How does the tetrahedral kite work?
A kite flies when all forces – lift (up), weight (down), thrust (forward) and drag (backward) – are balanced. The lifting force in a tetrahedral kite comes from catching and deflecting air. Air can’t pass through the kite, so it gets blown down at an angle through the tetrahedral cells.
What was the purpose of the tetrahedral kite?
Tetrahedral kite. Unlike traditional rectangular box kites, Bell’s tetrahedral shape could make increasingly larger structures, such as this 64-celled model. Aggregated rectangles increased kite weight faster than they expanded wing surface area. Tetrahedrons kept the ratio nearly constant.
What is the history of a tetrahedral kite?
This kite was invented by Alexander Graham Bell. It came about from his experiments with Hargrave’s box kites and his attempts to build a kite that was scalable and big enough to carry both a man and a motor. As such, it was an early experiment on the road to manned flight. He worked on the kites between 1895 and 1910.
How do you make a tetrahedral kite easy?
WHAT YOU’LL DO
- Step 1: Cut a piece of string eight times as long as the length of a straw.
- Step 2: String three straws together.
- Step 3: String two more straws on the long string.
- Step 4: Make a pattern by tracing both triangles onto the file folder or poster board.
- Step 5: Thread a sixth straw with leftover string.
What is the history of kites?
Kites first appeared in Asia at least 2,000 years ago. The first ones were made of paper or silk with bamboo spars and silk string. Legend tells of China’s General Han Hsin, who – aided by a kite – overthrew a tyrannical emperor in 200 BC.
What are the properties of a kite in geometry?
What are the Properties of a Kite?
- Two pairs of adjacent sides are equal.
- One pair of opposite angles are equal.
- The diagonals of a kite are perpendicular to each other.
- The longer diagonal of the kite bisects the shorter diagonal.
- The area of a kite is equal to half of the product of the length of its diagonals.
What is the best shape for a kite?
A diamond-shaped kite is easy to fly and will fly even in low wind speeds. You can make this classic kite using a paper bag or a newspaper. The larger the paper you use, the better your kite will fly. Remember, keep your kite lightweight for best results.
Why are tetrahedral kites able to fly in the air?
Because there is a lower pressure on top of the wing and a higher pressure on bottom of the wing, it creates an unequal force on the wing causing it to lift, thus allowing the plane to fly. In today’s activity, you will apply this mechanism of flight to designing tetrahedral kites.
How many people do you need to build a tetrahedral kite?
Working in teams of four, you will build a tetrahedral kite following a specific set of instructions and using specific provided materials.
Why does air travel from the front to the back of a kite?
Since the air on top and bottom of the wing must travel from the front of the wing to the back of the wing at the same time, the air on top of the wing must travel faster to make up for the longer distance traveled.
Why are kites a challenge in Industrial Engineering?
From kite racing to hang-gliders, kites have come a long way in the past 2000 years. Then again, even with the information available to us today, kite design is a challenge due to the number of variables associated with it. This activity focuses on the industrial engineering aspect bringing out the importance of efficient manufacturing processes.
