Kitecraft

Fig. 220. ↑

In Fig. 220 the model is shown in two views, the plan and side elevation. The planes are made of 1/16” birch veneer, but other woods will do. The small fore plane is bent at quite a sharp angle and was shaped as shown in Fig. 221. Steam the plane thoroly over the teakettle and place it under pressure until dry and it will remain so bent. The plane is also tilted up a little by means of a small wedge.

The spine is made of spruce and is ¼” × ¼” × 12”. The large plane has about ⅛” camber and is bent as shown in Fig. 222. Lay a strip as thick as the desired camber on a board that you can nail brads into. Steam the veneer for the plane and lay in the ⅛” strip in this case about one-third the distance back from the front edge, bend down until the edge touches the board underneath the strip and drive brads in slanting so as to hold it down. The brads can be bent down a little after they are driven in. By using brads on both sides the veneer can be held down until dry. The outline can be cut away before or after the bending. The decoration of course is not essential, but it is interesting to beautify it a little. The anchor block for the propeller shaft is of wood ¼” × 1” × 1” and is glued and nailed with brads to the rear end of the spine. A piece of tin ⅜” wide is bent about the top of the anchor block, f, Fig. 223. The hole in the wood should be larger than the propeller shaft while the hole in the tin should make a good fit. In this way the bearing is on the tin instead of the wood, and reduces the friction to a minimum. After the tin is on, the block should be wound with linen thread and coated with glue or shellac.

The propeller shaft is made from a bicycle spoke, Fig. 223; two of these can be purchased for a nickel. The long nut, shown at b, is cut with a metal saw in two places, giving small nuts c and d; c is used on the inside and d on the outside of the propeller. The spoke is then cut off long enough to pass thru the propeller, a glass bead as a washer, and the anchor block, with room for a good hook on the end for the attachment of the rubber motor. The propeller will be discussed further in the next chapter; the only thing to be mentioned here is the size of the blank from which it is made, which is ½” × 1” × 4”. Another piece of the spoke is bent as in Fig. 224, and is inserted in the fore end of the spine and bent still further into shape like Fig. 225. This gives the other anchor hook for the rubber motor. One other piece is the small keel shown in the side view. A groove is made in the under side of the spine and the keel set in with glue.

I am using four rounds of 1/16” rubber string for the motor. That makes eight strands. Six do very well. This is a very useful little model but it will not fly over fifty feet, or mine has not, but the fact that it does not fly far, gives you opportunity to study its start, its landing, and its flight. The long distance models are out of observation range so soon that we miss the chance to diagnose their crazy symptoms, if they have any, and most of them have some.

At the beginning of model aeroplane making, everyone seemed to try to see how much surface could be exposed in the planes, now the best models are those with as narrow planes as it is possible to use and still support the air craft. The reason is obvious—there is so much skin friction on broad surfaces. At the beginning, many were inclined to scoff at the rubber band motor, but since flights have been made considerably over a half mile, with this same power, it seems good enough for anybody. Most of the long distance flyers have long framework so as to accommodate long strands of rubber, which allow much increase in the winding up of the motor.

A Good Model. A simple and effective model is shown in Fig. 226. Lay out a light framework, as shown in Fig. 227. It is the combination of a tailless kite and a triangular box-kite. Three long sticks, a, b, c, are used for the triangular portion and three cross-sticks, d, e, f, are for the wing supports. A vertical post, g, about ¼” × ⅜” × 8” is used in the center of the rear (the wide part), to stiffen the frame and give an anchorage for the propeller shaft. Four light braces, h, i, j, and k, make it possible to use lighter material than one would suspect for the entire framework. In a model 3’ long, a, b, and c, need not be larger than 3/16” square, but there must be no split or uneven places in a stick so small. The braces ⅛” × 3/16” would be plenty large. The two upper pieces, b, c, should be flattened on the inside of the front end so as to make them join together, terminating in a point. The lower spine, a, should be flattened on the upper side for the same reason. All three should be glued and lashed together with linen thread. A triangular block, l, should be placed about 4” back from the front end with a strong cup-hook screwed in the side toward the rear, on which the ring of the rubber motor is attached. The block, l, must be well secured to the triangular framework with glue and thread. The cross-piece, d, is 30” long and is bowed upward as is shown by Fig. 228. Piece e is 24” long, 5” in front of d, and both are 3/16” × ¼”. ⅛” × 3/16” will be heavy enough for f, and this should be bowed much more than d, and e. It will be necessary to steam this piece a little. Chinese rice tissue will be good for covering. Cover the underside of the two planes, and the underside of the triangular framework which is similar to the hull of a boat, and acts as a keel. Test out well as a glider. Put more and less curve to bows, and experiment for poise of model. A small piece of tin on each side of the support will give a good bearing for the propeller shaft. The hole in the wood should be a trifle larger than the shaft. String is run from both ends of d and e to the front end of the framework but is not attached to f.

