Popular toys on windy days, kites fly high in the air at the end of long strings. A kite is made of paper, plastic, or cloth stretched across a light, often wooden frame. Kites come in many sizes and shapes. The common diamond shape is flat and four-sided. Other kite shapes include boxes, triangles, and hexagons. Some kites are shaped like animals or birds. Kite flyingOne of the best ways to get a kite into the air takes two people. One person holds the kite facing the wind. Another person at a distance holds the kite's line. If the line is tight, the wind will push against the surface of the kite and raise it into the sky. The force of the wind keeps the kite aloft. Many children have flown simple kites for fun. Many adults also fly and design kites. Some even form clubs that organize kite-flying events. In such Asian countries as China, Japan, Thailand, and India, kites are a part of festivals and competitions. HistoryPeople flew the first kites about 3,000 years ago, probably in China. The Chinese made kites out of thin strips of bamboo covered with silk. In later times people used kites for scientific purposes. In the American colonies in 1752 Benjamin Franklin flew a kite in a thunderstorm. Using a key attached to the kite, he drew electricity from the storm. He proved that lightning was a form of electricity. Other scientists also began using kites to study weather patterns. These experiments, especially Franklin's, are very dangerous, however. Scientists have to take special precautions; ordinarily kites should never be flown during bad weather. By observing kites, scientists learned about aerodynamics—how solid objects move through the air. Inventors of early gliders and airplanes based many of their ideas on kites. Military forces have used kites, too. During the early 20th century kites carried cameras and even soldiers to spy on enemies. During World War II soldiers practiced shooting down planes by shooting at kites. |