Kite Across the Atlantic?
Bob Harris
I was talking to a friend the other day who was at the Art Institute in
Chicago in the 60s and apparently there was a rather famous fellow there
who used to teach kites. He apparently made a kite that flew over the
atlantic?
I cannot believe this yet that's what I was told.
Has anyone heard of this person and know who it is?
In search
--
Bob Harris har...@bhc.com
http://www.bhc.com
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pler...@dumbo.uk03.bull.co.uk
>
> I was talking to a friend the other day who was at the Art Institute in
> Chicago in the 60s and apparently there was a rather famous fellow there
> who used to teach kites. He apparently made a kite that flew over the
> atlantic?
>
> I cannot believe this yet that's what I was told.
>
At sufficient height, aren't there high-speed winds (jetstream or
something)? All you need is a long line with a drogue hanging in
slower air, and a bit of microprocessor control to control altitude by
adjusting angle of attack. And why not add a GPS receiver and one of
those global 2-way pagers using low-earth orbit satellites for
communication, so you could track the thing all the way. Oh, and lets
have some nav lights, and a little wind turbine to power the whole thing.
Hey chaps, what'd it take to get this thing goining as a a r.k-sponsored
project?
- Philip
--
=============================================================================
Philip Le Riche Voice: +44 1442 884390
(Malgre son nom, ce brave homme Fax: +44 1442 884854
ne parle pas Francais) Email: pler...@uk03.bull.co.uk
=============================================================================
Mike Williams
> He apparently made a kite that flew over the atlantic?
>
> I cannot believe this yet that's what I was told.
Perhaps when they said "over" they didn't mean "across". I've watched
someone fly a kite "over" the Atlantic. (The kite was in the air, the pilot
was on the beach and the edge of the Atlantic was underneath the kite)
--
Mike Williams
http://www.econym.demon.co.uk/
Kevin Lahey
In article <513jfq$a...@necco.harvard.edu>,
<pler...@dumbo.uk03.bull.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>> I was talking to a friend the other day who was at the Art Institute in
>> Chicago in the 60s and apparently there was a rather famous fellow there
>> atlantic?
>>
>> I cannot believe this yet that's what I was told.
>>
>At sufficient height, aren't there high-speed winds (jetstream or
>something)?
I remember reading about this. It was in one of those sixties-vintage
kite books that I borrowed from the library (sorry I don't have a better
reference!). The idea was to have a sea-anchor (drogue) in the
water, and the kite up in the air. Apparently the person who was
doing it launched many such kites over a long period of time -- I think
I recall that he actually succeeded, but I've no real idea.
Perhaps I can go down and browse at the library soon...
I know that the kite-sailing folks have proposed similar schemes for
going really fast that involve a controllable kite, a suspended cargo
(person?), and some sort of small drogue-like doowah in the water to
provide resistance and possibly direction.
Fly kite!
Kevin
Bob Harris
>>
>> I was talking to a friend the other day who was at the Art Institute in
>> Chicago in the 60s and apparently there was a rather famous fellow there
>> who used to teach kites. He apparently made a kite that flew over the
>> atlantic?
>>
>> I cannot believe this yet that's what I was told.
>>
>Should be possible, specially in today's hi-tech world.
>At sufficient height, aren't there high-speed winds (jetstream or
>something)? All you need is a long line with a drogue hanging in
>slower air, and a bit of microprocessor control to control altitude by
>adjusting angle of attack. And why not add a GPS receiver and one of
>those global 2-way pagers using low-earth orbit satellites for
>communication, so you could track the thing all the way. Oh, and lets
>have some nav lights, and a little wind turbine to power the whole thing.
>Hey chaps, what'd it take to get this thing goining as a a r.k-sponsored
>project?
Well this was supposed to be done in the 60s...so why not,,, But what I
want to know is who did it?
Dave Culp
In article <51531h$s...@cssun.mathcs.emory.edu>, k...@mathcs.emory.edu
(Kevin Lahey) wrote:
> I remember reading about this. It was in one of those sixties-vintage
> kite books that I borrowed from the library (sorry I don't have a better
> reference!). The idea was to have a sea-anchor (drogue) in the
> water, and the kite up in the air. Apparently the person who was
> doing it launched many such kites over a long period of time -- I think
> I recall that he actually succeeded, but I've no real idea.
> Perhaps I can go down and browse at the library soon...
>
I would *very* much like to see this reference, or hear any other
recollections of this person. Name? Date(s) of trials?, kite(s)?, sizes?,
anything at all. Thanks!
###################################################################
Dave Culp Speedsailing | e-mail to: dave...@bdt.com
2004 Silverlake Way | http://www.bdt.com:80/home/daveculp/speedsail.html
Martinez, CA 94553 | Telephone; (510) 284-1101 x 326 (days)
USA | (510) 689-4360 (eves)
###################################################################
Ian Newham
In article <19960910....@econym.demon.co.uk>, Mike Williams
<mi...@econym.demon.co.uk> writes
>
>> He apparently made a kite that flew over the atlantic?
