YouTube - Bell Cygnet Kite Centennial CTV News Baddeck Nova Scotia

YouTube - Bell Cygnet Kite Centennial CTV News Baddeck Nova Scotia

Kite Building Videos

Activity TV

AKA Grand Champion, and KiteBuilder.com's Kitebuilder of the Year, Cliff Quinn recently completed a series of nine kite videos for children. Produced by http://www.activitytv.tv/ , each video demonstrates how to build different kites using paper, plastic, and ripstop nylon. The kite types are classified as Beginner, Intermediate, and Expert and include Rokkaku, Sled, Barn Door, Sauruga, Korean, Dragon, Della Porta, and Diamond.

The videos are stored in the "Summer Fun" section, or click here

Kitebuilder, Martin Blais in the news

The Daily Times: A flying guitar, the Mona Lisa, Chinese dragons, a castle, a cow and geometric shapes — all kites — decorate the cafeteria ceiling at Sam Houston Elementary School thanks to a professional kite maker....

A Challenge!

Here's a project for all of our kitebuilders... Are you up for it? And can you bring it down...?

Scott Nagle a Wired News challenges his readers to come up with a kite ferry solution using only a paper clip and plastic drinking straw. Surely our Kite Studio customers have an advantage.... Lets see who can do it. Click below for more details.

Wired News

KiteBuilder News - Spring 2007

KITEBUILDER.com NEWS – SPRING 2007

Welcome Spring… and welcome all new customers and members of the kitebuilder.com community. This is your ‘occasional’ newsletter from Kite Studio. One of my resolutions for 2007 was to keep you better informed and to stay on top of emails. I think I am doing a better job in the email department, but noticed the last newsletter was in December, so I turned off American Idol, and started typing. Here’s what’s going on in Kite Studio land:

NATIONAL KITE MONTH & SMITHSONIAN
Last weekend was the kickoff to National Kite Month. I traveled to Washington DC for the annual Smithsonian Kite Festival. When the weather is warm, this is my favorite event. In the shadow of the Washington Monument, the temperature was in the upper 60’s, the sky was blue, and the winds were constant… a beautiful day. If the festival is an indicator of the upcoming season, 2007 is going to be a great year. It seemed a majority of kites were made with Kite Studio supplies; so if you were one of these contestants, thank you. If you were one of the winners, CONGRATULATIONS! Competition results will soon be posted on the Smithsonian website. You can view some of my personal photos HERE.

KBOTY and KOTY
Since the last newsletter was sent in December, I realized I neglected to announce the outcome of two big events. In January, forum members voted for the 2006 Kite of the Year and KiteBuilder of the Year. In February, I announced the winners. KiteBuilder of the Year is an award to a forum member who goes beyond "a builder of kites." It represents active participation, asking questions, sharing points of view, motivation, encouragement, congratulation, and virtual pats on the back. This year’s winner deservingly went to Cliff Quinn of Coopersburg, Pennsylvania.

The number of kites produced in 2006 was phenomenal. If you re-read ALL the forum posts in 2006, you will discover many projects made by a mixed bag of kitebuilders; many without a drive for competition or designation. Whoever the builder, I think the main reason we create is not for a trophy or recognition, but for self-satisfaction. Over time, the projects may get bigger and more difficult, but the driving force is still that feeling we get when the kite walks the line the very first time. In particular, there was one kite in 2006 that stirred that feeling in a lot of us... The Kite of the Year award went to “Man in Black” by Kelvin Woods from the United Kingdom.

Congratulations to both Cliff and Kelvin. Both of you represent what the forum is all about. Thank you for your participation.

FORUM HAPPENINGS
While on the subject of the Kitebuilder Forum, I’d like to give a shout out to Gary Engvall. In this quarter’s edition of the American Kitefliers Association’s “Kiting,” Gary did a fine job writing the article: “Navigating Online Forums.” It points a lot of new members in this direction and helps shorten the learning curve when registering on the forum. If you are thinking about getting involved in any of the web’s discussion forums, check out the article. My biggest reminder to all, read the FAQ’s !

The kitebuilder forum has been very active. Current statistics show over 1600 members posting over 55,000 articles. If you want to learn about kitebuilding, our kitebuilder.com forum is STILL the place to be. http://www.kitebuilder.com/forums (make sure you register to view all forums).

KITEBUILDER ICON
My ongoing quest for a “kitebuilder icon” continues. Several ideas have been posted online, but I am still not completely sold. I really would like something simple… something that alludes to kitebuilding. I really want some shirts and hats but I don’t like wearing billboards. I’d like a basic design that I can embroider at the heart along with the word “kitebuilder.” If you have any ideas, snap a picture of a basic drawing and email me. Of course, if your idea is used, free merchandise will be available.