When long models are made with single spine, they need some simple wire supports to prevent springing up or down, and from left to right. Fig. 229 is 4’ long and the spine is only ¼” × ¼” at the small end ¼” × ⅜” at the larger end. A little 1/16” oak veneer cut in strips 3/16” wide would be very serviceable for the purpose of support in trussing the long spine. It should stand 2” above and below the spine, and the same amount for the right and left brace, Fig. 230. The wires for these should extend about a foot on each side of these posts, and be attached to the spine with little tin anchors, as shown in Fig. 230, a.

The propeller shaft bearing is of metal and is lashed to the cross-piece, called the base, Fig. 231. It is not necessary to have two points of bearing for the shaft. The metal is about 1/16” × ¼” × 1”, bent as in Fig. 232, and lashed to the under side of the base. The planes are similar to those in the next model. 1” × 1½” × 7½” propeller blanks are used. Try about fourteen strands of 1/16” string rubber for each motor, seven rounds.

My favorite model aeroplane is shown in Fig. 233. It had made some very pretty flights when it took a notion to glide into a young man’s bicycle as he was riding by. Well, there was no improvement on the aeroplane when the chain and spokes of the bicycle were thru with it.

The framework is light and is spread well at the rear. The two spines are 3/16” × ¼” × 33” and they come together at the forward end, the vertical section being ¼”. Nine inches back from the front end is a cross-piece that is just under ⅛” in thickness, ¼” wide and 2½” long. The cross-piece is on the upper side of the spines, and is fastened by a small ¼” brad, is lashed with thread and coated with glue or shellac. The other cross-piece is 1” forward from the rear end, is of the same dimensions in cross-section as the forward piece, but is 8” long and is secured in the same manner as the other, see Fig. 234. The framework is further stiffened by two fine wires that run diagonally from the ends of one cross-piece to the ends of the other. They are secured to the inside vertical face of the spines by means of small pieces of tin that have two small holes, one at each end, the one receives a ¼” brad that is driven into the spine, while the wire is attached to the other hole. The little pieces of tin are about 3/16” × ½” and are lashed to the spine in addition to the fastening by the small brad. This kind of fastening prevents slipping, also the cutting into the wood, either of which would destroy the efficiency of the wire. In order to increase the tension of the wire, a small turn-buckle is inserted, Fig. 235.

The bearings for the propeller shafts are lashed to the outside face of the rear end of each spine, Fig. 236. The bearing is a piece of brass 1/16” × ¼” × 1”, and is bent to a right angle at the middle. A small hole is drilled for a brad into the side of the spine and the other hole is drilled to receive the propeller shaft, which is 1/16” steel wire. The shaft is bent into a hook after it passes thru the bearing. To prevent the rubber of the motor from touching the steel wire, which is injurious to the rubber, a small rubber hose is slipped over the hook. In this model, the propellers are pieces of veneer steamed and pressed into the spiral shape. The propeller shaft then is bent around the center of the propeller, has two little washers between this and the bearing, after which comes the covered hook, see Fig. 237. A piece of tin ½” wide and 1¼” long is folded about the propeller before the shaft is bent around. The shaft is soldered to the tin, the tin being secured by two small brads and shellac. A small tin rudder with a small fold in its upper portion may be slipped over the back cross-piece, Fig. 238. The fore plane is made of very thin spruce, shaped like Fig. 239, and is bent up almost like a butterfly’s wings, Fig. 240. The wood is less than 1/16” thick. A double hook as anchors for the double motors, is bent and secured about the fore end of the framework. The hooks are covered with the rubber hose, the same as the propeller shaft, Fig. 241.

