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The kites are adapted from the traditional Indian fighter kite, the Patang, a spirited single-line flyer that with enough practice can be flown with great control.
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How To Fly
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To launch the kite one person holds the kite above their head, its nose pointing up, while the other stands a few metres away, down-wind, holding the string taut.
When there is a steady wind, release the kite into the sky.
The kite will respond to tension in the string. When it feels resistance, it will travel in the direction it is pointing at that moment. To make the kite climb, pull on the string when it is pointing up.
If the kite starts to dive, release the string rapidly to relieve tension, causing the kite to stall and change direction. Pulling on the string will only accelerate the dive, so don’t panic if your kite flies downwards, instead just let the string out quickly and it will right itself.
Stay in the one spot and play with the tension of the string. Pull sharply to make the kite move where you would like it to go and let out string to stop it from going where you don’t.
A series of rapid pulling motions with the kite's nose pointing up will lift it higher into the sky and into more stable wind. The higher you fly, the more reliable the wind, and more space to manoeuvre the kite.
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Preparing To Fly
Tie the kite string from the spindle to the small loop in the string bridle.
Before you fly, gently bend the vertical bamboo spar of the kite to create an even curve facing the flyer.
This helps stop the kite from diving. When there is no tension in the string the kite will float like a leaf rather than fall to the ground.
To do it like the experts, bend the kite over the crown of your head.
Attaching a tail stabilises the kite, calms its flight and makes flying easier. The longer the tail, the more stable the flight, but more wind will be required to lift the weight of both the kite and its tail.
A stronger wind increases the speed of the kite’s flight, which in turn requires greater stability, and allows for a longer tail. A practiced flyer can successfully fly the kite in any wind, without a tail.
A kite without a tail will fly faster but feel trickier to control. Adjust its length according to the strength of the wind and your skill level.
The kites come with tails set at a particular length, but you can extend or reduce the tails to suit your skill and the wind conditions. You can also attach extra tails to the sides of your kite, but remember that a kite must be symmetrical to fly well.
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How To Tie The Bridle
The kite string is tied to the kite via a bridle that is attached to the kite at two points.
To tie a new bridle, measure two arm lengths of kite string and tie the ends together to create a doubled string of roughly a metre.
Pass this bridle through the hole in the kite’s sail, around the bamboo spars on the back of the kite, then back through the hole to the front of the kite, then tie any strong knot.
Tie one end of the bridle to the point where the spars intersect, and the other 16 cm from the bottom of the vertical spar.
With the two ends attached, pull the loop together between the two anchor points.
Measure the bridle distance by pulling this middle point up to one anchor point then down to the other anchor point to find the mid point between the two anchor points.
Then tie a knot to create a small loop at this point in the string to create a small loop at an equal distance between anchor points.
Our first batch of kites are available to purchase now in limited quantities.