FORUM CONTEST
Speaking of free merchandise, how would you like to win $100 Kite Studio gift certificate? All you have to do is build a new kite and have it finished by the end of April. But there is a catch - you must interpret the following theme:
“THINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS AS THEY APPEAR"

It should be a fun contest to judge and I look forward to all the entries. Click HERE for more information.

KITEBUILDERS AUCTION
While you are online, check the kitebuilder’s Auction. As I write this newsletter, several auctions are running and scheduled to end April 8, 2007. Offers include: a Prism Quantum Pro, Jon Burkardt’s Kabuki Saruga, Ron Gibian’s Serengetti Dreams Rokkaku, and a Kite Studio Fabric Grab Bag. Other auctions pop up throughout the month, so it should be one of your regular visits if you like good deals on kite stuff. Listing items in the kitebuilder auction is free as long as you are a registered member of the forum.

KNOWLEDGE BASE
Stay tuned for another new kitebuilder.com feature. Coming soon is a fully searchable, interactive website created by, and existing for, the kitebuilder.com community. It is basically a kitebuilders' encyclopedia that archives information on all things related to kitebuilding; including Plans, Reference, TechSheets, and Profile information. This system grows every day as people add more information, text, and pictures. With time, the Knowledge Base, coupled with the Kitebuilder Forums, will evolve into the premier source for kitebuilding information. I should be able to give you more info in the next newsletter. All good things take time.

SALE ITEMS
Jeeesh, I don’t think I am a very good salesman. I probably should have included this section at the top of the newsletter. To tell you the truth, all the stuff I wrote above excites me a whole lot more than my job of cutting fabric and packing boxes. But this is the kind of stuff that pays the bills so I really should mention it.

FABRIC: I’ve been selling THOUSANDS of yards of .65 ounce Ripstop nylon. I have seven colors for sale at a blow out price of $3.00 per yard. The fabric is 60” wide and is really good quality. It has a softer feel than our regular .75 ounce but still works great for kites, ground displays, and fabric architecture. Because of its “soft hand” it is ideal for soft kites. And at three bucks a yard, how can you go wrong? Click HERE for fabric selections, and then click on the color for more information.

LINE: I hate to sound like a skipping CD, but I need to tell you that my Line Liquidation sale is still going strong. Prices are the best you will find on the web and if you buy two rolls, you will save even more! If you want more than two rolls, give me a call and talk nice… I’ll see what I can do J

SPECIALS: Be sure to check our rotating sale items. Every month (or so) our specials change to offer discounts on different colors, weights, and sizes of fabric and framework. Click Here

KITES!
Continuing our endeavor to support kitebuilders, we still feature ready-made kites for sale. If your non-building buddies are looking for a kite, maybe you could point them in the kitebuilder.com direction. While I don’t offer ALL the kites available in the world, I do list a few quality kites that are backed by the seal of approval from the original designers... your fellow kitebuilders. A percentage of every dollar you spend gets kicked back to the kitebuilder. Realize I am just getting started, so there are only a few builders listed but I will be adding more in the future. Each month a different kitebuilder is featured at 15% off. Barb Meyer is our April builder. Click Here for more information.

KITE STUDIO SUPPLIES:
As always, we continue to offer the best prices in the country for one stop shopping for kite fabric, framework, and fittings. If there is anything you are looking for and cannot find in our catalog, give me a call at 610-395-3560. If your matter is urgent, call my cell at 610-533-3528. I also have many items not listed in our catalog and our on-site machine shop can make almost any fitting that you can imagine.

AKA REMINDER:
If you are a member of the American Kitefliers Association you can enjoy a 10% discount off all our regular prices… but you have to tell us! When you place an online order, be sure to include your AKA number and expiration date in the comment section during checkout. If you are not a member, you can join online HERE. When you sign up, remember who referred you…

So that’s about it for now. I wish all of you a safe and wonderful Spring season. Remember, April is National Kite Month…. Put your hot knife, spar saw, and sewing machine away for a few hours… Go Fly a Kite!

Steve Ferrel
Kite Studio - Go Build a Kite!
Measure once, buy twice!


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The Morning Journal - Bald eagle rescued

Just a reminder to all kite flyers, a kite drifting away with 500 feet of line can have consequences...

