Eddy Kites 
Eddy Kites (Simple Pleasures!)
Here is a kite I made for my son. It's a 30"x30" model with balloon ripstop nylon sail, 1/8" fiber glass rod frame and plastic dihedral. The graphics are done with embossing fabric paint. The paint is a bit heavy for the kite so the bridle has been modified since this photo to a two point bridle with the rear point near the tail. Needs a good breeze to fly right. Looks real good on a wall!.
This is what happens when one has too much time to think!! ;))
With some left over materials and a few tubes that were kicking around I managed to fashion a 48" diamond kite
into what you see above. The tubes are C30 Fushia tubes I got on sale and the material is left from a few
kites I have been building. With the custom fuzzy tail it makes for a striking sight in the sky. My 4 year old
thinks it is pretty cool and really enjoys flying it!
I have been doing some research into William Eddy the inventor of the "Eddy" kite. After working on it for a while I came up with a project to replicate a kite train he used in 1896... The first of 6 kites is a 9 foot version built in the style of the original. This means a loose fitting sail on a bowed frame. Perimeter lines around the kite hold the sail on. The sail is concave when the flying.. Mr. Eddy's "efficient" kite is indeed efficient and there is, as on the original, no need for a tail to steady it. The rest to come... stay tuned.
More Pics to come!!!
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