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Chapter 5

Butterfly: Double Butterfly: Glider

Butterfly Kite

This, one of the prettiest of all kites, is quite simple to make. There is a minimum of framework and the covering is quite straightforward. It can be strikingly decorated. Altogether it is a kite you will want to make.

The framework comprises a backbone, A, and two curved pieces, B and C. For A use 3/4 in. x 1/4 in. stripwood, 2 ft. 8 in. in length. It is notched at the ends. B and C are formed from 8 mm. centre cane (round cane) as used in basketry and cane furniture. This should be soaked in water beforehand to condition it. Two pieces, each 4 ft. 8 in. in length are required and they are grooved at the ends to provide a hold for the bracing strings.

First shape the two curves. Smear one end of B with thin glue and when it is tacky, tie a length of thin, strong string in the groove, bind round once or twice and tie again. Bend the cane in the form of a part circle as shown in Fig. 14. Bind round and tie the string at the other end, first smearing it with glue to prevent the binding from slipping out of place, D. As you proceed, apply glue at all points where the strings are tied. The length of this string after it has been tied will be about 2 ft. 1 in., D. Tie a second string from the bottom end of curved-shape B to a point which is 6 in. from the top end, Z. The length of this string, E, after it has been tied in place, will be about 2 ft. 3 in.

Shape C in the same manner. Lay one cane upon the other to check that the curves are the same. The shaping of these must be done with care, and without undue force.

Next assemble the framework. Bind round and tie B at points which are 6 in. from the top and 6 in. from the bottom of the backbone. Use fine string or strong carpet thread. A small inner curve is thus formed. The depth of this curve at the centre, measuring from the backbone, is about 3 in. Fix C in position in the same way. Bind round and tie the strings F and G at the positions indicated (Fig. 14). Run strings over the ends of the backbone. Glue cloth strips over the ends to hold the bracing in place, H.

The discerning reader will notice on looking at the framework that there is a danger of the kite folding up in flight because of wind pressure on the wings. To prevent this, the following device is fitted. Take a piece of stripwood about 8 in. long and glue and bind it to the underside centre of the backbone. Now glue and insert small blocks to fill up the gaps between this strip and the curved canes. Then bind the canes and the strips together with stout thread. See I (Fig. 14) for details. This device will prevent undue movement of the wings in flight.

Fig. 14. Butterfly

The next stage is to cover the framework, where required. A glance at J (Fig. 14) will make this clear. Use paper which is light but strong (unbleached greaseproof is recommended). This is generally obtained in sheets measuring 20 in. x 30 in. First join two of them together with thin glue down the centre. Lay the framework on the paper and make an outline with a soft grade pencil. Add a margin of 2 in. all round for overlapping and cut out. Make slits in the margin. This will help when pasting the cover down. Cut out the head and body in card, the thickness of a postcard (see J and K, Fig. 14). Decorate the covering in bright colours, using oil colours for permanence. These look well on foundations of aluminium paint. After these have dried, secure the covering to the framework, the margins overlapping the canes and inner strings. Try to obtain a taut smooth surface. Add the head and body, using thin glue. Turn the kite over and glue strips 1 in. wide and 21/2 in. long, at intervals over the small centre curves, and to the cover, as indicated by L (Fig. 14). Two pipe cleaners are glued to the backbone, to stick out above the head, forming the antennae.

The bridle is attached in the form of a loop at the points marked (Fig. 14). Use strong string, 5 ft. in length. It is important to note that this string is looped round the backbone and tied over the centre junctions, Fig. 14 will make this clear. The loose loops are shown for the sake of detail. They must, of course, be tightened up on the kite itself. These tying positions are the strongest points at which to take up the strain imposed when flying the kite. Unless this rule is observed, the result might be a broken backbone. As will be seen, to attach the bridle, it is necessary to pierce the covering. Do this carefully and glue small thin cardboard washers over the holes to strengthen material.

The kite string is attached to the bridle by means of a reef knot and a bowline knot. These permit of adjustments being made on the bridle to keep the kite at the best angle for successful flight. This is explained in more detail in Chapter 8.

A short tail about 5 ft. in length is required. Details for making these are given in 'Accessories'.

Double Butterfly Kite

This pretty kite is a development of the one previously described. The framework is necessarily more elaborate, and so the instructions must be followed carefully. The kite is one of which you may be proud, both for its appearance and performance.

The backbone, A, is 2 ft. 9 in. in length and is cut from 3/8 in. square stripwood, which must be straight and free from blemish. The main wing curves, B and C, are formed from 8 mm. centre cane. They are each 4 ft. 7 in. in length. It is an advantage, for the sake of lightness and fixing to split about one-third of the cane off with a sharp-pointed knife. All the cane used, prior to its being assembled, should be soaked in water for an hour or so (see Fig. 15.)

