Here it is...even more information on fighter kites and their makers,
plus additional graphic links.
As previously stated...this page will be revised often, so visit
again to see new updates.
Some of the kites listed below are no longer available, but retained
for historical purposes. Last update Sept. 2003.
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Vic's Fighters
The Vic's Fighter
Kite was orginally designed for the ultimate sport of kite dueling,
in which you use sharp cutting line but now is redesigned to satisfy the
need of all fliers and with no compromises. The kite's designer, Vic Heredia,
owns the store, Kite Country, in San Diego, CA . The kite is made of mylar
with a spruce spine and fiberglass cross spar. These kites are hard to find,
even Vic doesn't always have them in his store. Some of the most popular
of his kite's graphics (they've become collector items) are the Bumble Bee, Lightening bolt, Supercharger, and "I Love San Deigo".
Fighter Kites Australia
Peter Lloyd of Australia made the PL Indian fighter for several years
and they are similar in construction to the George Peters fighter. They
are all the standard 29" x 25" size, and come with a fully custom tapered
fiberglass bow. In addition to his FKA Basic (a combination of shapes within
a diamond insert) and the Diamond Delight (3 diamonds in contrasting colours),
his two newest graphics are the "Warrior" and the "Eye".
He has just added a new kite design to his collection called the "Ninja" which is styled after the Japanese Hata kite.
As of Sept. 2003, kites from Fighter Kites Australia are no longer
available.
Tony Slater's Fighters
Tony Slater resides in England. He has at least 10 (ten) designs. Johnny
was lucky to get several of these kites from Don Mock of Washington. Tony's
kites include: Butterfly, Fighter Fish, Bombay fighter and Star. They
are made of spray-painted mylar with bamboo spine and fiberglass spar.
His kites are all fast and responsive, good for the experienced flyer.
Grandmasters
Grandmaster fighters merit special recognition
for their original art images, but the real joy is in flying them. They
are a nice blend of the traditional indian fighter with high-tech materials.
Made from mylar, with fiberglass rod spar and bamboo spine, it is so aerodynamically
sound that it can also be flown indoors with out wind. The kite comes
in two models, Competition and Fast. If you are interested in this kite,
contact Joe Vaughan at Grandmaster Kite Co., P.O. Box 276, Mifflinville,
PA 18631.
Merlin Kites
These kites are produced by Martyn Lawrence in Wales, U.K. The Merlin
fighters are built for performance and durability, made from ripstop nylon
on a handworked bamboo spine with fiberglass spars. There are several different
versions that differ in size, the Scamp ( 57 x 52 cm.), Dancer (60 x 55 cm.),
Scout (66 x 59 cm.), and the newest, the Tyke. All come with an additional
shorter 2nd spar. Martyn can be reached at 3, Britannia St., Rachub, Bethesda,
Gwynedd LL57 3EW, Wales U.K.
Sensei
These fighters are made by Gary Smith from Puffin Kites in Washougal,
Washington. Theses kites are delta shaped and made of nylon ripston with
a laminated spine and fiberglass spar. These kites are fast and very responsive.
Black Feather
Dale Vanderhoof, in Weed, California, made three different styles,
the VIP, the Black Feather, and the Patung. They have a "feather design"
vented panel, which makes these kites good for flying in higher winds.
They are made with ripstop nylon, spruce pine, fiberglass spar, and also
include a 2nd spar.
Cicada
Randy Shannon, Zealous Kites & Banners, in Flagstaff, Arizona
has several fighters that he has designed. His most popular one is the "Bee".
There is also the Swallow Tail, Z-Fighter and, a
new design, the "Shark" purchased by Steve Davis
from the San Diego Kite Club.
Gumbo Fighters
John (Gumbo) Gardina, from Oxnard, California, has been making fighters
for about three years now. Three of his kites are titled Bumble Bee, Sunset, and Green Hornet. Close up of the
Bee. Another, "Revs under the
Sun" incorporates an image of the popular quadline kite, the Revolution,
under the sun. His designs are painted with a product from Design Master,
it is a paint used by florists to paint ornamental flowers. His next project
is making a large Afghani fighter out of ripstop nylon.
Spencer Chun's Fighters
Spencer Chun and Miyuki Christiansen,
kite makers for 13 years, are located in Hawaii. Their fighters are of the Hata Design made of ripstop, fiberglass
spars and laminated spines (made by Jim Day of Washington). They use South
Pacific and Southwestern graphics appliqued on the sails. Spray painted
panels are incorporated into the design to add dimension and color variation.
According to Spencer: "These are your *Artsie-Fartsie* kites,
most buyers end up hanging them on their walls, but of those who do fly
their kites, say they do what they are supposed to do.