Read the story of a Bald Eagle rescued from a tree after it was tangled in string HERE

Online Kitebuilding Class

Boxkites (aka Robert van Weers) will present kitebuilder.com's FIFTH online kitebuilding class beginning January 5, 2007. Robert is a very knowledgeable kitebuilder with over 20 years of kite making and flying experience. He has been a member of the kitebuilder.com forum since March 2004 and continues to be a very active participant. He will be presenting a six-week class on the construction and design of the "Achtkant" Train.

Achtkant is a Dutch word meaning, "eight sided;” which is a fitting term for this simple yet, majestic looking kite. A well-known Dutch kite builder, Harm van Veen, designed this kite in the early 1990’s and Robert is pleased to bring it back into the limelight by giving it a small but awesome twist. If you've participated in previous forum projects, you'll know why you won’t want to miss this one. If this will be your first project, I promise you will learn a few things along the way AND as a bonus, end up with a really cool kite. Every forum member can read and follow the class project, but if you want to participate in the question and answer portion of the class, you must register by January 3, 2007. Review the class forum for more information.
kitebuilder.com

Since 1989, Kite Studio has specialized in kite supplies.

Except for a brief period in the 1990’s when we sold kites to a few walk in customers, we never carried manufactured kites. Our focus has always been toward kitebuilding. However, the popularity of our website has grown over the years. A lot of people come to kitebuilder.com as a result of searching for a kite. So I now feel it is time that we reward these potential customers by offering something that fly’s. But our focus will continue to be aimed toward the kitebuilder. You may say, huh? How are we going to do that?

Well... I’ve been noticing over the past couple years that some big name manufacturers are beginning to pay attention to kitebuilding competitions. Some of the kites that I judge at festivals and some of the kitebuilders that I congratulate with an award, are being approached by vendors and asked if they would be interested in a contract. The companies are actually paying royalties to the original builder of the kite! Now I don’t think the designers are getting super rich of these monies, but at least it provides some recognition and few dollars to support their hobby. I would like to support them further.

A lot of these builders have been buying from Kite Studio for many years, so if I can help direct money back into their pocket, then I can rationalize my “kitebuilding focus” by by selling the kites that kitebuilders design. At least it makes sense to me. Who knows, if new customers become interested and buy a kite, they might break something while flying, come back for a replacement part, and discover they can fix things on their own… thereby planting a seed that kitebuilding could be in their future.

So… I hope you will support this new endeavor. Point your non-building buddies in this direction if they are looking for a kite. I won’t be selling ALL the kites available in the world, but I will be offering a few quality creations that are backed by the seal of approval from the original designers... your fellow flyers... many of whom "lurk" in the kitebuilder.com forum. Maybe this will prod them into talking?

You can view the current selection HERE, but realize I am just getting started. I will be adding more as we go along. Starting in December, I will feature a different kitebuilder each month which will include reduced prices on all their kites.

Now go build a kite… Get ready for the 2007 season. Maybe YOU will be the next designer with a contract!

Kite Flying tips, as only Corey can...

Check out these new Kite Flying Tips

The folks at Expert Village ("the worlds largest 'how-to' video site) asked Cory Jensen to shoot a bunch of video segments about kite flying. As past president of the American Kitefliers Association, and owner of WindPower Sports, Cory is definetly qualified. Check out these short videos; you will learn something about modern kiteflying, and you will probably smile along the way. Cory has a personality like no other!

From the Expert Village website: "Kiting has been an obsession for Corey since he was 12, flying kites on the Oregon Coast. In 1977, Jensen got into modern kiting while flying Denver Broncos kites off a hotel roof over the team's stadium during games. Since then he's been blown away at the variety of kite challenges. In 1985 Jensen and a partner opened a kite store on Cannery Row in California. They ran the shop for 12 years. He is now the owner of in Las Vegas."

Aviator's place in history is finally airborne

By SARAH ALLELYNovember 9, 2006

BOB and Dick Hargrave grew up knowing their great-great uncle could fly, even if many people overseas were sceptical. But when they were contacted by the United States' Library of Congress, the brothers knew absolute proof was close.

The US had never acknowledged that Lawrence Hargrave wrote extensively to the Wright brothers in the years between his 1894 box-kite flight at Stanwell Park and their 1903 successful flight. So when the Library of Congress wanted the Hargraves to sign over copyright to the letters several years ago, Dick did so in the hope Lawrence would finally get the recognition he deserved.

Today, many of the Hargrave clan will gather at Stanwell Park for a tribute to Lawrence and Eric Waite, the man responsible for making sure the Illawarra's aviation history was not forgotten.

