How to Design a Kite
Kite flying has been a part of childhood since the basic principles of flight were discovered. Many kite flying enthusiasts take their hobby to another level and enjoy designing their own kites. Kite design used to be mysterious and out of reach of those who knew little about the aerodynamics, but today any kite hobbyist can get his hands on the information and tools that can make designing his own custom kites a breeze.
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Instructions
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Start with a notebook, pencil and eraser. Before you get into the aerodynamics of the design, get an idea of the type of kite you want. Sketch a couple of ideas down. Think in terms of shapes you'd like to try. Let your imagination flow before you get into the details of making it work. You can always make alterations later.
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Read as much as you can about kite aerodynamics. You can purchase books on kite design at just about any hobby shop, bookstore or library. There's also plenty of information available for free on the Internet. Kite design involves aerodynamics and does take a certain degree of study, but you can experiment with design as you get familiar with the basics of lift, drag and other fundamental elements that will help you design better kites.
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Purchase a couple of cheap kites and take measurements. Make notes about the material and the weight of the kites you purchase. This is the quickest way to cut through the red tape and reduce your learning curve. Studying several store-bought kites will show you at a glance the weights and dimensions that will work. You can design your kites based around that information.
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Draw your first design based on the dimensions you choose. Write all of the details to go with your drawing, including type of material you intend to use, wing span and overall weight. This is the design you or someone else will work from when the kite gets built. If the kite is going to be a specific color or have images on it, use color pencils and add those elements. The final design should be a complete representation of what the finished kite will look like and should act as instructions for building it.
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Tips & Warnings
Many kite designers work by hand, but there is software available to help you design kites (see resources).
