some advice on DIY centipede kite structure?

[rachelyin]

Hi,

if you could give me some feedback/comments about this kite it would be greatly appreciated! i'm a Singaporean student studying design in the Netherlands right now, and one of our assignments is to construct a night kite that incorporates LED lights and an arduino UNO board. 

Will the centipede kite structure work with the hollow air inflated element? I am not sure if the thin plastic fabric on the outside will prevent the wind from blowing upwards, lifting the centipede kite up. Could you give me some criticism about the structure, and maybe some suggestions? 

thank you! 
it would be so helpful :') 

[SparkieRob]

There is another type of centipede kite that is a flat skinned stick frame. Lights could be attached to frame legs.


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[makatakam]

It won't fly. In both versions of your drawings the plastic film will merely drape over the kite unless you can devise a way to "stiffen" it, either by physical means or inflation or both. However, it will still need to be of a large enough diameter to allow the wind to generate lift by putting pressure on the sails of the kite. The full tube will hinder the wind's access to the sails, and the tunnel will do the same although to a lesser extent. In either case the kite and the plastic film will move independently of each other and bump into each other causing the kite to stall and drop. The frame pieces could be extended beyond the edges of the sail to support the film so that both move as a unit, but the additional weight will keep it grounded.

If your intent is to light up the film to make it glow, consider making it "line laundry" and using a foil or delta kite as a "lifter" for your display. The lights can be attached to a wire frame at the leading edge, and/or hoops attached at intervals down the length of the structure. Google "windsocks" for some other ideas.