Dick drove from Victoria with a mock aircraft made from old plane and car parts, to Bob's home in Thirroul this week.

Once Again Afghans Take to the Skies

By Jeff Swicord Kabul, Afghanistan07 November 2006

For centuries they have filled the skies above Kabul, often engaged in aerobatic battle. "Gudiparan bazi", or kite flying, is a sport that many Afghans have raised to the status of an art.
Mohammad AshareAfghans, like 12-year-old Mohammad Ashare, enjoy kite fighting with other flyers, trying to break the string of opponents and send their kites floating off in the wind. "Depends on how good your string is, then it is your technique,” says Mohammad. “For example, you roll your string on top of the other kite’s string, and never pull the string, just let roll."
Banned during the Taleban years because it was considered un-Islamic, kite flying has made a comeback in Kabul. And kite shops can now be found all over the city.

Read the rest of the story (with video) HERE

Generating Power From Kites

Wired News reports: Researchers in Italy have high hopes for a new wind-power generator that resembles a backyard drying rack on steroids. Despite its appearance, the Kite Wind Generator, or KiteGen for short, could produce as much energy as a nuclear power plant....

See the rest of the report HERE

There was also a great article in the British edition of the free daily newspaper Metro. You can download the pdf HERE

Zhao Ji Chen's Mechanical Dragon Kite (front view)

Zhao Ji Chen entered a mechanical Dragon in the 2006 AKA Kitemakers Comprehensive Competition. As wind flowed through the mouth of the kite, it moved a fan which turned the gears, which put the eyes, mouth and cheeks into motion. A very cool kite. Mr Chen won first place with this kite in the Train & Centipede categor and GRAND CHAMPION! See his score here: http://www.kitebuilder.com/competition.htm

Zhao Ji Chen's Mechanical Dragon Kite (rear view)

Zhao Ji Chen entered a mechanical Dragon in the 2006 AKA Kitemakers Comprehensive Competition. As wind flowed through the mouth of the kite, it moved a fan which turned the gears, which put the eyes, mouth and cheeks into motion. A very cool kite. Mr Chen won first place with this kite in the Train & Centipede category and GRAND CHAMPION! See his score here: http://www.kitebuilder.com/competition.htm

Zhao Ji Chen's Mechanical Lobster kite in the air

Zhao Ji Chen entered a mechanical Lobster in the 2006 AKA Kitemakers Comprehensive Competition. As wind flowed through the channels of the kite, it moved a fan which turned the gears, which put the claws and tail into motion. A very cool kite. Mr Chen won first place with this kite in the Cellular & Dimensional category. See his score here: http://www.kitebuilder.com/competition.htm

Zhao Ji Chen's Mechanical Lobster kite on the ground

Zhao Ji Chen entered a mechanical Lobster in the 2006 AKA Kitemakers Comprehensive Competition. As wind flowed through the channels of the kite, it moved a fan which turned the gears, which put the claws and tail into motion. A very cool kite. Mr Chen won first place with this kite in the Cellular & Dimensional category. See his score here: http://www.kitebuilder.com/competition.htm

Kite power in action on the ice

Medical students to doctors before we reach the South Pole

By robert.conway@telegraph.co.uk (Robert Conway)

I am a bearer of bad news. Extreme South, the planned expedition to the South Pole in 2006 by Toby Williams and myself, has been postponed. We have decided that rather than compromise our planned route, we will wait until 2009 when we will attempt a new and ground-breaking journey to the South Pole and beyond.

Kite power in action on the ice. As you may know, we planned to follow the route to the pole taken by Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Dr Edward Wilson, an alumnus of St George's, where we too study. However, without the funding in place ...

Umanoff's Kite Connectors

"Martin Umanoff patented these kite connectors in 1964, the applicant was Pressman Toy Corporation. This invention tries "to provide an improved kite construction in which the assembly thereof does not require the penetration of or damage to the..."

More info HERE

2006 AKA Grand Champion

Zhao Ji Chen wins 2006 AKA Grand National Champion with his mechanical centipede kite. Congratulations!

More details HERE

[auction] Kite Fabric

Auction Alert! Ending October 30

A large assortment of KITE FABRIC that has been accumulating in the corner of the shop for a couple months. Discontinued colors, remnants, and seconds with defects a little out of the ordinary. A quick glance shows various yardages in white, black, blue, yellow, light blue, dark green, teal, raspberry, silver, and more. I assure you, the retail value will be WELL OVER $100.00. The cool thing about this type of offer is the higher the bidding war goes, the heavier I pack the box!

click here