Don Mock Fighters
Don Mock, of Washington, known for his beautiful large kites, has also
been making fighters for several years now. They are very popular in England,
where they are sold at the HighwayMen Kite Store.
Richard Gareau's Fighters
Richard Gareau,
from Quebec, Canada, designed a fighter, which he previewed at the Oct.
'96 AKA Convention, and won third place in the Fighter
Competition using his kite. The Patang Fighter
is now in production and features a Nylon sail, micro carbon bow, and adjustable
bridle. The Patang Extreme is basically the same, but comes with a stiffer
bow. Visit the Fighter
Spotlight and read more about Richard.
MAC Fighters
MAC Fighter Kites, made by Malcolm McLeod in the UK, are very
fast Nylon Fighter Kites with exceptional spin rates, easily comparable
to the best traditional Indian paper kites with the added strength and durability
of bonded rip-stop nylon. Available in three sizes - Mini, Midi and Mega.
Read a Review
of the MAC Fighter. Visit the MAC Fighter site and read
more about these kites.
Dragonfly Fighters
Dragonfly
Kites is a kiteshop operated by Tom Humphrey in Washington.
He has designed two fighters which are now available. The Orcon Dragonfly
Fighter is a light-wind competition fighter, and the Tyvek Dragonfly
Fighter is a competition kite that is also well suited for the beginner.
Both kites are made with a carbon fiber bow and bamboo spine.
Sky Delight Kites
Sky Delight Kites by Joel
Scholz carries several fighters worth having in your collection. They
offer two new fighters, the "Piranha" and "Piranha-bait",
with laser cut sails on space age frames, which result in superb handling
characteristics. Responsive, fast and extremely durable, these kites offer
competition quality performance and unmatched beauty. Joel's Butterfighter
has a laser cut, ripstop nylon sail with fiberglass and hardwood frame.
PKC Fighters - Jeff Howard
PKC (Precision Kite Company) Fighters designed by Jeff Howard are showcased
on the Gone With the Wind
Kite Store site. Jeff has six different fighters (all made from modern
materials: carbon rods, nylon, icarex, etc.), the Patchwork, Z fighters, Indoor (quite popular),
Suns, Standard,
Birds.
Jeff's workmanship is superior, he started with Stunt Kites, and branched
out into fighters as well. Read a review of Jeff's kites
written by Allen Carter.
For 2002
Aerostar Sportkites - Paul Shirey
Paul Shirey,
owner, designer and builder of Aerostar Sportkites, has been
known for his production of ultra-light dual-line sport kites for the past
8 years. Now Paul has developed an interest in flying fighters, and has designed
his first Aerostar fighter, called the Stryke. The classic
Indian fighter kite goes high-tech, constructed from modern materials and
features a unique tuning system. Appeals to both novices and experts. The
workmanship and attention to detail are also finished at a very high level,
reasonably priced. [Note from the builder: The Stryke page was updated to
include a picture of each of the five available sail options. Keep in mind
that these photos are for reference only. As with all Aerostar kites,
you get to choose your own colors at no extra
charge! ]
KiteSport - Tom Mallard
Tom Mallard, a former partner with Kathy Goodwind from Gasworks Kiteshop
in Seattle, has started KiteSport again and is making fighters for anyone
interested. They have aspect ratios similar to Nagasaki Hatas and a curved
nose and tail like Indian fighters. The curved nose helps being able to
self-launch after a crash. Tom uses fiberglass two-piece bows, the second
strut is for stronger winds. Flying with both emulates a tapered bow. The
covers are either 1/2-oz or 3/4-oz and I use warp and weft to reduce stretch
along the lines of tension. To help with this he adds a circle of cloth
with it's warp/weft at 45-degrees to the cover as an applique. This makes
the kites have this distinctive look. Tom has three aspect ratios available,
from a light wind model to a small fast one based on a design he did for
a Fort Worden class in the late 80's.More details on online at http://www.kitesport.com
Roo Fighters - Joseph Ludwig
Joe Ludwig has been making the Roo
Fighters for one year, and figures that there are now more than a 100
Roo's out there. He's got two styles, the Roo Standard and the Roo-II which
both have the special feature of an Adjustable Spine Bow mechanism. The
Roo Standard is 16-3/4”high x 18-1/2”wide, .05 Carbon Bow, .06 Fiberglas
spine, the main sail PC-31, Reinf. polyester or nylon; with a 3-pt adjustable
polyester bridle, Skill Level: Beginner to Advanced. The Roo-II is for Intermediate
to Advanced levels of flying.
Contact Joe for more info at: roo_fighters@hotmail.com
The CyberFighter Website is Compiled and Maintained by Gina Hsiung. Updated Oct. 2003.