Power Kite Forum - I had no idea Alexander Grahm Bell was into kites...

erratic winds

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posted on 12-12-2011 at 09:18 AM

I had no idea Alexander Grahm Bell was into kites...

Some really crazy man-lifting box-kite designs here.

Guess it's just more proof there is nothing new under the sun!

http://www.retronaut.co/2011/12/tetrahedral-kites-by-alexand...

(Retronaut doesn't like to play nice with ad-blockers/javascript blockers, the page will look strange but if you scroll down, the images are there.)

Tide? What's a tide? Man, it's 1000 miles to any ocean.

markite

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posted on 12-12-2011 at 09:44 AM

Really? "Into kites" is a bit of an understatement but it's also very interesting to hear when someone comes across something and learns purely by chance. It's easy to forget that "younger" kite fliers don't know everything that some of us take for granted. Good for you on showing interest.

here is a link to Bell info from our local kite club's web site for a short overview:

http://www.windclimbers.ca/alexander-g-bell

Mark Groshens NAPKA KC 13
WindSpeed kites & design - Canada
Peter Lynn Arcs: Charger2 22.5 +18 + 15 + 6.5, Charger I 6, Scorpion 16 + 10, Phantom II 12 + 9, Orig Phantom 9 + 6, Synergy 10 + 8, F 1200, S 840
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indigo_wolf

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posted on 12-12-2011 at 11:24 AM

1907 - Dr. Alexander Graham Bell lifted his wife off the ground using a kite made of over 3,000 tetrahedral cells.

And you thought your girlfriend/wife was understanding and supportive. :lol:

ATB,
Sam

"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12 - Jesus, does anyone?" - The Body by Stephen King

C-Note

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posted on 15-12-2011 at 10:32 AM

Hi Guys!
Thanks for posting that link Mark. Took me a few days to find my Forum password again :-)
Alexander Bell was much like a child when it came to kites and flying. He met and was inspired by many of the early pioneers that developed kites, Gliders in search of that first flight. . Bob White has an excellent resource that really covers Alex and his kite fascination quite well! Here is a chart of all the pioneers that influenced him
http://best-breezes.squarespace.com/storage/a_g_bell/AG%20Be...
Here is a bit of the text Bob has written on his Alex's work in his later years.
http://best-breezes.squarespace.com/alexander-graham-bell-te...
Have a great day guys!

Quadrifoil 2003, 2004, 2005
Peter Lynn XR Buggy
Yeah I know, it\'s old school :-)