Math Investigation. Mission: Math and... Kite | Page 2

ΣΕΛΙΔΑ 2

MISSION OF MATH I NVESTIGATION: ΚΙΤΕ

Have ever wanted to build a kite? Well, here is a
simple kite you can make your self!
A kite consists of
these basic parts:
·

The Spine. The upand-down, or vertical
stick that you build your
kite around.

·

The Spar. The support stick(s), that are
placed crossways or at
a slant over the spine.
Sometimes they are
curved or bowed.

·
Tips:
·A properly located pivot
point is generally
located slightly ahead
of the centre of gravity.
·Cut away from you!
·Spray can glue is really
good for patching up
paper kites.
·Stability is improved by
the use of an effective
bow and a flexible tail.
·Hold your kite up by the
string when you are
finished to see if it is
balanced. You can
balance it by putting
more paper on one
side.

Kites are different each time
you make one, so slight adjustments might need to be
made for each kite.

The Frame. The
joined spine and spars,
usually with a string
connecting their ends,
that form the shape of
the kite and make a
support for the cover.

Diamond KITE
Materials:
1.butcher cord or thin
garden twine
2.scotch tape or glue
3.1 sheet of strong paper (102cm x 102cm)
4.2 strong, straight
wooden sticks of bamboo or wooden doweling 90cm and 102cm
5.markers, paint or
crayons to decorate you
kite.
Instructions
1. Make a cross with
the two sticks, with the
shorter stick placed
horizontally across the
longer stick. Make sure
that both sides of the
cross piece is equal in
width.
2. Tie the two sticks
together with the string
in such a way as to
make sure that they are
at right angles to each
other. A good way to
ensure that the joint is
2

·

The Cover. The paper, plastic, or cloth,
that cover the frame to
make a kite.

The Reel. The object
you use to wind your
flying line, to keep it
form getting tangled or
flying away.

·

The Bridle. One or
more strings attached
to the spine or spars,
which help control the
kite in the air.

·

The Flying Line. The
string running from the
kites’ bridle, where
you hold to fly the kite.

·

The Tail. A long
strip of paper or plastic
of ribbon that helps to
balance the kite in
flight. Not all kites need
tails.

strong to put a dab of
glue to stick it in place.
3. Cut a notch at each
end of both sticks.
Make it deep enough
for the type of string
you are using to fit in to.
Cut a piece of string
long enough to stretch
all around the kite
frame. Make a loop in
the top notch and fasten it by wrapping the
string around the stick.
Stretch the string
through the notch at
one end of the crosspiece, and make another loop at the bottom. Stretch the string
through the notch at
one end of the loop at
the bottom. Stretch the
string through the notch
at the other end of the
cross-piece. Finish by
wrapping the string a
few times around the
top of the stick and
cutting off what you
don't need. This string
frame must be taut, but

not so tight as to warp
the sticks.
4. Lay the sail material
flat and place the stick
frame face down on top.
Cut around it, leaving
about 2-3cm for a margin. Fold these edges
over the string frame and
tape or glue it down so
that the material is tight.
5. Cut a piece of string
about 122 cm long. and
tie one end to the loop at
the other end of the
string to the loop at the
bottom. Tie another small
loop in the string just
above the intersection of
the two cross pieces. This
will be the kite's bridle,
the string to which the
flying line is attached.
6. Make a tail by tying a
small ribbon roughly
every 10cm along the
length of string. Attach
the tail to the loop at the
bottom of the kite.
7. Decorate!