Kites. A collage of kites and kiteflyers - ACE095.2

Different kinds of kites flying over rooftops, and beside buildings. Man walks picks up a kite in a field and says, "This object has just been blown away by the wind. In order to turn it into a kite, I have to attach a line to it." Demonstrates how it is the opposing forces of wind and the kite string which keep it in the air, and lets the kite rise into the air. Kite-flyers. Man’s voice VO talking about kite-flying principles. Kites in the air. Man making a template for a Malay kite, cutting the shapes from ripstop nylon, and sewing the two halves together by machine. Demonstrates with his hands the dihedral angle needed by the "wings" to ensure stability. Shows the finished dihedral kite which will fly without a tail. Dihedral kite launched and in the air. Early photograph of small girl with kites on the ground. Diamond-shaped kites in flight. Commentary explains that such kites have long been associated with scientific, meteorological and aeronautical discovery. Photograph of Marconi with kite used to fly the aerial for his first transatlantic wireless transmission. European kites – described as "generally hard-edged and angular, demonstrating the technical nature of [their] origins". Photograph of man with multi-box box kite; kite in flight. Photograph of Victorian men and boy with large complex "multi-cell" kites; similar kite flying. Photograph of Charles Brogden with a kite; kite flying. Photograph of men with box kite. Photographs of Samuel F Cody with giant kite. Assembling a large Cody-type kite and a Cody-style "train" of kites. Photograph of original Cody kite. The kite "train" continuing – lifts manned basket; photographs of Cody doing the same thing; manned basket hanging below kite. Photograph of Cody kite from 1903 being used for aerial observation from the deck of a Navy ship.