Glue and tie the cane, B, to a point which is 3 in. from the top of the backbone and 1 ft. 4 in. from the top end of the cane. Bring the cane round in a curve, glue, bind round and tie again at a point which is 3 in. from the bottom of the backbone and 6f in. from the bottom end of the cane. Use fine strong string for tying the cane. The depth of that part of the curve,

Mark the centre of the backbone with a pencil. Lay the ruler on the mark in a horizontal position, and make corresponding marks on the canes. The secondary curves, D and E, are formed from 8 mm. centre cane, split for preference like the canes B and C. They are 2 ft. 81/2 in. in length. Glue, bind round and tie D to the bottom end of the main wing cane, C. Bring the cane, D, up in a curve to a point on the backbone, which is 11/2 in. below the centre mark and 1 ft. 4 in. from the top end of the cane. Fasten the cane to the backbone at this point. The cane, E, is tied to the bottom of the main wing cane B, and brought up in a curve to cross over D on the backbone, to which it is securely bound. Continuing the curves on both the canes, bring them to points which are 3/8 in. below the pencil marks on the canes B and C.

Fig. 15. Double butterfly

The canes F and G are formed from 5 mm. centre cane. They are each 2 ft. 41/2 in. in length. Tie F to the top end of B, and bring it in a curve and under C, to a point which is 11/2 in. above the centre mark on the backbone, where it is glued, bound round and tied. G is fastened to the top end of C, and, bringing it in a curve over B, is secured at the point where F crosses the backbone. The ends of these two canes F and G are tied at points which are 3/8 in. above the pencil marks on B and C.

Next, add the canes, H and I. These are cut from 5 mm. centre cane and are each 1 ft. 7 in. in length. Bind them to the top ends of D and E. Bring H in a curve, under E and over B, to the bottom joint on the backbone, and tie it at this place. Bring I, under D and C, to the same joint, and tie. All tying points are shown in Fig. 15. It is a good thing to flatten the canes slightly with a sharp knife at these tying points, so that they will hold better. Smear the binding also with thin glue to keep them in position. Before proceeding any farther, inspect the framework to make sure that all the curves match on each side of the backbone.

The framework now has to be curved to a bow shape. This is achieved by firm but gentle pressure of the hands, and by means of bowstrings. These strings are tied to the ends of the framework (see Fig. 15). They tie underneath and clear of the backbone. The depth of the curve at the top of the wings, measuring from the centre of the bowstrings is 2 in. The smaller bowstrings are added to maintain the bow shape. Bracing strings are added as in Fig. 15. These help to distribute the strain which is imposed when the kite is in flight.

Cover the framework with unbleached greaseproof paper, which is obtained in sheets measuring 20 in. x 30 in. Two sheets will be needed. Lay the framework on these and carefully mark out the required shape with a pencil. Allow a margin of 2 in. all round and cut out. Cut slits in the margin to facilitate the work of gluing it to the frame. The reader may find it easier to make the cover before the framework is bowed. Cut two bodies for the butterflies from thin cardboard, each 1 ft. 2 in. in length. Refer to Fig. 15 for the single butterfly kite, for the shape of these.

Now decorate the covers, using lacquer which is sold for general painting purposes. A suggested design is shown (Fig. 15), and the colour scheme could be a medium blue background and black bodies with gold or silver spots and wavy bands. Alternatively, the spots and bands could be cut from metal foil and glued on, so that they would reflect the light.

Glue the covers to the framework, the margins overlapping the canes. Glue the bodies in position. Four pipe cleaners are fixed to the backbone to stick out above the heads. A tail about 6 ft. 6 in. in length is required, which is tied to the bottom of the backbone.

The bridle is 5 ft. 6 in. in length. Use strong string and attach it to the backbone in the form of a loop, at the points marked X. Fig. 15 shows where and how the bridle is fastened in order to take advantage of the strength provided by the backbone joints. The cover is pierced in order to thread the bridle string through. Glue small thin cardboard washers to strengthen the paper, at these points.

The kite line is attached to the bridle with a bowline knot and a reef knot. One last point is to fasten strips of insulating tape over the ends of the framework. These act as shock absorbers in the event of the kite being brought swiftly down to the ground.

The Glider Kite

This kite when it is in the air, bears a striking resemblance to a glider. The fact that it is bow shaped in two directions means that a considerable degree of stability can be expected. In the absence of a tail a device is fitted which will help in directional steadiness. The wing, tail, and body, by themselves, do not provide a large sail or cover area, which is helpful in securing buoyancy and lift. To remedy this, an additional cover area is provided in the form of transparent polythene pieces, which assist in the flight of the kite, but do not obscure its distinctive shape.

The first stage is to make the framework (Fig. 16). Cut the backbone A, 2 ft. 6 in. in length from stripwood, 3/8 in. square. Make shallow grooves at the ends. Drill two holes at points which are 3/8 in. from each end, and one hole through the sides, which is 3/4 in. from the top end. The backbone is shaped to a slight curve. In order to do this, first soak the wood in water for an hour and assist the shaping by the application of steam heat. The most convenient method is to lay the wood across a pan of hot water. Following this, the backbone may be readily bent into shape. The shape is retained by means of a bowstring threaded through the holes, 3/8 in. from the ends, pulled taut and tied securely. The depth of the curve at the centre is 1 in. Set the backbone on one side for a while for the wood to dry out.