The large plane is 4½” in the widest place and is 20” long. It is the shape of Fig. 242 in outline, the straight side being to the rear. The outline of the plane is a steel or brass spring wire 1/16” diameter and is spliced at the center of the long sides, being soldered at this point. The ends of the wire lap over an inch or more. There are but two ribs which are 5½” from the outer ends. The ribs have a slight curve upward, most of it being near the free edge of the plane, Fig. 243. The ends of the ribs are bent at a right angle and are soldered to the outside framework of wire. The cover of the plane is made of prepared silk and is made ¼” larger all around than the size of the outline of the wire frame. A ¼” hem is then turned which gives strength to the edge. The cover is now over cast with needle and thread to the framework, stretching fairly tight.

The framework of the large plane is not secured directly to the wooden framework of the model, but is soldered to wire loops that in turn lie flat on top of the spines of the frame, Fig. 242, a, a. This gives opportunity to tie with string so as to try out the model. If it is too far forward, it can be slipped back and vice versa; when the correct position is located, it is permanently wired to the wooden framework. The fore plane is attached by means of rubber string. This is known as the Mann monoplane, and is a commercial product.

The propellers will be further discussed in the next chapter.

PROPELLERS, MOTORS, GEARS, AND WINDING DEVICES.

There are four kinds of propellers:

1. Propellers carved out of solid and laminated blocks.

2. Metal propellers with curved or twisted surfaces.

3. Built up propellers. In this type a small block is used as a hub, and the wood or metal fans are projected out from this. The fans are attached on the diagonal.

4. Propellers made of pressed wood veneer. These are excellent, but require more skill and more apparatus to make.

The carved out propeller is the one most generally used and is not only a good exercise in modeling with a knife, but is a good serviceable kind. There are a number of types of propellers, named mostly by men who have designed them. For simplicity in laying out and carving, I like the Langley type. A rectangle is made of wood, say ¾” × 1½” × 6”. Fig. 244. Draw the diagonals, as in Fig. 245. With a radius of ¼”, and center at the intersection of the diagonals, draw a half-inch circle. Connect the diagonal lines and the circumference of the circle, as in Fig. 246, and cut down to the outline as it now appears. The blank is now as shown in Fig. 247. We will now take off two big slices, not all in one cut, but in several. Fig. 248 has the dotted lines showing the depth to be cut, and Fig. 249 shows these same parts cut away. Now cut away x and x until the blade is curved back to edges z and z. The cut away portions will be as in Fig. 250. Cut the opposite side the same way, and cut away the back corners a little, giving the result as shown in Fig. 251. Sandpaper well and shellac. Drill hole carefully for the propeller shaft.

The principal objection to the metal propeller is the bending that is liable to occur when the model lights, unless there are lighting devices underneath, and they all add weight. The hub propellers may have metal or hardwood veneers for fans. The hub may be round or square; see Figs. 252 and 253. Very good propellers may be made in this way. Extra curvature of the outer ends of the fans is possible, Fig. 254.

The veneer propeller must be steamed and pressed. This is by far the most difficult to make. The 1/16” hardwood veneer is the best. The propeller is not reinforced to make up for the extra thickness of the carved propeller, but is of uniform thickness thruout. The veneer is first cut to shape in outline and then is steamed and twisted to shape. Fig. 255 shows a pattern for a propeller blade. The veneer should be steamed or soaked in hot water until the wood is very pliable and soft. A form should be ready so as to get both wings with equal twist from the central portion. I will suggest one, others can be devised. A clamp is necessary for the center, which may be made as follows: take a one-inch piece of wood about 1¼” wide and any length. Set it up edgewise. Make a cut 1/16” deep and one inch long across the upper edge, Fig. 256, and screw a small piece over top as a clamp. After thoroly steaming the propeller blade until it is very pliable, insert it into the clamp at the center and twist from the straight side, one fan up, the other down. It is not easy to get the two sides just alike, so I recommend the bending of one side at a time, and when that is dry, remove, and reverse the ends, being sure to keep the straight edge to the front, or the same as before. To be accurate, there must be a guide block to bend to. For a nine-inch propeller, a block like Fig. 257 would be about right. Place guide in position, press blank down to the oblique surface and secure there until dry. Repeat for the other end. It will be seen that the guide block and clamp are both secured to a board for a base; they may be secured to a table or bench-top. A clamp might be devised also that would hold the propeller in a vertical position with guide blocks on either side of center so as to bend and secure both ends at the same time.

