How to Make a Delta Kite

Step by Step—Page 4 of 4

The MBK Dowel Delta

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How to Make a Delta Kite
Prepare to Fly

Make up a flying line and attach it to the keel's towing point with a Lark's Head knot. See the photo, where the Lark's Head has been left loose.

Check the keel knots on the vertical spar. Retighten if necessary. Also, put a generous drop of wood glue on each so they can never come loose nor slide along the vertical spar.

You won't have to wait the full drying time for this glue to dry, since the amounts are small.

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How to Make a Delta Kite
Flying!

First, if it's very windy outside, stay home! This is a light-wind kite and won't like being launched in a gale or even a fairly fresh breeze. If the wind is way too strong, this delta will become unstable, and you could even snap one of the dowels.

Assuming there is some breeze outside, just dangle the kite at arm's length until the wind catches it. As long as you feel the kite pulling, let out line slowly by taking loop after loop off the winder. Be cautious about letting line slip through your fingers. If you let it slip too quickly, say in a moderate breeze, the line could burn you!

Another approach is to get a helper to hold the kite up and let it go, on the end of maybe 15 or 20 meters (50 feet) of line. This way, the kite soon gets high enough to make it easy to let more line out.

Have fun flying, and I hope you've enjoyed learning how to make a delta kite!

The e-book instructions for this kite include even more handy hints that will ensure you get the most success possible when flying this particular design.

Now, just in case you have actually made and flown this kite at least once already:

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