It all started in ancient China: the first record of kite-flying was over three thousand years ago using kites made of bamboo and silk.
Originally kite-flying had its roots in mythical and religious traditions. It was widely considered to be useful for ensuring a good harvest or scaring away evil spirits. Over time, kites came to be used as science instruments for various types of research.
From China, kite-flying and kite construction spread throughout Asia and then later to Europe and eventually to America, Australia and other countries around the world, to become more commonly known as children’s toys and as a leisure activity.
But eventually, scientists discovered that kites could also be useful for conducting scientific experiments involving weather and aerodynamics.
- In the 15th century, Leonardo da Vinci discovered how to use a kite to span a river. Leonardo’s method was later used in the construction of one of the world’s first suspension bridges at Niagara Falls, New York.
- In 1749, Scottish scientist Alexander Wilson used several kites attached in a row to measure and compare air temperature at different altitudes.
- Benjamin Franklin used kites to pull boats, carriages, and sleds in experiments with traction, but he is best remembered for his dangerous and life-threatening experiments with kites and atmospheric electricity.
- Starting in the 1890s and over the next 40 years or so, box kites (constructed of two or more connected open-ended boxes) were used as a method of sending meteorological instruments aloft to gather various weather data like temperature, barometric pressure, wind velocity, and humidity.
- On November 12, 1894, Lawrence Hargrave was working to invent the aeroplane and during a now-famous exhibition, was lifted from the ground by a train of four of his “cellular kites.”
- In 1901, Guglielmo Marconi used a kite to help transmit the first trans-Atlantic wireless telegraph message.
- American physicist and inventor Alexander Graham Bell also used kites in his studies as well.
- On November 7, 1903, Samuel Franklin Cody crossed the English Channel on a vessel powered by the wind that blew the kites attached to his watercraft.
During the later 19th and early 20th centuries, kites were sometimes used for hoisting military observers into the air so that they could observe the position of enemy forces.
Kite technology also led to the invention of the airplane, the parachute, and the helicopter. It may even have contributed to the U.S. victory during World War II (1939-1945). During the war, sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Block used kites built by Lieutenant Paul Garber to practice shooting at moving targets and to pass important papers from ships to flying aircraft.
Today, kites are enjoyed not only by children. Adults around the world participate, individually and in teams, in kite-making and kite-flying competitions.
The Kite Loft carries one of the largest selections of kites in the world. Please visit one of their two convenient locations in Ocean City, MD. |