Another way to bend propellers is to clamp the center of the blank in a vertical position, and with two clamps made by sawing into the ends of two pieces of wood, Fig. 258, a cut wide enough to take the thickness of the blank, and deep enough for the width, bend one blade forward and the other back, Fig. 259. The small clamps on the propeller blades should be placed at equal distances from the center, and should be given an equal amount of twist. The small clamps on the blades will not be forced over until they touch the base, so blocks of equal size should be used as stops in the operation of twisting. The clamps should be secured in the last position by means of cord to the base until the propeller is dry.

Still another way to attain the twist in veneer propellers, would be to have two blocks gouged out to the proper shape, one just fitting in the other. After the propeller is shaped in outline and steamed, it is placed between the two blocks, which are in turn clamped firmly together until propeller is dry.

Motors. Quite a number of devices have been tried, but the rubber string is by far the most efficient power yet discovered. Rubber has a great deal more power than an equal weight of steel in all ways that steel has been tried. The power of the rubber motor is dependent on the unwinding of the strands of rubber after having been wound up. The longer this unwinding may be delayed the further the little air craft may be propelled, providing there is force enough expended at any time to give the necessary momentum to the propeller. A long motor has more revolutions than a short one. Hence some advocate a long spined frame to the model aeroplane. Others prefer to cut the frame a little shorter and give great pitch to the propeller which demands more energy at a given time, hence heavier strands, or more strands of the smaller rubber string. With the greater pitch propellers, the model is propelled faster and so may cover as great or greater distance than one with a motor that gives more revolutions in unwinding, but it is possible to revolve so fast as not to propel at all. Many use the 1/16” square rubber string, others the ⅛” while many use ribbon rubber, say 1/32” to 1/16” thick by 3/16”. ¼” and 5/16” wide. For small models, rubber bands can be looped together.

Gears. Small, light weight gears can be made or bought. They are attached to propeller shafts and are geared back different pitches. Some one to two, others one to three, while some gears are one to one. It might seem that one to one is added friction and no gain in winding, but a hook is attached to each gear wheel which allows two rubber motors instead of one, and allows longer unwinding. If the rubber strands are divided they wind up many more turns than when combined in one bunch. If eight strands are twisted together you cannot turn as many times as with four strands. Fig. 260 shows a one to one gear and its connections, and Fig. 261 a gear with a greater ratio.

A gear of one to one might be placed at the opposite end of the framework from the propeller, thus extending the number of revolutions in that manner, the second rope or motor extending back and below the first, Fig. 262.

Winding Devices. It is tiresome to wind up the rubber motors by hand, so mechanical winding devices have been made. A drill with a hook in the place of a drill-bit is quite satisfactory. It is best to have a ring on the rubber motor where it is attached to the anchoring hook. This ring can be hooked on the hook of the drill. This winds but one at a time, so they should be changed about in the winding process, first on one and then on the other back and forth, until tight enough. A very good winder can be made of a revolving egg-beater. The egg-beating part is cut off, leaving two shafts instead of one. If there is a hook on each, both motors can be wound at once and as they should be wound in opposite directions, the device works all right.

TOURNAMENTS.

All of the work of construction and flying of kites is interesting and profitable for development yet there is opportunity for furthering this interest by bringing about yearly tournaments for the exhibition of the many efforts in construction and design that are undertaken. The tournaments have a further usefulness in the bringing of our schools together in a great outdoor social event. The spirit of such an event is excellent and the day is a joyful one to the children and parents. Thousands attend these yearly gatherings.

The Director. It is necessary for a good tournament that some interested and competent person take general charge of the whole affair and not leave the planning and arranging to others. Helpers are necessary at the tournament, but preparation should be directed by some one person. In so doing, we do not overlook the helpful cooperation of the principals at the various schools, but seek to interest them as to possibilities of undertakings by their children. Instructions should be sent out from time to time as to new things to be constructed and three or four weeks before the tournament, quite complete instructions regarding the different events that may be entered, and rules pertaining to each should be posted in each school.

