HISTORY OF KITES
Kites have a universal fascination, no one can resist the exhilaration of using the wind to defy gravity and make a man made object fly. It is an interest that goes back thousands of years and kites today have developed into many forms and uses throughout the world.
Kites appear in the culture and history of many countries around the world. They have been worshipped as religious symbols, used as instruments of war, been developed as practical tools and simply provided a source of entertainment and enjoyment.
Kites have probably been in existence for over twenty-five centuries and it is now thought that the first kite was probably flown in China around 1000 BC.
Kites spread quickly throughout the Far East and by the end of the first millennium they played significant roles in many different countries and cultures.
In Japan, the birth of a boy is celebrated with Boys Festival when huge kites are flown over the new son’s house. In Thailand kites were flown at the time of monsoon to encourage the winds to blow away the rain clouds and protect their crops from flood. Fighting and fishing kites appear throughout the Malay Peninsula. Early forms of fishing kites were as simple as a large leaf threaded with strips of fine bamboo, with a hook hung from a long length of line – a form still used in Asia today. In Japan kites were used to wage war and there are many records of warriors being strapped to large kites and raised up above the walls of cities under siege.
In Europe there is evidence that the Romans flew decorated animal shaped windsocks as military banners, but it was the explorer Marco Polo who brought true kites to Europe from his travels to the East in the1300’s.
Until the eighteenth century in Europe, kites were almost exclusively a children’s plaything. Eventually scientists and inventors began to realise their potential. In 1749 there is the first recorded use of a kite in a meteorological experiment using a train of kites to measure the temperature at different altitudes. A few years later Benjamin Franklin successfully demonstrated the electrical nature of lightening by flying a specially designed kite in a thunderstorm. Kites have also long been used as a form of traction. In 1826 The Bristol schoolteacher George Pocock patented a system by which two kites were flown in tandem to pull along his “char-volant” carriage so as to avoid paying road tolls. In 1898 Marconi made the first successful wireless transmission over water from the island of Flatholm in the Bristol Channel using a kite to lift his aerial.
The potential for kites to be used as a form of lifting fascinated scientists and inventors. One of the most flamboyant was Samuel Franklin Cody a showman and cowboy from Texas. He developed a complex man lifting system, which was used as a method of army artillery observation.
Meanwhile other aviation pioneers such as the Wright brothers were experimenting with gliding kites.
In the Second World War, pilots shot down over the sea used the Gibson Girl survival kite. The collapsible box kite was flown on a fine wire aerial which could transmit a distress signal.
The development of today’s sophisticated kites is largely thanks to two American scientists: aeronautical engineer Francis Rogallo patented the design of the “Flexible Kite” which was the precursor to the modern delta wing used in hang gliders and modern sports kites. His flexible wing idea was taken up by NASA and developed as a re-entry parachute for the recovery of returning space capsules and rocket boosters. The first parafoil was invented by Domina Jalbert, which incorporates qualities of a balloon, parachute, aerofoil and kites. This rigid wing made entirely from fabric fills up with air and retains its aerofoil shape in flight. The Parafoil was the precursor to today’s modern parachutes, paragliders and traction kites.
Today the world of kites is enormous. It ranges from simple children’s toys ideal for a family stroll in the park through to the latest state-of-the-art sports kites and monster power kites that can hurtle a buggy along a beach at speeds of 50 mph or propel a kite surfer through the waves in spectacular fashion. Whether you enjoy the artistry and craftsmanship of making kites or get a kick out of synchronised team flying with sport kites. Kite flying is a great pastime. It does not discriminate by sex or age; it gets people outdoors and doesn’t have to cost you a fortune.
A great introduction to the colourful world of kites is attending one of the many public festivals and displays which take place during the summer months. The largest and most established in the UK is the annual Bristol International Kite Festival which takes place in the beautiful Ashton Court Estate.
The Festival, attended by some 50,000 people, provides a showcase for some of the most beautiful and exciting kites from around the world. It is a welcoming environment where the general pubic can come along to fly their own kites, help a child make their own kite in workshops, buy a kite from one of the specialist retailers or simply chill out and enjoy the aerial spectacular.
