Projects in Progress   What's going on...                      Weblog Jan Westerink                                                                                   Übersetzung: Frieder Tuczek   Donnerstag den 4. Mai 2010 Ok, es kostet schon eine Menge Zeit, aber es ist echt wahr: die Kusnetsov kann durch spannen der Spanndrähte echt vollkommen gerade  und flach ausgerichtet werden. Und wenn es dann schließlich gelungen ist, hat man etwas, worauf man echt stolz sein kann: eine  stracke und flache Kusnetsov!   (Fig. 125)   Ein interessantes Detail ist das Gummi in der Waage. Bei einem Windstoss dehnt es sich , wodurch der Drachen  sich flach legt. Bei einem etwas ungleichmäßigen Wind kann man an der Drachenleine gut fühlen, dass das Gummi am arbeiten ist.   (Fig. 124)    Vielleicht muss ich die Waage mit dem Gummi noch besser einstellen, denn ab und zu hat der Drachen die Neigung, zu einem plötzlichen Sturzflug anzusetzen. Gut , wenn man dann so etwa 260m Leine abgerollt hat, so dass das ganze die Zeit und  vor allem den Raum hat, um sich wieder zu fangen.   (Fig. 123)   Samstag, den 24. Mai 2010 Gutes Wetter, gute Freunde und super Platz für den  10e Historical Kite Workshop in Stade in Deutschland. Gute Gespräche und viel zu entdecken, z. B. Radioantenne- Drachen  von Wheelwright (US2386762 und CA422725), mitgebracht von Ulli Draheim.        (Fig. 121 und 122)    Drachenforschung bis auf die Knochen. Nie mehr irritiert sein, wenn mein eigenes Werk nicht so gut geworden ist, wie ich es wollte. Siehe die Arbeit von Profis: Der Wheelwright  Serien-Drachen.   (Fig. 120)   Sonntag, den 25. Mai 2010 Ich durfte sprechen vor dem vollen Saal mit enthusiastischen Teilnehmern des HKWS in Stade. Natürlich habe ich Barbara Sellers gerade erschienenes Buch gezeigt, voll mit interessanten Details aus Mathew Sellers technischem Tagebuch. Sehr lohnenswert! (Zie Bird Kite)   (Fig. 119)   Mittwoch den 14.  April 2010 Manchmal ist man jahrelang mit einem Drachen beschäftigt, ohne jeden Erfolg. Das Papiermodell vom 24. März 2009, inspiriert durch den patentierten Drachen von Holland aus 1938 ist ein solcher Fall. Die vor Monaten gemachte größere Version flog nicht einen einzigen Meter! Der Rahmen aus zu dünnen Stäben verbog sich durch den Wind so sehr, dass sich der ganze Drachen verformte und nichts mit ihm anzufangen war.   (Fig. 118)     Der Rahmen wurde hiernach verdoppelt mit dickem Bambus, aber wieder ohne Erfolg! Nun hängt der Drachen zur Zier an der Decke und dort muss er vorläufig auch mal bleiben.   (Fig. 117)     Mittlerweile war auch noch eine andere Version des Rahmens gemacht und diese lag irgendwo herum, bis sie von Papier versehen wurde, aber völlig anders, als es ursprünglich gedacht war. Dieser Drachen gleicht in keiner Hinsicht mehr der ursprünglichen Idee. Heute nahmen wir ihn mit zu unserem Drachenstartplatz.   (Fig. 116)      Aber auch diese Ausführung flog ( vielleicht muss ich sagen: selbstverständlich) keinen einzigen Meter.    (Fig. 115)     Also doch mal den Rahmen auf die beabsichtigte und geplante Art und Weise von Papier versehen und dann noch mal ausprobieren.     Mittwoch, 3 März 2010 Es ist schon eine ganze Weile her, dass das Ding fertig wurde, aber jetzt ist es endlich so weit: wir werden es ausprobieren.   (Fig. 114)     Und dann geht es auch sofort ausgezeichnet. Vor allem im Vergleich mit dem letzten Drachenflugtag am 23. September ( ja, das ist schon wieder lange her…) . Er schießt gleich nach oben und bleibt da auch ohne Probleme.   Die Voigtländer ist ein besonderer Drachen. Obwohl sein Äußeres schlampig ist, fliegt er doch phantastisch.   (Fig. 113)     Donnerstag, 4 Februar 2010 Es ist nicht einfach, um den Stoff am Rahmen der Kusnetzow zu befestigen. Obwohl der Rahmen mit Eisendraht verspannt ist, zieht er sich doch ziemlich krumm, als der Stoff am Rahmen festgenäht wird.   (Fig. 112)     Samstag, 30 Januar  2010 Vor einigen Jahren stoppte ich mit dem Zählen, nachdem ich meinen hundertsten Drachen gebaut hatte. Ich liebe es, Drachen steigen zu lassen, aber sie selber zu bauen, macht erst so richtig Spaß! So kam es, dass ich, noch bevor  die Voigländer fertig war, schon wieder begonnen war mit einem russischen Drachen, der Kusnetzow. Hierfür gebrauchte ich die sehr gut gemachten Teile aus dem Baupaket von HKWS 2008 (Historical Kite Workshop) in Friedrichshaven.   (Fig. 111)     Es läßt sich sehr angenehm arbeiten mit den stets sorgfältig hergestellten Baupaketen von HKWS.   (Fig. 110)     Montag, 15 Januar 2010 Und dann ist wieder ein Drachen fertig. Jetzt noch auf gutes Wetter und Zeit warten für den ersten Probeflug. Einige Teile sind noch besser ausgefallen, als beim Original. Das war eigentlich nicht die Absicht…   (Fig. 109)     Samstag, 3. Januar 2010 Anhand einer Bauzeichnung aus dem Internet, einigen Büchern mit Hintergrundinformation und Fotos von Freunden ist es letzten Monat gelungen, den Voigtländer- Drachen herzustellen.     (Fig. 108)   Vor allem  das deutsche Buch: “Lustige Windvögel” sowie einige Bauzeichnungen von Horstenke ergeben viele zusätzliche Informationen, die man nicht so eins-zwei-drei aus den Fotos herausholen kann, wie etwa die Biegung des doppelten Ständers.        (Fig.  106 und 107)   Zuerst stellte ich den Rahmen her und dann anhand davon die Form für den Stoff-  natürlich Baumwolle.     (Fig. 105)   Nachdem das Tuch fertig war, wurde erst auf Reststücken mit der blauen Farbe für die Beschriftung experimentiert. Das Beschriften des Drachens, der gerade fertig ist, ist echt keine entspannende Arbeit: Nichts darf jetzt schief gehen, kein Fleckchen oder Ausrutscher darf passieren.   (Fig. 104)   (Fig. 103)     Sonntag,  27. Dezember 2009 Das Katapult (Hochstart Vorrichtung ), entworfen durch Oesterle für das Abschießen von Segelflugzeugen ist fertig für einen ersten Test. Jetzt noch ein par Segelflugzeuge bauen, die hinter dem Horizont verschwinden dürfen. Ich denke übrigens nicht, dass ich diesen Apparat unter Oesterle's Dreidecker ausprobieren werde...   (Fig. 102)     Mittwoch, 23. September 2009 Ein besonderer Moment, der Oesterle Drachen endlich in der Luft, mit brennender Lunte, bereit um ein Foto mit der alten Voigtländer aus den dreißiger Jahren zu machen!   (Fig. 101)     Und dann passiert es, so kurz nach dem fantastischen Start: der Oesterle Dreidecker stürzt in einem ekligen Windstoß ab.         (Fig. 99 and 100)     Samstag, 19. September 2009 Der Oesterle (ohne Flügel) oben auf dem Volvo auf dem Weg zu einem Atelier von Freunden, ganz in der Nähe eines geeigneten Drachenflugplatzes. Da kann er auf die geeigneten Startbedingungen für einen ersten Probeflug. Jetzt den Wetterbericht im Auge behalten! (Fig. 97)                  (Fig. 98 and 97)     Sonntag, 6. September 2009 Heute, Sonntag den 6. September, ist es so weit. Ein besonderer Moment, nach elf Monaten Arbeit, ist der Dreidecker von Oesterle fertig.   Was jetzt... ein kleines Projekt zwischendurch, oder doch wieder etwas größeres?   (Fig. 96)     Samstag, 29. August 2009 Es geht vorwärts, das Fesselflugzeug von Oesterle ist jetzt beinahe fertig. Es ist herrlich, um nach monatelanger Arbeit an anderen Projekten, diesen Dreidecker wieder zur Hand zu nehmen. The  finishing touch, die letzten Feinheiten. Es ist entspanntes Arbeiten. Etwas, was der erste Probeflug wohl nicht sein wird, wie ich fürchte.   (Fig. 95)     Sonntag, 17. August 2009 Auch der kleinste Nagel ist wichtig, um das Projekt erfolgreich abzuschließen.      (Fig. 943)     Die Wäscheklammer, die den Auslöser der Kamera betätigen soll, nachdem eine Lunte einen Faden durchgebrannt hat (wenn alles gut geht.)   (Fig. 93)     (Fig. 92)     Donnerstag, 9. Julii 2009 Auf dem Filmplatz. Es ist heiß und wir mússen sehr lange warten. Am Ende geht alles seinen guten Gang und gelingt, was wir tun wollten!    (Fig. 91)     Mittwoch, 8. Juli 2009 Auf dem Strand bei Ferara in Italien ist es endlich so weit.  Alles und alle sind beieinander: Der runde Drachen von Alessandro Andreini und Andrea Casalboni und der Laufkatze, der das Saatgut ausstreuen soll. Es ist ein spannender Augenblick für alle, vier Architekten und drei Drachenflieger.   Andreini und sein fantastischer Drachen mit hölzernem Rahmen, und auch die Verbindungsstücke zwischen den runden Stangen sind aus Holz. (Fig. 90)   (Fig. 90)       Video vom Test mit dem Laufkatzen, der Saatgut auf dem Strand von Ferara verstreut:   Video 12,2 MB  Kann eben etwas dauern, also ...     Oder auf  YouTube         Donnerstag, 14. Mai  2009 Links und rechts des Pendels zwei Seitenpanele gemacht. Obwohl dies den Drachen-effekt des Laufkatzen verkleinern soll (fig. 89), denke ich, dass die Vergrößerung der Oberfläche es einfacher machen wird, eine größere Menge an Saatgut nach oben zu bringen. Die Seitenpanele sind demontierbar.    (Fig. 89)    Der Laufkatze fertig zum Gebrauch. Ein Sack mit Saatgut als Gepäck. (Fig. 88)     Montag, 25. Mai 2009 Das Saatgut für den Dokumentarfilm über die Renaturierung der italienischen Po- Ebene werden durch einen Laufkatzen/Pendel nach oben gebracht zu einem runden Drachen. Dieser runde Drachen soll durch die international bekannten italienischen Drachenbauer Alessandro Andreini und Andrea Casalboni gebaut werden.   (Fig. 87)     Das Problem eines Laufkatzen, der entlang der Drachenleine nach oben geblasen wird, ist, dass er neben seinem Gepäck auch noch sein eigenes Gewicht nach oben schleppen muß. Hinzu kommt, dass der runde Cassagne- Drachen nicht der am meisten geeignete Drachen ist, um eine Fracht in die Luft zu tragen. Es ist darum gut, um einen Laufkatzen zu wählen, der auch noch Lift- Kapazität hat, wie ein  Eddy oder Woglom drachenförmiger Laufkatze (Fig. 86). Auf dem Foto eine Flasche Wasser am Laufkatzen (Fig. 86), um sein Tragevermögen zu testen.   (Fig. 86)     Konstruktion des Eddy/Woglom-förmigen Laufkatzen.   (Fig. 85)       Video vom Test mit dem Laufkatzen:   Video 1,93 MB  Kann eben etwas dauern, also ...   Oder auf YouTube     Ende Deutsche Übersetzung.                                                       Deutsch-Übersetzung von F. Tuczek More in English...       Saturday, 28 March 2009 The full scale one didn't fly, because of the weakness of the very thin frame. I tried to make a very light kite, but evething turned out to light and fragile. But the little model was beatifull.   (Fig. 84)     Tuesday, 24 March 2009 Made a model of a new paper kite inspired on the Holland 1938 kite.   (Fig. 83)     Sunday, 22 March 2009 Some months ago a mail from Venice - Italy arrived:   "We are thinking about a no profit Po river re-naturalization project and we have to prepare a little movie to express the suggestion of the idea.   We would like to use a big kite to spread some endangered species seeds on the territory; a boat along the river should carry the kite.   Would you be interested in helping us to realize this artistic action and to solve the technical problems of the project?   Giulia and  Chiara"   It was the beginning of a new friendship with four architects from Italy, Barcelona and Servia! I can look back to many exiting adventures with this little group. Thank you, Giulia, Chiara, Masa and Vuk.   Today we started with the first tests of spreading seeds by a kite. We used the Holland 1938 kite (Fig. 82) for the first attempts and tried several spreading bags and release systems under the kite.   (Fig. 82)       We made also some video's to show the results spreading seeds by a kite, one of them:   Video 3,91 MB  Take your time to download... Or on YouTube     (In the very beginning of this video you can see the particular effect of the patented Holland kite steering mechanism!)     We used sawdust (Fig. 81) for experimenting in because of the low costs and it was harmless for the nature at the flying field.   (Fig. 81)     Saturday 18, April 2009 More beautiful historical kite details appeared in Bad Hersfeld during the International Historical Kite Workshop (Fig. 97 and 80): the cerf-volant Oiseau owned and kindly made available for documentation by Axel Goldbach.   (Fig. 80)     The French kite builders did there job very well on this patented kite!   (Fig. 79)     Friday 17, April 2009 In Bad Hersfeld during the International Historical Kite Workshop Frits Sauvé and I were in the occasion to examine a very old and patented German kite (Fig. 78). Owned and kindly made available for documentation by Uli Draheim.   (Fig. 78)     Lovely 100 year old kite making details (Fig. 77), made by professional German kite makers. This is the kite research I like the most!   (Fig. 77)     Monday 23, February 2009 Oestele's Dreidekker is almost ready. Just hanging at the ceiling waiting for the finishing touch and his first test flight. But it has to wait, some other projects have to be finished first.   (Fig. 76)     Saturday 17, January 2009 With some good advise from some good friends, today the solution for all my problems (as it seems to be already) arrived by mail.   (Fig. 75)     The only trouble now is to find some time to open the cans and give it a try. In the meanwhile Oesterle's body-frame takes a lot of room.   (Fig. 74)     Wednesday 31, December 2008 The last day of the year and I am sure: the real old fashioned shellac is not the real thing. The fabric of the little wing, below on Figure 73 has been detached and tied again and is very tight again. The others should have to be done also. But there is no more room to stretch the fabric in the frame (See as reverence Figure 70.) So I have to look for a better solution then shellac.    (Fig. 73)     Friday 26, December 2008 Finishing the cloth with real old fashioned shellac (Fig. 71) seams to be more and more going the wrong way! Although having fun doing it, because it feels like real craftsman work (Fig. 72), it slowly occurs to me that it is not working. Instead of getting very tight cloth on the wings, it is getting very slack.     (Fig. 71)                                                                                       (Fig. 72)     Monday, 22 December 2008 Still going on fastening fabric. This time to the frame parts. Although everything is written down in the manual: Wie baue ich mir selbst? Fesselflugzeug ~ Dreidecker from Valentin Oesterle, sometimes surprises occur. In contrast with the genius frame construction, fastening the fabric through the papered frame parts seems a bit amateurish. See Figure 70.   (Fig. 70)     Sunday, 7 December 2008 Finished tying the fabric in the last Oesterle Dreidecker wing. Short lengths of thread have to be used (Figure 69), as the manual said. So that in case of breaking one piece thread during flight the fabric will stay in place and not will be blown away.   (Fig. 69)     Sunday, 30 November 2008 Last 8 months, hours and hours have been spend on research, collecting and photographing patented and commercially manufactured kites. All about getting a unique list of kites on the web with well- or less known kites over the years. Kites which have been patented, manufactured in huge amounts and sold to customers. Who loved them or hated them for their flight qualities. Maybe you might recognize one off your first kites. The first part of the project is almost finished, please take a look at the concept version of www.firstkites.nl/patentedkites.html, and check how the new web page will be. The second part comparing the kites with their patents. And checking their flight qualities is in full swing. I hope to be able to show the results within some months.      (Fig. 68)     Wednesday, 26 November 2008 Cutting the sails for the wings and sewing the seems for Oesterle's Dreidecker is not difficult. Sewing two sides of the wings and then just trying and stretching the fabric until the right measurement is found.      (Fig. 67 and 68)     Saturday, 22 November 2008 From all the vertical parts which has to be covered, both sides are covered with paper as described in the building manual. A picture of the back part  (Leitwerk in German) of the body. (Figure 66)   (Fig. 66)     Saturday, 15 November 2008 The triplane body, Oesterle's Dreidecker, is ready. The question yet is which kind of covering I have to choose, fabric or paper. Both kind of materials are described in the manual and have there own benefits and disadvantages. Paper is lighter than fabric, but it is weaker. It is shrinking when getting very dry. On a hot sunny day in summer it might tear by this. It is also cheaper than fabric. All this is also mentioned in the old building manual. Not mentioned, but really true is that paper is easier to apply to the wings. The horizontal parts which has to be covered are covered with paper.   (Fig. 65)               The lightness is very important in this project while I intent to raise an old 1936 camera with the kite to take 'as it was done' black and white pictures in the historical way. And while doing this I like to video the whole process in a modern digital way on the same kite. (I hope everything will work out!)   Oesterle made a very simple but ingenious construction. Al the wooden parts are nailed(!) together. And it works out when nailed and bored with care even the square 6x6 mm sticks. The ends of the sticks are bound with yarn to protect against splitting. See figure 64 with one of the wing connections from aluminium.     (Fig. 64)      (Fig. 62 and 63)     October 2008 The work on the 'as original as possible' Oesterle Dreidecker project started with sawing the ribs and other parts of frame and wings. There are three sizes of sticks described in the German building manual from 1936: "Wir baue ich mir selbst ein Fesselflugzeug - Dreidecker" from Valentin Oesterle. (How to build my own triplane kite):   8 mm for the longerons in the body 7 mm for wings and  ribs in the front of the body 6 mm ribs in the end of the body   Very many meters had to be sawn, luckily my father gave some help. But still there was a lot of work to do, before the building could be started.       (Fig. 61)     Saturday and Sunday, 26 and 27 April 2008 Two beautiful days at the Zeppelin Museum with a lot of kite friends at the Historical Kite Workshop in Friedrichshafen at the Bodensee in Germany. A lot of great kites were exposed in the front of the museum. The Sellers kite was finished just in time and photographed in the museum, see picture 60.     (Fig. 60)   A beautiful shot (fig. 59) from the balcony at the Zeppelin Museum of the launch of a replica of a N-Drachen as used a 100 years before by the daily kite launches at the Bodensee to do the meteorological  observations. The replica is build by Charles Tacheron and is more than two meters high.     (Fig. 59)   Thursday, 10 April 2008 The kites doesn't fit anymore in the room. This is not so pretty because all the parts are ready and the adjusting of all the parts together has to be done now.      (Fig. 58)   Sellers in his Patent description about the coupling rods on which he seems to be particular proud of: "In this construction the coupling bar 2 is bent between its ends to form an eye 3 and line wire 1 passes along the shank 4, through the eye 3 and is given one or more turns about the eye and then several turns around the shank, then one or more turns at 5 around the line wire, then several turns around the shank back to the eye, then one or more turns at 6 in the eye."  See figures 56 and 57.     (Fig. 57)     (Fig. 56)     Wednesday, 2 April 2008 UPS-World Wide brought me yesterday  the patented Fire Bird kite. The kite was still in his original box and must be 40 to 50 years old yet. I could not help it, I had to try this kite in spite of his remarkable age (fig. 55).     (Fig. 55)   Flying this kite I had the same experience as with some of the patented kites I build myself. It flew, but not perfect! Maybe the wind was to turbulent this day. The kite flew almost like a fighter kite as be said on the kite box.     (Fig. 54)   There is a difference between the patent drawings and the kite Gayla Manufactured. See the patent drawings below. This proves that it is not always necessary to follow the patent drawings (fig. 53) as exact as possible by building patented kites. (How much proof do you need to do something......) Check figure 8 on the patent drawing and the photo of this part of the kite below.        (Fig. 53)                                                                                                            (Fig. 52)   Monday, 24 March 2008 Several weeks ago I started the building of the US Patent: US 886159, patented April 28, 1908. It is a kite from Mr. Matthew B. Sellers see figure 51. As usual there were no measurements in the patent so measurements have been chosen by careful looking at the drawings in the patent. And by trying to get some good conclusions about the kite measurement by comparing the constructions details by each other.   But you can imagine how lucky I got when I came in contact with the Aviation Museum of Kentucky, USA which made photographs of a replica of Sellers' plane available and also his personal notes from 1904 with drawings of the construction details and even a photograph of the first made kite of this type. Special thanks in this to Mr. Philip Baugh and Mr. Dennis Sparks.   Now I am trying to finish the building of this kite before April the 28th this year 2008. Because on that date it will be 100 years ago that this kite, called by Sellers Bird Kite model No. 2, was patented.        (Fig. 51)                                                                                                                    (Fig. 50)    On figure 50 you can see the wing adjustment hook as drawn at figure 7 on the patent. This hook is placed in the cylindrical tail. Today I finished the fuselage of the kite. The cotton covering of the wings is ready and also the cylindrical tail (fig. 49).   (Fig. 49)     Thursday, 26 February 2008   (Pic. 48)   Before I started the building of the Perrin kite from 1912, I had some thoughts to chance the model in a better shape. See picture 2. But now when I finished the test flights, I am glad I didn't! Only the use of two clothes pegs was enough to get this kite in the air and let it stay there as long as I desired. In his original, beautiful, historical shape. (Pic. 48 and Pic. 46). See the leading edges of the triangle wings for the clothes pegs.       (Pic. 47)                                                                 (Pic. 46 From La Revue du Cerf-Volant, December 1912, P. 276)     Monday, 25 February   We tested the by Jan Kits improved version of the SOS Brookite, and it indeed flew like a Jan Kits kite. Check the plan on the SOS Kite page. (Not ready yet!)   (Pic. 45)     Only the red and yellow parts are 'original' at picture 45 but the important improvements are almost invisible.     Monday, 4 February 2008   The Dunne kite of Frantzen is ready, most of the bamboo is changed for stiffer ones and now at the third trial it flies very well. (Pic. 44)   (Pic. 44)   The Big One, started building somewhere in 2007, weights almost 5 kilo's and has a span of 4,5  meter!     (Pic. 43)   A little dramatically video of the first test flight. I was alone, so I couldn't do everything that had to be done. I even could not get the outer two bridles. So the kite was flying with only one third of the bridle pinned to the ground. Which proofs how remarkable this kite is. It can fly a bit with almost no bridle and with very weak and to thin bamboo sticks. These sticks were replaced later.       Video 7,37 MB  Take your time to download..     Sunday, 12 January 2008   Racke (Around 1900) is still waiting for a nice sunshiny day. In the last months the whole bamboo frame is split into half to get the frame as light as described in the old books where this kite from Belgium is mentioned. (Pic. 42)   (Pic. 42)     Picture 41 is taken at a test flight some months ago.   (Pic. 41)     Sunday  09-12-2007   Not the most beautiful kite, but designed as it is as a good flyer, just fun to fly: The Potter Diamond Kite. Almost build as described in the Monthly Weather Review. But this time build as a light wind kite with a paper covering on light poplar wood. (Pic. 39 & 40)   (Pic. 40)     (Pic. 39)   Detail of the notched strut (Pic. 40)     (Pic. 40)   Guests from 30 km/h  - 18 mph are to much for the poplar light wind frame. See the deformation of the frame at picture 39.     (Pic. 39)     Sunday  25-11-2007   First test flight of the whole size Ickx kite ended in barbed wire. But the second and others were a great success. Only some adjustments to the bridle have to be done yet. (Pic. 38)     (Pic. 38)     (Pic. 37)     Big kites belong in the air, but the problem is, you have to build them at home. (Pic. 37)     Tuesday  23-10-2007   Today I broke my personal altitude record with a simple somewhat heavy winged triangular box kite (Pic. 36) constructed as if it was a toy kite. Dimensions: 160 cm. wide, 117 cm. high, 390 g. weight. We had a 4 Bft. today and it was big fun with simple kites. I think there are two kinds of kites: Kites you like to make, test and experiment with and another kind of kites for flying them with great fun and no problems!   (Pic. 36)     Sunday 23-09-2007   The Hirondelle doesn't still fly very well. Every adjustment has been tried out, also a second Hirondelle has been made (Pic. 33), with the same results. The latest idea now is a modification of the frame, see pictures 34 (before modification) and 35 (after modification). With this modification the kite gets his wings somewhat higher and in a better shape. It also looks more like the picture shown in the article in Le Revue du Cerf-Volant, July 1912 by V. Aston, where this kite comes from.                (Pic. 34 and 35)   The white swallow kite (Pic. 33) has his wings and major part of the body cut out of one piece of cloth, as described in the article from 1912. A more open cloth has been used to give the kite more stability, but it wasn't enough as you can see at picture 33.     (Pic. 33)     Saturday 25-08-2007   Its a good thing: taking as much pictures as you can during test flying. Afterwards at home you see things you didn't see at your flying field... Maiden test flight of the Hirondelle, 1912. A bird kite (swallow) which has been flown 2000 m. high once. Our record this particular day: almost 20 meters!     (Pic. 32)     The Hirondelle with al the adjustment lines untied (Pic. 32) has nice shaped wings, but doesn't fly very well...     Saturday 21-07-2007   Third test flight of the kite of the Ickx brothers. Not enough wind... no real flight.     (Pic. 31)   The only picture taken some seconds before the front wing stick broke. (A little sharpened picture 31.)   First thoughts on the test results: -          Quick raiser (We pulled the line by running as an authentic kite flying child!) -          Stable kite -          Small wind range -          But strong puller, when the kites catches some wind (As described by the Ickx brothers.) -          This heavy half size model needs almost 5 Beaufort (Densité of this kite: a little more then 0,6) -          The whole size one, which is under construction, must be able to have a better practice. -          This kite has absolutely no aero dynamical wings, the wings are as flat as possible.   Construction detail from one of the small wing spreader sticks. (Pic. 27 - 30) The stick on his place at picture 26.        (Pic. 27 - 30)     (Pic. 26)     Thursday 12-07-2007   What more do you need...?     (Pic. 25)     20 Minutes work and there it is: a real Bell tetrahedral kite, made of barbeque pins (bamboo), rubber bands and some pieces of rice paper.     (Pic. 24)   But there seems to be some relation between time spent building your kite and stability in the end...     Sunday 29-04-2007   The improved Irvin kite has been tested and the results are very good! It can even fly (better!) without a tail. The improved shape of the front sail of the kite,  has more similarity to the drawings in the patent. Irvin before modification:     (Pic. 22)   Irvin after modification:     (Pic. 21)     Friday 27-04-2007   Although we had to coop with the usual problems (Pic. 18) when flying experimental paper kites, in the end we succeeded to take good pictures of the paper version of the patented kite from Mr. Holland. (Pic. 20) See how the principals of this kites works: http://www.firstkites.nl/m7.html     (Pic. 20)   The usual problems with experimental paper kites. (Pic. 18)  A difficult moment: the principle of the patent doesn't work for some seconds. (Pic. 20)               (Pic. 18 & 19)   Sunday  22-04-2007   Kite flying on top of Germany. (Pic. 17) Very rarely: Kite flying on the glider airfield 'Wasserkuppe' during the International Historical Kite Workshop 2007. Three new built historical kites, from left to the right: Roloplan, Dahl and a Pearson Roller.     (Pic. 17)   Some children with basic kite flying between all the historical kites, the real thing... (Pic. 13 - 16)           (Pic. 13 - 16)   The workshop kite from Gotlob Espenlaub in its origin environment. (Pic. 12)     (Pic. 12)     March - April 2007   Nothing special, still working on a bigger Frantzen (See Saturday 24-02-2007). This one will be in black cotton. Nothing special, only bigger kites need more ours sewing...       (Pic. 10)                                                                                         (Pic. 11)   In the meanwhile on sunny Saturdays, some test flying and adjusting on other kites is be done. For instance to decrease the flapping effect of the sail of the Dahl kite (pic. 9) with keeping the principle working of the kite in mind...     (Pic. 9)     Saturday 24-02-2007   "Etude pour une cerf-volant", wrote Lucien Pierre Frantzen above  his sketches in 1914. Today I had a perfect second series of test flights and it felt like a symphony! Everything was perfect, the weather, the wind and most of all the kite: half size model #76, span: 230 cm. (Pic. 8)     (Pic. 8)     Saturday 17-02-2007   First flight of Génesis. (Pic. 7) Four pieces straw, an orange wrapping paper and very little glue, that was all. Lounged from a playing field between houses one stick broke when it got to high and caught the 'full' 2 Beaufort. But it still was capable of flying! Surface: 0,0925 cm², span: 37 cm, length: 115 cm, weight: 4 g. ('Génesis' is the brand of the oranges which were covered with the paper.)          (Pic. 6)                                                                                             (Pic. 7)     Friday  6-02-2007   Third test flight of the Kurkjian. Everything is working! (Pic. 5)     (Pic. 5)     Sunday 21-01-2006   Starting again (after the first test flight at 01-10-2006) with the Frantzen/Dunne project: Adjusting the half size model #76. (Pic. 2-4)     (Pic. 4)     (Pic. 3)     (Pic. 2)     Saturday  20-01-2007   Second test flight of the Kurkjian. Some problems with the bridle point. (Pic. 1)     (Pic. 1)   previous page /  Copyright   ©   by Jan Westerink - Last update: 01-10-2010