It is well to organize a little in the schools that are interested. Some boy may be recognized as a leader and a good kite maker. He can round up the team, get the boys interested and encourage them to enter events not yet taken so as to cover as many events as possible and fewer in the same. The preparation for the tournament gives a great opportunity to the teachers and principals to get in touch with boys. Many boys have come to know their teachers with just such an introduction, and it has been the means of starting a good many boys to work in the schoolrooms on their studies. Some boys seem to get out of gear with their schoolroom environment and need a little touch of play, a tramp, or some form of sport to get them back to their real school life. This kind of undertaking is one of the great opportunities for the teacher to get near to the boys. Some teachers are enthusiastic enough to send out for a good sized bundle of sticks and have some one retail them out to the boys at cost. The boys appreciate a little effort of this kind even if there is no prospect of a tournament. A discussion of design in the drawing work will also be a practical departure from the regular work, and will again arouse the lazy boy to do his best. Now if the teacher will take some interest in the making, even if she doesn’t know very much about it, and especially in the flying of the kites, she will be progressing, and there are but few teachers who cannot learn a good deal about kite making and flying, if they are willing to try.

The manual training teacher and the shop are very able assistants to the kite construction projects. In some schools, a week some time previous to the tournament is allowed for the special construction of kites in the shop. The boys will waste valuable lumber if allowed to rip up thin boards, so it will pay to encourage the buying of spruce sticks. There is much adjustment in attaching string and covering, and putting on of the bridle; as much as possible of this should be reserved for home work, but some might be done at school.

Suitable Location. But the work at the school is not a tournament altho an important factor of it. The director, we will call the manager of the tournament, must find a suitable location. It must be open to the breeze, free from wires, accessible by street car service, a little to one side so people will have to go a little out of their way to see it, hoodlums don’t usually care so much for beautiful things, especially if it is some trouble to go to it, and it should be large enough to accommodate a great many kites without getting into too close quarters. Kites are liable to dive around somewhat, so if they are not too thick, there is more chance to get the kite straightened up before getting entangled in other kite lines. Now that there are so many kinds of kites, it is necessary to locate the kinds on the field. The kites are divided into groups when the list of events is sent out, and these groups are placed in different locations on the field. We will suppose the following group is to be located.

Group D.

Measured Events.

27. Highest Flyer—Single.

28. Highest Flyer—Tandem.

29. Highest flight in five minutes, etc.

On the ground, separated from the others, would be a bulletin board that is fastened to a post and this is set in the ground. The post is about nine feet long, and the bulletin board is nailed to it, the lower edge being about one foot down on the post. If the post is set eighteen inches in the ground there would be six and a half feet up to the lower edge of bulletin. The announcements can be printed with chalk. They stand out and can be read across the field, see Fig. 263. The tournament is always on a Saturday afternoon, so the bulletins are set Saturday morning.

If there is no space fenced off for aeroplane model flying, and for the races, a few posts should be set and two wires about No. 9 run around an enclosure. Make it an enclosure, for if you don’t it will be impossible to keep the spectators back. We tried a V-shaped fence, but it was useless; with an enclosure and two or three policemen about, it is possible to keep the crowd out.

Judges. Settle on your judges at least two weeks ahead of the tournament. It will assist in arousing interest in the schools with which they are connected. Principals and manual training teachers should be available and serviceable. It is not necessary to be a kite maker to be able to judge a kite. About three judges to a group is good, then if one fails to appear you still have two. Try to start at the appointed time and urge your judges to be there on time. Caution the pupils about putting their kites up before the time, as they are so liable to accident if played with beforehand.

Save a place of honor for your superintendents. They may be asked to award prize badges, or to select the prettiest kite in the air, and the most ingenious device, the best made model or the best invention; not all of these but something of this kind. Don’t forget to use them in some place. Get the promise of two, three, or four policemen, a few days ahead. The presence of a few good officers helps in curbing desires for destruction among a few. Kites are liable to accident, so if you can have a kite hospital where the boys can get a little paper and paste, string or stick, it will sometimes heal quite a disappointment.

