Box-Kite Design Examples

MBK 1-Skewer Box

Here's the latest version, trimmed out and floating nicely on a warm moderate breeze at a nearby park.

It's hard to be super accurate in construction with these tiny kites. A small extra tail on one side will soon fix any problems though, after a bit of experimentation on the flying field. But that's half the fun with tiny kites. You get a sense of achievement when the thing finally behaves itself and floats up high! At that point, you can hand the string over to your 4-year-old and watch the joy.

Here's a video, taken on the same day, when this little kite broke its own altitude record:

MBK 2-Skewer Box

This kite design is, as the name suggests, exactly twice as long as the 1-Skewer design. However, it still uses the same-diameter bamboo skewers. As a result, this kite can fly in somewhat lighter winds than the 1-Skewer Box. But it is also strong enough and stable enough to cope with very fresh winds. You can take it out in any sort of windy weather and expect to get a good afternoon's fun out of it!

We flew this kite on a 20-pound line, which gets pulled pretty straight in a stiff breeze. In lighter breezes there is some sag, but the kite will still get plenty of height on 60 meters (200 feet) of line.

See this kite in action in the video below!

MBK Dowel Box

At twice the size of the 2-Skewer Box, the Dowel Box doesn't make you feel like you are flying a "kids kite" as such. This version has had a number of great flights in conditions that you would not normally associate with box kites.

You know the old kiting saying—"box kites for strong wind." Not these days! Particularly when space-age materials like graphite (carbon fiber) is used for spars and lightweight ripstop nylon for the sails.

But even using more traditional materials like wooden dowel for the spars, it is possible to build a box kite quite light. The inherent weight disadvantage is still there, when you compare it with a diamond or a delta for example. However, this design is proof that you can still keep a box kite up in fairly light wind if you build it right.

The wind is gusty and moderate in strength in the video down below:

MBK Dowel Box (fresh wind)

This box design can take quite a bit of punishment from the wind. The cross-pieces are relatively short and tied together to prevent bow under pressure.

With the original bridle, this kite handled 20 kph winds comfortably. Later, I redesigned the bridle and tested the kite almost to destruction in some truly strong wind! It now handles 30 kph well, and will survive well into the 40 to 45 kph+ range.

It's all good experience, and you can always make another kite when the materials costs are so low. The pull on the line is quite firm in fresh winds. I have measured it at around 2 to 3 kg (5 to 8 lb.).

Somehow, though, I just wouldn't be game to fly this box kite design on 20-pound line! It stretches 50-pound line nice and tight, so that will do me.

The wind is gusty and fresh in strength in the video down below:

MBK Multi-Dowel Box

At 2.4 meters (8 feet) long, this is a seriously large box kite for one person to handle! Over the years this box has been the most satisfying to fly. It does require around 15 kph of breeze to get started though.

On a couple of occasions I even used this kite to loft a camera for some kite aerial photography. However, the breeze needs to be sufficiently strong and consistent for this application, with this type of kite. Keeping the kite off the grass on a short line while tweaking the camera rig proved tricky at times.

On a cold day with ample wind, the big box just sits up there very steadily, pulling several kilograms of tension into its 200-pound Dacron line.

On windy summer days with puffy cumulus clouds popping everywhere, flying the huge box can be quite exciting as it surges around at high line angles. No amount of thermal turbulence will bother it and in strong enough conditions, this kite has been known to fly right overhead!

Rigging the MBK Multi-Dowel Box takes a few minutes but it's generally worth it!