Bridling, Chinese circle/orange kite

[David56]

Hi everyone,

I'm not really a beginner at kite-making, but I've had consistent trouble getting my Chinese orange/circle kites to fly.  I've attached a front and back image of this type of kite, for reference.

 

I've made this type of kite twice, but flying has never gone well, and I think it's due to improper bridling. 

 

David Pelham's classic book, "Kites", specifies a 2-leg, vertically-oriented bridle (1 leg anchored at the center of the top circle, and 1 leg anchored at the center of the bottom circle).

 

Here's the observed problem during flight:  If the kite flies far to the right or left, the bridle will actually fold sideways, going flat against the kite face (like a keel folding flat against a delta kite).  As a result, the kite assumes a horizontal flight angle, the kiteline goes slack, and the kite dives.

Is this a bridle problem?  Should I try a 4-leg bridle?  Please help.

 

Thank you,

David

 

 

[Edmond Dragut]

for two leg on the way you describe the kite must to be perfect balanced left/right. on 4 legs will not work because you transform the sail in to a parachute and will break the spare. I will try to bow the horizontal spar with a tension line (light color circles) and try to see the effect. another modification what i will do will be to rise the lower leg of bridle upper than the bottom circle. 

I assume the bridle is not equal, top and bottom. If that is the case i will play with the tow point making the top leg shorter.

building a kite is a try and correct process especially the bridle.

Let us know the evolution 

P.S. on my experience top leg is approximately 2/3 and less from bottom one. a tail will help also 

[David56]

Hi Edmond,

Thank you for the tips.  I'll post photos as I get closer to completing the kite.

[David56]

The kite is coming together pretty well.  I'm using 1/8" bamboo dowels and rice paper.

 

[David56]

Now binding the individual covered circles together:

 

[David56]

Kite is complete.  Flight is very unstable - I think that a long tail will be needed.  I already tried ~30 feet of crepe paper streamer, but the crepe paper tore away from the base of the kite's spine during flight.  Next will try very thin cloth tail.

[Edmond Dragut]

for testing tail use a garbage bag, cut strips and there you are. if is unstable and wobbling left to right at that shape is almost nothing to be done to stabilize except bridle check and recheck to be equal. tide the bridle on the center of the circles to give them the chance to let the wind to flow free. teste after that a tension line from left to right and have at least 2 inches bow on the center. for start i will try a 3 point bridle ,top left, right. top to be long from center of circle till to the center of midle spar (C-D). left and righr to be longs from center to center of circles (A-B and B-A), will be a tetrahedrom with base on center of the circles and 2 sides equal with the base AB and BA third one (top) CD. pointy top of tetrahedrom will be X. Take reference from last pic posted 

On 6/28/2021 at 10:46 PM, David56 said:

A          D          B

             X                               

             C

good luck and keep us on the loop

                          A          D          B

                                       X

                                       C