An information bureau is a good feature. Have a bulletin showing its location. The judges as well as the children and parents would be glad of some help of this kind. Official badges are given to the judges, director, superintendents of schools, information and badges, and helpers. The badges are given out to the officers at the information bureau. A small stand at some prominent location in the field would be of service for the giving of the prize badges to the winning contestants. Each winner receives a slip, Fig. 264, from one of the judges of his group, giving his name, school, the first or second prize and event, the judge keeping a duplicate record on a mimeographed sheet that is mounted on a piece of cardboard, Fig. 265. The pupil takes the slip to the awarding stand and hands it to the judges. The judges turn in their records, and the director fills out a small diploma of recognition, Fig. 266, and sends it to the school from which the boy has entered. It may be a girl; we have had a number of winners among the girls. These slips and record sheets for the judges will be some of the work for the director before the tournament. Each pupil who wins in any event receives an appropriate badge, Fig. 267.

If it is convenient, it is always well to have two transits give the actual heights of high flyers. Some simple ones might be made, but there are often students who would like the opportunity to do some work of the kind for practice. It is well to send out a printed list of the winners to all the schools after the tournament. It might be written as follows

25. Highest Flyer—Tandem.

First. Albert Johnson, 24 St. School.

Second. Victor Wagoner, Washington St. School.

In sending out notices before and after, request the principals to place them in a conspicuous place for the boys to see. The principal’s office is not a good place, for some will not go to the office to study them, these boys may be just as interested but they don’t care to have us know it. If the material is where the boys can see it easily they sometimes get interested unawares to themselves. All plans should be placed in an open place.

TOURNAMENTS, CONTINUED.

The newspapers are glad to publish notices and pictures, and some will even print plans of work free. They are very persistent in getting reports of the tournament, so the judges should be careful in recording each event. The reporters will be on the ground if they have knowledge of its whereabouts.

Ice cream and sandwich wagons are liable to get in the way, so it is best to restrict them to the margin of the crowd. They should not be allowed to come inside any of the locations for the events.

All string that is to be used in races of any kind should be measured beforehand. It is best for the director to take charge of the string until time for the event, or until he can turn it over to the judges in charge of that group. Boys are liable to make a mistake in getting their string too short, so it must be measured. I place a couple of nails one hundred feet apart in the rail of the board fence, the boys wind about that until they have the required length, and by counting the string I can soon see if it is correct. If the string is given back to the boy, there is a temptation to take out some. There is no disadvantage in letting out the string from a stick in the races, if there is a reel to attach it to when it comes to the winding in.

Announcements should be sent out a week ahead of the tournament that the string will be measured such and such afternoons, perhaps two days before the tournament. It is not best to leave it until just the day before, as the director should be as free as possible from such work at such time in order to give full attention to rounding up of details that are sure to accumulate toward the last of the preparations.

Quarter Mile Dash. The race consists of the letting out and winding in of a kite on one quarter mile of string. The boys set their reels ready for the best speed and they group themselves quite close together, but far enough apart to prevent mix-ups, and at the proper time are handed their string that has been measured and labeled which they attach to kite. Each boy in the race is allowed one helper and the kite may be held by the helper a hundred feet away, ready to toss it in the air at the sign for starting. When all is ready, the one in charge of the group calls “ready! go!” The kites are tossed up and are given the string as fast as it will be taken. The boy with a steady head will sometimes stop playing out and work his kite up a little to get more breeze. If there is plenty of breeze, they are fed all the string as fast as it is pulled out. If a kite drops it may be worked up again, but it must go to the end of the quarter mile and back. A time keeper is placed by each contestant, and officers are needed to keep back the onlookers. As soon as all the string is out the boy slips the loop on the end of his string over a hook on the reel and winds in as fast as he can turn. The kite mounts up in the air and is pulled with great violence toward the reel. If a string breaks, the time keeper stops the winding until the kite is again attached. No allowance is made for mishaps. The kite that is jerked down into the reel first is winner, and the owner is usually a pretty warm boy. The helper can take turns in winding.

Other races should be similarly conducted. We have had races in the construction of a tailless kite, including the lashing and stringing of framework and covering, attaching of bridle and the kite must fly. In all pulling contests, spring scales are used. In the light weights, the twenty-five pound scales are best, but the fifty pound is more serviceable for all around purposes. For very heavy pulling, large ice scales might be borrowed for the day from some hardware man.

