http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/vhbeazel/6014 First Stages; How to Build An Energy Kite When I stopped by the hardware store to find materials for building our Energy Kite, I looked for canvass tarps, and noticed a stack of drop cloths; the kind that painters use for floor covering while painting. After looking at what the hardware store charges for a twelve by fifteen foot drop cloth, I decided to call around to painting contractors, to find out if we could get some older, used ones to convert into kites... I called a few painters and found some that were happy to donate old drop cloths for our energy kite; one of them talked on the phone for 45 minutes - an energy enthusiast, who has studied about Tesla experiments!! He wants to meet next week some time, and Jim promised to check out our energy blogs. Now to set up an afternoon, on a Saturday to build a frame for our energy kite...to be continued... First Stages; How to Build An Energy Kite When I stopped by the hardware store to find materials for building our Energy Kite, I looked for canvass tarps, and noticed a stack of drop cloths; the kind that painters use for floor covering while painting. After looking at what the hardware store charges for a twelve by fifteen foot drop cloth, I decided to call around to painting contractors, to find out if we could get some older, used ones to convert into kites... I called a few painters and found some that were happy to donate old drop cloths for our energy kite; one of them talked on the phone for 45 minutes - an energy enthusiast, who has studied about Tesla experiments!! He wants to meet next week some time, and Jim promised to check out our energy blogs. Now to set up an afternoon, on a Saturday to build a frame for our energy kite...to be continued... en-us Thu, 22 Feb 2007 23:14:38 PST 35.109400 -118.495050 what is this energy used for? http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/vhbeazel/6014/#c_60771 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/vhbeazel/6014/#c_60771 what is this energy used for? So Vin, I get that you're flying a kite.&nbsp; What is the conversion mechanism to pull out power? http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/vhbeazel/6014/#c_60788 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/vhbeazel/6014/#c_60788 So Vin, I get that you're flying a kite.&nbsp; What is the conversion mechanism to pull out power? Pretty cool! How high can the kite go without dragging the rope or ticking off the FAA? http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/vhbeazel/6014/#c_60798 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/vhbeazel/6014/#c_60798 Pretty cool! How high can the kite go without dragging the rope or ticking off the FAA? Here you go Robb: http://www.risingup.com/fars/info/101-index.shtml<br /> <br /> My first glance and summed up by another site is 500 feet up and 500 feet from the bottom of any cloud (which in Tehachapi can be -500 feet). http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/vhbeazel/6014/#c_60811 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/vhbeazel/6014/#c_60811 Here you go Robb: http://www.risingup.com/fars/info/101-index.shtml<br /> <br /> My first glance and summed up by another site is 500 feet up and 500 feet from the bottom of any cloud (which in Tehachapi can be -500 feet). That's pretty damn low in golf terms: a 167 yard par three. Kid's kites go higher than that. The first video makes it look like the kites are many thousands of feet up there, which the FAA would certainly frown upon. Still, it would be neat to see.&nbsp; http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/vhbeazel/6014/#c_60821 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/vhbeazel/6014/#c_60821 That's pretty damn low in golf terms: a 167 yard par three. Kid's kites go higher than that. The first video makes it look like the kites are many thousands of feet up there, which the FAA would certainly frown upon. Still, it would be neat to see.&nbsp; I think you can go higher with FAA permission, Robb.&nbsp; They also have a rule that you can't even go that high within 5 miles of an airport. http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/vhbeazel/6014/#c_60854 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/vhbeazel/6014/#c_60854 I think you can go higher with FAA permission, Robb.&nbsp; They also have a rule that you can't even go that high within 5 miles of an airport. T<font size="4">he World Record for High Altitude Windpower ( a wind platform on a Lattice Tower in Germany) is about 450 feet.  We are preparing for a five hundred foot world record.  We will continue to post our progress on the gathering of Materials, which are now receiving wide interest from companies that can donate the materials, in exchange for having their company logo printed on the kite in three foot high lettering!!  One suggestion we received today, while talking to local businesses about becoming sponsors was to use TYVEK for the kite skins.  Any kiters out there want to weigh in??</font> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/vhbeazel/6014/#c_61139 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/vhbeazel/6014/#c_61139 T<font size="4">he World Record for High Altitude Windpower ( a wind platform on a Lattice Tower in Germany) is about 450 feet.  We are preparing for a five hundred foot world record.  We will continue to post our progress on the gathering of Materials, which are now receiving wide interest from companies that can donate the materials, in exchange for having their company logo printed on the kite in three foot high lettering!!  One suggestion we received today, while talking to local businesses about becoming sponsors was to use TYVEK for the kite skins.  Any kiters out there want to weigh in??</font> <p>Power from&nbsp;kites:</p> <p><a href="http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,71908-0.html">http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,71908-0.html</a></p> <p>.</p> <p>Tyvek would only last six months&nbsp;in high-altitude UV, I would guess, if that.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/vhbeazel/6014/#c_61478 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/vhbeazel/6014/#c_61478 <p>Power from&nbsp;kites:</p> <p><a href="http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,71908-0.html">http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,71908-0.html</a></p> <p>.</p> <p>Tyvek would only last six months&nbsp;in high-altitude UV, I would guess, if that.</p> <p>How about mylar with some Tyvek-like cloth backing?</p> <p>Neat link in your link, Random: <a href="http://sequoiaonline.com/blogs/ARCHIVIOscelti/filmkwg.mov">http://sequoiaonline.com/blogs/ARCHIVIOscelti/filmkwg.mov</a></p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/vhbeazel/6014/#c_61484 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/vhbeazel/6014/#c_61484 <p>How about mylar with some Tyvek-like cloth backing?</p> <p>Neat link in your link, Random: <a href="http://sequoiaonline.com/blogs/ARCHIVIOscelti/filmkwg.mov">http://sequoiaonline.com/blogs/ARCHIVIOscelti/filmkwg.mov</a></p> As RF points out, Tyvek doesn't hold up well to exposure.&nbsp; I know you're on a tight budget, but you might want to check out some of these links for used sailboat sails: http://www.sailingtexas.com/csails.html http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/vhbeazel/6014/#c_61512 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/vhbeazel/6014/#c_61512 As RF points out, Tyvek doesn't hold up well to exposure.&nbsp; I know you're on a tight budget, but you might want to check out some of these links for used sailboat sails: http://www.sailingtexas.com/csails.html