here are a few links [please let me know if they don't work] of articles that appeared in the indian and asian press during the time of the festival in ahmedabad ... for them, it's strings attached ... kyunki, kite fest is a starry affair ...

and be sure to vist the red barron's festival pics [click on "festivals", then choose, 2004 "ahmedabad (india)"] ... as well as kitelife magazine, issue 34 ...

:) ... i'm feartured in Kitelife Magazine - Issue 34: Jan/Feb 2004 ... there's day with a master and 2004 kite market, ahmedabad, india ... thanks john barresi.

“but there’s a war on the go ... are you crazy to go fly fighters?”, you say. well, living under the constant threat of having to head into the nearest ‘safe room’, i headed up to the park for a quick fly ... during a lull in attacks and strikes ... kites, reels, kite box, kite bag ... and yes ... gas mask kit, too ... let’s think of it as a ‘flight/fight of freedom’ ...

an exhibition of chilean fighter kites ... click on the pic to see a few more ... what do think of that spool? ...

take a look at my new series/style of fighters ... african inspirations ... want to order one? [or two or three] ... just let me know ...

and a word of thanks to brian johnsen for adding me to the list of nafka links to fighter kite related web sites ... fame at last [big grin] ...

from the australian kiting association, an indian fighter plan ...

scott bogue’s line waxer clone ... nice and simple idea.

oh, i forgot to mention ... how could i have ... a big thanks to bruce lambert ... i now have a whole lot of carbon fiber bows, indian bamboo spines, orcon [black, white, transparent] and orcon tape ... enough to build about 15/20 new fighter kites ...

that ought to keep me busy through the winter!!!

nerfc ... this looks like it was a lot of fun ... you'll also get to see what a lot of the pilots look like ...why only three events people? ...

yet more fightin' words ... spring 2002 ... the springcanmanbruce shows one of his decorating techniques ... and take a look at d’s sketches/paintings ...

a collection of fighter kite musings ... another “fightin’ words!” article from kitelife magazine [june/july 2001] ...

and this is a stafford wallace indian fighter ... it seems that this type of fighter, probably one the earliest and oldest recorded, is the basis for most fighters today ...

my personal explorations into fighters started with the ‘indian fighter’, and my current explorations into fighter kite design, are based on this type of kite ...

while you’re at, check out patrick’s other fighters ...

well, yesterday, i received two ‘mac’ fighters from malcolm mccleod [uk] ... hey, thanks mac ... i’ll be trying them out in the next few days ... sure, i’ll put some pics up and let you know ...

hey, i just got me some black orcon ... and some white orcon ... and some orcon tape ... and some iridescent tissue ... thanks woody ...

it’s time to build a few new “phighters”, don’t you think? ...

two new plans have been added to the nafka site ... woody’s woodtick and giacomo’s draco one ...

just added the stryke #051 page/s ...

just received my stryke fighter from paul shirey [aerostar sport kites] and can’t wait to go and have a try/fly ...

just a quick “thank you” to norm rubin and pauly berard for all their help and assistance on the indoor fighter thingy ... as soon as i’ve completed the “build, decorate and fly”, i’ll put it all up on the pics page ...

well ... the winter rains started today ... time to get a handle on indoor fighter kiting ... if you’re in the know, i’m listening ...

just over a month has passed since my last post ... i have been a busy bee making new fighters and flying them ... i have also been a hard working little spider, weaving this new web site ...

enjoy ...

Lee Valley Tools - Indian Fighting Kites ... value for money ...

Kai's Kite Site ... many sites talk about Kai ... so here it is ...

Hardware Store Kite Site ... go to ‘Techniques’ and click on ‘Bow strings’ ...

a thought ... make a small bamboo one and move it to the lower bridle point of a fighter ... obviously a thicker spine is required ... i keep thinking of a ‘hata’ type frame, but definitely an ‘indian fighter’ shape ... not disimilar to a Paul Shirey ‘Stryke’ ...

membuat layang-layang ... never mind tha language, just look at the pictures ... hmmm ... on the sidewalk ... cut, make and fly ...

Staffords’ Corner and The World ... “Stafford Wallace has done more than most to popularize single line manouverable ‘Fun Kites’. He writes regularly appearing columns for his local kite club and has donated several of them to our web site [NFKA].

I have come across Stafford Wallace in many of the sources I am currently perusing and it seems he is one of the ‘gurus’ of the art of making, flying and promoting fighter kites ... I hope to be in touch with him one day ...

Fighter Kites of Dennis Ische ... Small Kites, BIG Delight ...

Publix Fighter by Walt Whippo [Oct, 2000] ... “here’s a design that works ... it tracks well, parks ( briefly ) and has very good low level performance ...”

It seems to be the same as the Dragonfly Fighter by Tom Humphrey [Aug 24, 1999].

anyway, i’ll try this one in a couple of days ...

Bruce’s Accident: A Color Reduction Process ... “One day while building a fighter kite, I didn&rsquot wait for the acetone on my glass work surface to dry completely; I use acetone to clean off the glass. For this particular kite skin, I had decided to use a solid colored metallic blue plastic film, similar to mylar. So, I put the colored side down on the glass, as I always do, and proceeded to cut out the kite and complete it.

What a wonderful surprise I got, when I removed the kite. The glass surface was a mottled blue and the kite was a beautifully mottled variation of blues and silver. It was a totally random pattern and I liked it. An accident I liked. Hmmm!”

I’m gonna try this ...

Fighter Kites from Patrick.

WindArt ...