To measure the pull of a kite, the string is looped about the hook of the spring and the record made. Several records are made of each kite over a period of about thirty minutes or so. The judges going to and fro measuring this one and that. The kite should be ascending to get the best register. It is well in trial events to set the number of times that each aeroplane may be tried or tests of pulling permitted, as some will tease for a continual performance.

The art supervisors and teachers are good as judges for the artistic events. All kites are in the air most of the time, so a general survey is made of the whole field. It is well to have about five judges on this group. Less will do the work all right, but it is well to draw many into the service.

If the director could be on horseback so as to be easily seen, and also be able to get about easily, it would help out considerably. Messengers from judges to director or information would be useful.

Badges. For badges, we use a celluloid button, with our own cut, the ribbon attached has printing in black. The officers get yellow, the first prize, blue, the second, red. Some years we have used different colored buttons, this year the buttons were all yellow, the ribbons, yellow, red, and blue.

See the street car officials in order that they may plan accommodations for the day. Instructions are posted for the car men by the officials, that consideration be given to the boys with their kites and in most cases the men have been very helpful in this respect. Of course large kites cannot be taken on the street car. A great many are taken to the field in automobiles.

Just before the tournament it is rather difficult to locate the boys making their kites, as they work in secluded places, but if you know of some that are making progress, a photograph by the newspaper men will add considerable zest to the advertising side of preparations.

Get your school officials enthusiastic first, and get their cooperation in encouraging the undertaking, for it is a great school social gathering and should be made worth while. Then boost for it. Demonstrate by making or flying a kite, and the boys will take care of the rest.

A SAMPLE ANNOUNCEMENT.

MANUAL TRAINING OFFICE

Los Angeles City Schools

KITES AND AEROPLANE MODELS.

New Year’s Greeting to the

Kite Makers of Los Angeles:

The Sixth Annual Kite Tournament will be held April 20, 1912, at Exposition Park. The spring vacation will be a good time to design, construct, and try out new ideas. The model aeroplanes will have a much larger place than heretofore at the coming tournament. A number of good plans of kites and model aeroplanes will be sent out during the coming season.

Spruce sticks can be obtained again this year at 1335 E. 6th St. at the Southern California Box Co., in 25c bundles or more.

The Goodyear Rubber Co., No. 324 S. Broadway is carrying string rubber and will have one sixteenth and one eighth inch, very good sizes. Models propelled by rubber bands should be from 20” to 30” across. Do not make the planes too wide, much of the failure of models is due to this mistake.

Two firms in the east are advertising small gasoline motors for model aeroplanes. Models to carry these motors should be from 6’ to 8’ or more. Models so equipped are operated by cords running to the ground. One boy claims to have succeeded with a storage battery under his arm and an Ajax motor in his model. If we get our model well under control we should be able to carry the storage battery on a wheel as suggested two years ago. No one has reported a success with the clockspring device. A long coiled steel wire spring has more promising possibilities.

Look for advertisements in “Popular Mechanics” and other magazines, for firms carrying parts such as gears, rubber motors, etc. There will be a few events for commercially manufactured models, but these are not to compete with home made.

The usual kite events will be about the same as during the past two years. The quarter mile dash with the use of reels will be used; also an eighth mile dash will be listed this year in which the string is to be wound in by hand.

The “Scientific American” of October 14, 1911, has an article on “How to make a Model Aeroplane that will fly 700 feet”. Look it up.

Ask at the libraries for Mr. Collin’s books on “Model Aeroplanes”. There is a second book out by this author that seems very good.

Look out for ideas in the daily newspapers and at the Dominguez meet.

Principals please post.

Respectfully,

CHAS. M. MILLER.

MANUAL TRAINING OFFICE

April 12, 1912.

Sixth Annual Kite Tournament at
Exposition Park, April 20, 1912.

TIME:—No kites are to be put up before one o’clock, and judging is to begin at 2 p. m.

CARS:—Georgia St., University, Grand Ave. to Figueroa Junction, Vermont Heights or Inglewood on Main to Figueroa Junction.

PLACES:—Bulletin boards will be used as usual—see information, if you can’t get located.

RAIN:—If the afternoon is stormy, the tournament will be postponed two weeks.

