Trash Bag Delta Kite Instructions

 

This kite originally appeared in Margaret Greger’s book More Kites for Everyone (1990), available from the Drachen Foundation, www.drachen.org. Several years ago Sam Huston modified the measurements and added to the construction instructions when he presented the kite at the Fort Worden Kitemakers Conference, www.kitemakers.org.  When the Pierce County Kitefliers Association was looking for an easy and reliable workshop kite for the first Milton Indoor Kite Fest, we tried this kite and discovered it is a fabulous indoor flyer with the addition of a little bit of weight on the nose.  We believe it is a great way to begin your adventures flying kites indoors.  A few more instructions and hints have been added along the way.

 

 

Materials:

 

  • A tall kitchen trash bag (workshop kites are made from Costco kitchen bags)
  • Two 1/8” x 48” wood dowels, cut: 1 spine 23-1/2”; 3 @ 19” (2 side spars, 1 spreader)
  • ¾” Scotch Magic Tape, ¾” or 1” strapping tape (3M Shipping Strapping Tape Extreme is ideal. Cut the 2” wide tape in half if necessary.)
  • Two ¼” long pieces of 1/8” inside diameter vinyl tubing
  • Three round toothpicks, cut to same size as the width of your strapping tape (use middle)
  • Poster board for pattern 22” x 28”

 

Procedures:

 

  1. Lay the pattern on the bottom fold of the bag with the long side of the keel on the fold (not an edge that has been heat sealed). Draw around the pattern and continue the center line between the wing and the keel sections.  Mark the spreader spot and cut out. Mark the spreader spot on the other wing before unfolding the sail.
  2. Carefully open one wing to the center line, making sure to butt the cut section of the center line together. The keel will now be under one of the wings.  Tape the entire center line, centering the magic tape over the line.  This is easiest if you place a small piece of tape at the nose, tail and middle to secure the seam, then fill in with two or three pieces of tape.
  3. Lay the spine on the center line and tape it to the kite the same way you secured the center line. Lay side spars close to the wing edges, placing the bottoms of the spars at the trailing edge.  Tape the spars to the wings with the Magic tape in the same manner.
  4. Cut three 2-1/2” pieces of strapping tape for keel tip and spreader attachments. Lay the toothpick pieces in the middle of the strapping tape before folding them over and attaching to kite at spreader points on wings and tip of keel.  Punch 1/8” holes as shown.
  5. Put plastic tubing pieces on each end of spreader. Place spreader into the kite sail.  For flying indoors, the sail should be nearly flat, and you’ll want to add a nickel sized piece of poster tack on top of the nose tip to add a little weight.  To fly it outdoors try removing the poster tack and moving the spreader tubes closer to the center of the kite ¼ to ½” on each end, shortening the spreader.  This gives the kite more dihedral and better stability.
  6. Attach the pigtail to the keel tow point, and your line to the pigtail. Go fly.

 

Trashbag Delta Plan