history in the fifth century BC.

In Asia, however, kite flying is apparently much older, especially among the Chinese, Koreans, Malyans, and Japanese. Kites had, and still retain, religious symbolism in the Orient. Evil spirits were believed to be kept at bay by a night flying kite.

They were enjoyed by many ancient cultures throughout history, including the Egyptians and Chinese. Today, kite flying in Asia has evolved into a sport in which kites are elaborately decorated. Musically talented, some of these kites have whistles or pipes installed in them, which the wind plays as it holds the kite aloft. In Asia, kites are not only pleasing to the eye, they sing to the flyer as well.

One of the first scientists to use the kite as a scientific instrument was Roger Bacon (1214?-1294) .His observations and experiments with kites made him one of the first to believe that air could support a craft in much the same way that water supports a boat. Kite flying and the study of it has contributed greatly to our knowledge of the science of aviation. Indeed, kites were probably indispensable to our learning to fly. Many of the early scientists after Bacon used kites in their studies. These include Sir George Cayley, Otto Lilienthal, and the Wright brothers. The kite was an invaluable part of avaiation history.

Kites were used for other studies, also. Everyone is familiar with the story of the Benjamin Franklin kite experiment. There is some doubt as to whether he actually flew a kite in a thunderstorm. Franklin did propose the experiment, though, which was carried out by various others in France in the summer of 1752. Although he himself never wrote about the experiment, he did propose, through his periodical Poor Richard's Almanac, that the experiment proved that lightning rods would help protect houses from lightning strikes. And did you know that Benjamin Franklin was the original wind-surfer? He enjoyed swimming, and one of his amusements was to be pulled across a pond with a kite while floating!

The first recorded use of kites for military purposes was at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, where they were used to hoist battle standards.

Kites were useful in the first scientific studies of the earth. Scot Alexander Wilson launched thermometers to measure atmospheric temperature in 1749. This is the first known use of kites, or any other aircraft, for this purpose in history.

By the late 1800's, a number of innovations in kite design both advanced the science of aviation, and increased the usefulness of the kite. The stabile flying box kite was invented by James Means in 1893. Between 1895 and 1910 Alexander Graham Bell developed large tetrahedral-celled kites which were capable of carrying a man. These kites had numerous uses both scientific and military. The science of meteorology benefited because the new kites were stable enough to carry scientific instruments aloft to study the atmosphere. In an age before satellite technology this provided valuable information to early meteorologists. The mammoth kites developed by Bell were capable of carrying military observers aloft to study enemy troop deployments in battle. Again, kites preceded satellites in gathering important strategic military data, giving an important edge to the possessor of superior information.

Credit the Wright brothers with the invention of the stunt kite. They were using kites in their attempts to build an airplane. The kite helped them in their experiments with a process called ‘wing warping’. They built a biplane kite which they discovered could be caused to dive, climb, bank and dive by manipulating the strings. From these experiments in 1899 they designed their airplane.

Scientific and military applications for the kite ended with the invention of the balloon and airplane. But still, kites are fun to fly, and millions of people enjoy flying kites each year. I hope you will too.

As you can see the kite has a long and distinguished history in the service of mankind. As airplanes and satellites have long ago taken over the scientifio and military duties once used by kites, it leaves the kite free for our enjoyment. As the first aircraft designed and flown, you can join the vast number of people like Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Graham Bell by flying one yourself. It's easy and fun, and unlike many of the people mentioned in this column, you don't have to carry lot of scientific stuff with you when you fly. Maybe a sandwich and something to drink! H'm, now there's an idea.

How Kites Fly