GIRLS:—All events are open to the girls.

ADMISSION:—No admission fee, and friends invited.

ARTISTIC EVENT:—All kites will be judged for artistic effect no matter where located—must fly.

BALLOONS:—Boys must bring their own balloon equipment.

STICKS FOR FRAMES:—Any wood, except the hardwoods, may be used for frames, but spruce is best.

INTERMEDIATE AND HIGH SCHOOL BOYS:—All intermediate boys are eligible and all high school boys who have been in a grade school since last tournament, may enter from such school. Look up some of your kite makers.

KITES:—All should be encouraged to make and fly a kite, even if not for a prize. Make it a kite flying day for your school.

EXTRA PARTS:—Boys should bring along an extra stick and some paper in case of accident to kite.

NEW INVENTIONS:—Special new features will be recognized if they have real merit.

PRIZES:—Ribbon badges and diplomas will be awarded as in former years.

ORGANIZE:—Distribute your efforts over many events.

REGISTRATION:—Send in registration to Mr. Miller at Grand Ave. School on Friday. Give names of boys. No one will be kept out for lack of registration.

MEASURING:—Kite lines for quarter and one-eighth mile dashes and yacht race will be measured at Grand Ave. School, Thursday and Friday afternoons, April 18th and 19th.

Come one—come all.

Respectfully,

CHAS. M. MILLER.

CONCLUSION.

Kite making and kite flying have been enjoyed for centuries in the orient and for a good many years in this country, and will continue as a seasonal sport for perhaps all time. It can be made more interesting and useful by a little cooperation on the part of the grown-ups. It may be only expression of appreciation of the effort put forth by some otherwise idle fellow, or it may be in the form of a request of teacher to pupil for a nice kite as a gift for a third party, or it may be the arousing of school spirit for the best showing at a tournament, it might be assistance rendered in planning a beautiful kite, and it might be a great many other things that have not been mentioned. Kite making will not catch and make good every boy, even with the best efforts of the best teachers, but it will go farther than any other enticement toward bringing about good comradeship between teacher and scholar, which is half the battle with uncertain temperaments in some boys. We need to come shoulder to shoulder with the boys to help them most.

But the merits of kite making go farther than the social relationship, it arouses the inventive spirit in the boy, fills in many otherwise idle hours with good healthy sport that occupies the children out of doors. It is not wasted time unless indulged in to too great excess, but new developments bring about new studies of the kite problems that are as good for the boys as problems of other subjects like arithmetic and geometry for we must remember that boys have subject of study not found in text-books.

Someone told me not long ago that “no one could think an evil thought while looking up”. Some one else has written, “If the outlook is not good, try the uplook”. This latter has a greater significance than would be generally applied to boys flying kites, but who knows what boys are really thinking about; maybe we underestimate their abilities and inclinations. Our boys often need more persistency of effort, and must be held to their jobs by much attention on the part of overseers. Most boys will stick to kite making against great discouragement and some will continue, for long periods, working patiently and carefully until they succeed. The string is often a source of great annoyance, it snarls up and some lads will cut out the hard knots, but others will tackle the knotty problems and untangle them, they will do the same with knotty problems in life later on. It is patience that wins in many a tangled strife. Boys do not as a rule have as good feeling for color harmony, or so the ladies think, as the girls; help the boys out a little on their color combinations on their kites. It may be the first time the boy has had a problem of his own in color work.

Perhaps the little aeroplane does not go very far, it looks like a failure. Do you look on and pass on? If the model goes at all by its own power, that boy has made a something that has overcome the force of gravity to the extent of traveling transversely to its downward pull. Recognize it, and encourage the boy. There is a difference between flinging one so that it will travel for a short distance, and releasing one that travels by its own power. The former may be a deception. Give credit where credit is due.

The balloons have very little lifting power, but the force of gravity has been overcome, two gases of unequal density have been placed in juxtaposition and the lighter one goes up. So we might go on with each of the subjects attempted in this book. There has been great demand for the briefer treatise, and I hope this little book may have met the expectancy of its readers more than half way.

Remember it is not just the pretty kite soaring high in the sky; remember there is a BOY at the other end of the kite line. Boost for him.

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF KITES.

Prepared by M. Charlotte Casey, Los Angeles Public School Library.

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