>>
>> I cannot believe this yet that's what I was told.
>
>someone fly a kite "over" the Atlantic. (The kite was in the air, the pilot
>was on the beach and the edge of the Atlantic was underneath the kite)
>
who for a small fee would send your mail by transatlantic rocket mail.
They had a small rocket and would fire your letter across a narrow
estuary which opened onto the atlantic. Maybe they bought a kite too :)
--
Ian Newham
Laughing Gecko
Bob Harris wrote:
> Well this was supposed to be done in the 60s...so why not,,, But what I
> want to know is who did it?
Ok. i may be wrong on this....
but, i remember a book written in the late 60's early 70's, by Will
Yolen. It may have had a story about kites crossing the atlantic. I do
remember a story about that, but i'm not completely sure about it.
Unfortunatly, i don't have access to a copy of the book anymore.
hope that helps.
nathansendan
drach...@geocities.com
G Engvall
In article <harris-0809...@ncs-35.nbn.com>, har...@bhc.com (Bob
Harris) writes:
>He apparently made a kite that flew over the
>atlantic?
As anybody who has lost a kite to an offshore wind knows, just the drag of
the kite line in the water provides enough resistance to keep the kite
aloft.
In article <513jfq$a...@necco.harvard.edu>, pler...@dumbo.uk03.bull.co.uk
writes:
>At sufficient height, aren't there high-speed winds (jetstream or
>something)? All you need is a long line with a drogue hanging in
>slower air,
Putting a kite into the "jet stream" means possibly putting a kite into
aircraft travel lanes and the planes might not appreciate the effort.
In article <harris-1009...@ncs-29.nbn.com>, har...@bhc.com (Bob
Harris) writes:
>Well this was supposed to be done in the 60s...so why not,,, But what I
>want to know is who did it?
Maybe the 1860's ? In David Pelham's book "The Penguin Book of Kites", on
page 31, there is a picture with a caption " Dr. David Thayer's
hypothetical sailing system, using the traction power of a massive
steerable kite (late nineteenth century)."
I could find no reference to Thayer in the body of the text, or in the
bibliography, but this might be a place to start.
Good heavens;
gary
Gilles Lehoux
Laughing Gecko <drach...@geocities.com> wrote:
>Bob Harris wrote:
>> Well this was supposed to be done in the 60s...so why not,,, But what I
>> want to know is who did it?
>Ok. i may be wrong on this....
>but, i remember a book written in the late 60's early 70's, by Will
>Yolen. It may have had a story about kites crossing the atlantic. I do
>remember a story about that, but i'm not completely sure about it.
>Unfortunatly, i don't have access to a copy of the book anymore.
>hope that helps.
I also remember reading about kites crossing the Atlantic. They
lauched maybe half a dozen and one of them was found in Ireland. I say
all this from memory and I've failed to find a quote from my kite
books. I'm sure it's in there somewhere.
I'm sure this doesn't help. It's frustrating as hell for me.
Gilles Lehoux.
Fabrice CAMPENS
Hello
I don't know anything about that particular experience, but another
crossing of the Atlantic was performed about 1 or 2 years ago by Nicole
Van de Kerchove (french sailor)
She made that with a small yacht and a train of big inflatable kites.
Given that she writes a book after almost every crossing, there will
probably be something (or at least an article in a specialized magazine)
about that. I'll let you know if I find something.
-%
Fabrice
Mike Gillard
gle...@generation.net (Gilles Lehoux) wrote:
>Laughing Gecko <drach...@geocities.com> wrote:
>Gilles Lehoux.
Hello-
I believe you are talking about Ben Blinn and Walter Scott. They
built large kites (Box kites, I believe), used large buckets as a sort
of "sea Anchor", and launched them into the Atlantic from the east
coast. I believe they may have been successful in getting at least one
to fly all the way over the pond.
Mike Gillard
cir...@netwalk.com
Captain Eddie's Flying Circus
Colin Douthwaite
pler...@dumbo.uk03.bull.co.uk wrote:
>>
>> I was talking to a friend the other day who was at the Art Institute in
>> Chicago in the 60s and apparently there was a rather famous fellow there
>> atlantic?
>>
>>
>Should be possible, specially in today's hi-tech world.
>At sufficient height, aren't there high-speed winds (jetstream or
>something)? All you need is a long line with a drogue hanging in
>slower air, and a bit of microprocessor control to control altitude by
>adjusting angle of attack. And why not add a GPS receiver and one of
>those global 2-way pagers using low-earth orbit satellites for
>communication, so you could track the thing all the way. Oh, and lets
>have some nav lights, and a little wind turbine to power the whole thing.