Next, cut the crossbars, B and C, which are 2 ft. 6 in. in length. Use split cane, about 1/4 in. thick. Make shallow grooves in the ends, and also drill holes which are 1/2 in. from each end. These must now be bowed. To do this, whilst the shaping is in progress, subject the cane to dry heat, by holding it over a gas jet or electric fire. This will prevent cracking and splitting and facilitate the shaping. The depth of the curves at the centre is 21/2 in. The shape is retained by means of bowstrings as in the case of the backbone. Lay one crossbar on the other to check that the curves are the same, and make sure that the bowstrings are equally taut.

Now prepare the tail unit, D and E. D is 1 ft. 61/2 in. in length, and E is 1 ft. 3 in. Use split cane, which is about 1/4 in. thick. Make shallow grooves in the ends, and drill holes in them, 1/2 in. from each end. The bars are bowed in the manner described, using the dry heat method. The depth of the curves at the centre is about 2 in. Lay these bars on the wing crossbars to check that the curves correspond. Join the wing and tail bars together in pairs by means of struts, F. The struts for the wing are 6 in. in length, and those for the tail are 5 in. and all are cut from 1/8 in. X 1/4 in. strip-wood. The wing connecting struts are fixed 2 in. from the ends of the crossbars; the tail struts are fixed 3 in. from the ends of the crossbar D, and 1 in. from the ends of E. Bind them all securely in place on the underside of the crossbars.

Attach the wing and the tail units; the wing at a position where the top crossbar is 2 in. from the end of the backbone; and the tail where its

bottom crossbar is 2 in. from the bottom end of the backbone. Glue small stripwood blocks to the backbone on the inside of the wing and the tail frame. Bind round these and the joints with fine string. Smear the binding with thin glue for stiffening. Note that the bow strings lie clear of the backbone on the underside of the framework.

Brace the framework with thin strong string. Thread a length through the hole which is 3/4 in. from the top end of the backbone, and bind round and tie, leaving a 5 in. tail to the knot. Pass the string over the end of the backbone, and in turn, over the ends of the crossbars and bottom end of the backbone. Finish by bringing the string again over the top end of the backbone, and tie at the first knot. Secure the string in the grooves by means of cloth strips, glued over the ends of the framework.

Secondary bracing strings are added as follows. Tie a length at the bottom left-hand wing joint. Bring it down, loop round and tie at the top left-hand tail joint. Take it to the bottom wing-backbone joint, bind round and tie. From there take the string to the top right-hand tail joint, loop round and tie. Finish by binding round and tying at the bottom right-hand wing joint.

Now tie a length on the bottom left-hand wing crossbar, 3 in. from the backbone. Bring it down to the top tail-backbone joint, loop it round the backbone, and then take it to its tying point on the bottom right-hand wing crossbar, 3 in. from the backbone. See Fig. 16 for details of the bracing. There should be an even tension on all the strings. The wing and tail units should be in the correct horizontal position, and the backbone in the correct vertical position. All the joints must be neat and strongly made.

The framework may now be covered. Use pure ribbed kraft (161b.) paper for the wing, body, and tail. Cut a piece first for the body. This is 1 ft. 4 in. in length. The width at the top is 7 in., narrowing to 1/2 in. at the bottom. Glue this to the bottom wing and the top tail crossbars, and over the body bracing strings, which are shaped like a narrow V. The wing cover measures 2 ft. 8 in. in length and 9 in. in width. Glue it to the crossbars and around the end bracing strings. The tail cover is 8 in. in width, and 1 ft. 81/2 in. in length at the top, narrowing to 1 ft. 5 in. at the bottom. Attach it in the same manner as the wing cover.

There may be added to the main covers a supplementary transparent polythene cover which fills in the spaces between the wing, body, and tail. Use very fine polythene and cut two pieces measuring 1 ft. 4 in. in length and 1 ft. 11/2 in. in width. The shape is given at G (Fig. 16). Secure these to the wing and tail, sides of the body and over the outer bracing strings with strips of cellulose adhesive tape, or one of the proprietary brands of adhesive. Add suitable wing and tail markings, cut from coloured gummed paper.

The bridle is formed from a 6 ft. length of stout string. It is attached to the backbone in the form of a loop at the points marked X (Fig. 16). The kite line is fastened to the bridle with a bowline knot and a reef knot. See Chapter 7, under 'Knots', for details of these.

Next form a loop of string between the bottom tail crossbar and the bottom of the backbone. Tie one end in a bow, so that it can easily be undone. Cut thin washers from cotton reels, which may be threaded on the loop. This device is fitted in place of a tail. One or more of the washers can be suspended by the loop if the kite approaches too near the horizontal in flight. Acting like a weight on a pair of scales, the washers will tilt the nose of the kite upwards. If desired, a windmill may be attached to the top of the backbone. Instructions for making one are given in Chapter 7, under 'Accessories'.

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