“Being this site in a place of clear physical limits to your senses,
when entering it, you must let yourself be transported
by your imagination. Since there is no logical order in this space,
you are encouraged to follow your own personal path
and interpret it as you see best!”

although not about fighters, this is a must see ...

Bamboo Wind Organs ... stick ’em in the ground and make music while flying your kites. Then there is this plasorgan ... a plastic bottle version ...

The Drachen Foundation ... Dedicated to the increase and diffusion of kite knowledge by teaching the historical, cultural, scientific, and artistic aspects of kiting.

NPW5 ... this is the Nasa ParaWing 5 ... very interesting ...

Bamboo ... tools and techniques for processing.

Le Mac Gowan ... found this fighter ... french text, but enough english on the diagrams ...

The Desperato ... looks so similar to some of the other ‘fighters’ i’ve seen ...

plastic shopping bags for the skin and bamboo [3mm x 2mm] should make a good solution ...

Reach Up and Touch the Sky ... although this has nothing to do with fighters, it does have amazing art on the kite skins ... you will find sketch books showing the development of the art ... much to be learned from here ...

i keep mentioning the concept of being ‘purist’ ...

Kite Stamps from Israel ...

Simo Salanne’s Kite Flier’s Knot Gallery.

Real Knots ... knotting, bends, hitches and knotcraft.

Hata Making ... with Mr. Kuwata

Fighter Kite Niche ... We Fly Fighter Kites and We Want You!

Kite Knots ... the most commonly used knots for kite flying lines and bridles.

Flying kites involves working with string or line. Working with string or line involves working with knots. Knots are one of the basic skills essential to flying kites. They allow us to quickly and easily attach our flying line to our kites, laundry to our flying lines, and even our lines to our reels. Knowing when, where & why to use which knot, and how to tie it, can make kite flying very easy. These are the most commonly used knots in kite flying.

The Stryke Fighter may very well be the most tunable and technically sophisticated production fighter on the market today!

Construction Plan for Indian Fighter. This kite constitutes the basic model used in India during festivals and in combats.

Encyclopædia Britannica ... The Indian Fighter Kite: oldest known heavier-than-air craft designed to gain lift from the wind while being flown from the end of a flying line, or tether.

Need to join two pieces of flying line so that they never come apart? Here is a diagram of the blood knot.

Please Note: they should be the same type and thicknes of flying line.

Indian Collection from KiteMan.

some of the best photographs and skin ‘graphics’ of Indian Fighters i have seen so far ...

Patrick’s Kite Site .. a site devoted to the art of building single-line kites ...

Highwaymen Kites ... a beginners guide to flying Indian fighter kites.

Fighters from Free Spirit Kites.

Vari-Fighter 2000 ... variability applied throughout fighter kite design [revised 5/2002] by Ed Alden.

Indian Fighter Kite Design ... This relatively simple plan produces a highly maneuverable and durable little kite.

single line kite plans ...lots of them ... sorry, you’ll have to sift through to the fighters on you own ... enjoy ...

questions and answers ... as i said in the previous post ... dig deep, find stuff ...

GetAGrip Kites! ... is devoted to single line maneuverable fighter kites. They blend the relaxation of flying a traditional kite wih the exciting tricks of sport kiting. They may be new to you, but fighter kites are thousands of years old and are guaranteed to transport you back to a time before cell phones and e-mail ... what we like to call a digital detox.

dig deep enough, and you’ll find what you are looking for ...

manjha club international ... from my research, this seems to be the main fighter kite club, worldwide ...

Kites-Resources... looks like a lot of stuff to go through ... enjoy youself ...

Fat Kids’ Notebook ... design, assembly, tuning and psudo-intellectual.

Babu Khan Patangwale is a craftsman par excellence and a fine person. His intricate designs, formed by cutting and pasting many little pieces of paper to make the sail, showcase Indian kite making at its best. Not only do Babu's kites look good, they are a pleasure to fly. Perfectly balanced, responsive to the lightest touch, they are in great demand by fighter kite aficionados all over the country and among the cognoscenti of the Manjha Club International.

Normally a reticent person, preferring to let his kites speak the language of the wind, Babu agreed to let (the author) photograph him making a ‘simple’ kite.

the dennis ische dot-01 fighter kite ...

nagasakiya hata ... a fighter plan by peter stauffer ... the most detailed i have found to date ...

CyberFighter Website ... fighter kites and more ...

here’s a list of various fighters ...

Oz Flare
NFKA Standard
Bizzy
No Sew Buka
Buka Dako
Dragonfly
RockA
BASF
Vari
Shropshire
Goody
Spooky
University
Hata (Nagasakiya)

Miniature Kite Designs ... it’s far to hot to be outside ... much more comfy inside with the aircon ... hmmmm ... i wonder if these miniatures will fly in the cold air ...

i’ll let you know when i’m done

Making Process of HATA ... btw, did i mention that i’m a purist?

Nagasaki Hata Fighter Kite ... can be done ... need further referance though ...

Indian Fighter Kite Design ... This relatively simple plan produces a highly maneuverable and durable little kite. It has an uninterrupted face on which designs can be placed. If built just right, this model will not need extra ballast on the tail, but streamers glued in place make it look great.

i have not built or tried this kite ... being new to fighter kites, and being a purist, i am still making fighter without tails and/or tassles ...

Fightin’ Words! ... from kitelife magazine, issue 27, summer 2002.

you’ll need lotsa patience ... and wind.

and suntan cream!!!

“may the wind on your wings ... blow long and strong”
ralph resnik