BL Workshop

Build a tetrahedral kite

Submitted by Nancy Ann Belsky
Illustrations by Jim Frazier
From the March 2000 Boys' Life magazine

Alexander Graham Bell became famous for inventing the telephone. But he had a bigger dream: manned flight.

A year before the Wright brothers made their historic flight in Kitty Hawk, N.C., Bell wrote in 1902 that it was possible to build large, lightweight flying machines. Instead of building one large wing, he proposed a bunch of small wings in the form of tetrahedrons (teh-tra-HEE-drons), strong, pyramid-shaped structures.

Was Mr. Bell right? Build this 10-cell tetrahedral kite and soar!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• Scissors
• Ballpoint pen
• 60 long, straight drinking straws
• Kite string
• Needle (big eye)
• File folder or poster board
• Plastic bags
• Cellophane tape
• Dowel, 1/8 inch diameter

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

Step 1: Cut a piece of string eight times as long as the length of a straw. Thread the needle with the string.

Step 2: String three straws together. Tie into a triangle using a square knot. Leave a 2-inch end.

Step 3: String two more straws on the long string. Tie to one of the triangle’s corners using a double half hitch. Cut the string leaving a 2-inch end. Keep remaining string for later.

Step 4: Make a pattern by tracing both triangles onto the file folder or poster board. Draw a 1-inch flap along the side of each straw. Cut out. Save for step 6. Tie remaining string to left or right corner in figure above.

Step 5: Thread a sixth straw with leftover string. Tie the string to the opposite corner, creating a three-dimensional figure. You now have the frame of one cell.

Step 6: Trace the pattern onto the plastic bag, and cut along the lines.

Step 7: Lay the frame on the plastic, and tape in place.

Step 8: Make nine more cells.

Step 9: Tie cells together with the ends of the strings. Be sure the leading edges face the same way!

Step 10: Slide the dowel through the straws in the leading edge and cut excess. Put tape over each end of the dowel to keep it from sliding out.

TO GET YOUR KITE READY TO FLY:

1. Tape the dowel in place at the areas marked by arrows above.

2. Cut string 1 1/2 times as long as the leading edge.

3. Thread string on a needle. Sew ends of string through plastic around the dowel.

4. Tie an overhand knot one-third down from the top.

5. Tie your flying string to the knot, and launch your kite.

Read 18 comments about “Build a tetrahedral kite”

Comment page:   « 2 [1]

1. 8 - 2scientist says:
   August 6th, 2007 at 9:38 am

   great idea

2. 7 - coolstanlee says:
   August 1st, 2007 at 4:17 am

   It was fun. I couldnt wait to take the KITE for a FLIGHT

3. 6 - Jedi says:
   July 31st, 2007 at 9:24 pm

   Cool!

4. 5 - karl franz says:
   July 31st, 2007 at 7:46 pm

   If you like kite and dont have much to do this is a very good idea. =)

5. 4 - Derrick, Age 10, Florida says:
   July 26th, 2007 at 11:48 am

   Not that hard at all, and it really works! I made my kite last weekend and it was soooo much fun. Don’t let your little sister\brother get involved, take my word for it, because I’m sure you don’t want to get in trouble after your younger sister covers herself with fake tatooes from the pen! I know too well what that’s like!

6. 3 - bob says:
   July 18th, 2007 at 1:47 pm

   it looks really hard and sounds hard, but fun.

7. 2 - mr savage says:
   July 17th, 2007 at 5:16 pm

   tried it befor … WORKS GREAT!!!

8. 1 - Da Boss says:
   July 14th, 2007 at 8:42 pm

   sounds cool

Comment page:   « 2 [1]

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