>Hey chaps, what'd it take to get this thing goining as a a r.k-sponsored
>project?
Anything is possible.
I have flown my kites over the Pacific but they only go as far as
my line length.
Bye,
Bob Harris
In article <518cd4$d...@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, geng...@aol.com (G
Engvall) wrote:
>As anybody who has lost a kite to an offshore wind knows, just the drag of
>the kite line in the water provides enough resistance to keep the kite
>aloft.
Actually I had a kite sail off into the ocean one day out here in Pt Reyes
and it was still attached to a sandbag. When Iooked up, there were drag
marks on the beach and off in the distance was the kite still attached,
dragging the sandbag under the water, headed to San Francisco..
Funny thing was there was a whale migration, headed north. About 70 whales
about 300 yds offshore. Groups of 5-6 spaced apart along the coast. Looked
in the distance like the whales were flying the kite...Hmmmm
>Maybe the 1860's ? In David Pelham's book "The Penguin Book of Kites", on
>page 31, there is a picture with a caption " Dr. David Thayer's
>hypothetical sailing system, using the traction power of a massive
>steerable kite (late nineteenth century)."
>
>I could find no reference to Thayer in the body of the text, or in the
>bibliography, but this might be a place to start.
I'll look it up tonite
Thanks
Gilles Lehoux
R. S. Robertson
In article <323703...@geocities.com>, Laughing Gecko <drach...@geocities.com> says:
>
>Bob Harris wrote:
>> Well this was supposed to be done in the 60s...so why not,,, But what I
>> want to know is who did it?
>
>Ok. i may be wrong on this....
>
>but, i remember a book written in the late 60's early 70's, by Will
>Yolen. It may have had a story about kites crossing the atlantic. I do
>remember a story about that, but i'm not completely sure about it.
>Unfortunatly, i don't have access to a copy of the book anymore.
>hope that helps.
>
>drach...@geocities.com
You are referring to the attempt by Walter Scott and Benn Blinn to fly across the Atlantic from Nantucket in the late 60's. If you get old copies of Kite Tales from the late 60's you can read all about it. Also the book that tells about them is Wagenvoo
rd's book called Flying Kites in Fun, Art, and War (1968)
Richard Robertson, Austin, TX
Dave Culp
> >> Well this was supposed to be done in the 60s...so why not,,, But what I
> >> want to know is who did it?
>
> >Ok. i may be wrong on this....
>
> >but, i remember a book written in the late 60's early 70's, by Will
> >Yolen. It may have had a story about kites crossing the atlantic.
A man *did* cross the Pacific with kites, from the California coast to
Kauai, Hawaii, in 1987 (I think). There's a story about it on my web site.
Look for one of the old issues of "Kitesailing I,ternational," my
(defunct) kitesailing newsletter.
He used a parafoil (a Jalbert 30, if memory serves) to "assist" him while
he paddled a kayak some 2500 nautical miles. He advertised the crossing as
"paddling," but credits the kite with 75%+ of the motive power (and with
saving his life--it's a pretty good story).
Dave Culp
James D. Cronin
In article <harris-1009...@ncs-29.nbn.com>,
Bob Harris <har...@bhc.com> wrote:
>In article <513jfq$a...@necco.harvard.edu>, pler...@dumbo.uk03.bull.co.uk wrote:
>
>>>
>>> I was talking to a friend the other day who was at the Art Institute in
>>> Chicago in the 60s and apparently there was a rather famous fellow there
>>> who used to teach kites. He apparently made a kite that flew over the
>>> atlantic?
>>>
>>> I cannot believe this yet that's what I was told.
>>>
>>Should be possible, specially in today's hi-tech world.
>>At sufficient height, aren't there high-speed winds (jetstream or
>>something)? All you need is a long line with a drogue hanging in
>>slower air, and a bit of microprocessor control to control altitude by
>>adjusting angle of attack. And why not add a GPS receiver and one of
>>those global 2-way pagers using low-earth orbit satellites for
>>communication, so you could track the thing all the way. Oh, and lets
>>have some nav lights, and a little wind turbine to power the whole thing.
>>Hey chaps, what'd it take to get this thing goining as a a r.k-sponsored
>>project?
How about a competition...
Jim
>
>Well this was supposed to be done in the 60s...so why not,,, But what I
>want to know is who did it?
>
carolmu...@gmail.com
Benn was a very good friend of mine. Yes, he flew a kite across the Atlantic. He and Walter Scott. They attached a note for whomever to contact them in the US when found. Queen Elizabeth knighted them. Sir Benn Blinn and Sir Walter Scott.
Carol Harper-Musgrave
carolmu...@gmail.com
I forgot to tell you that they flew it from the tip of Nova Scotia. I'm not sure where it landed in England.
Regards,
Carol