Kite Arch

Subject: Re: Kite Arch
From: abw@peritas.com (Andy Wardley)
Newsgroups: rec.kites
Date: Tue, 09 Jul 1996 10:16:13 +0000
Organization: Peritas Ltd.
Message-ID: <kbivxwab@peritas.demon.co.uk>

GX MaN writes:
>
>I'm trying to find info on building a kite arch to be used 
> for a charity event.....
>
>Would anyone have any experience with one or know where to 
>direct me to..?
>

I have no experience but I was closely examining an arch at Shrewsbury kitefest this weekend and can explain in simple detail how it is constructed.

Each kite is a simple diamond with a piece of glass fibre rod (3mm?) inserted into a pocket at the top and bottom:

(hold onto your hats - it's crap ascii art time)

       _
     _/|\_
   _/  |  \_
  /    |    \
  \    |    /
   \   |   /
    \  |  /
     \ | /
      \|/
       v

and then each is sewn onto a piece of sturdy line which forms the cross-piece:

        _             _             _  
      _/|\_         _/|\_         _/|\_
    _/  |  \_     _/  |  \_     _/  |  \_
___/____|____\___/____|____\___/____|____\_____
   \    |    /   \    |    /   \    |    /
    \   |   /     \   |   /     \   |   /
     \  |  /       \  |  /       \  |  /
      \ | /         \ | /         \ | /
       \|/           \|/           \|/
        v             v             v

Sew a bundle of these together, fix each end of the line down and you have yourself a kite arch.