The Survey Results Are In!!

Thanks to Colin Douthwaite for the wonderful suggestion of asking the fighters who are on rec.kites to participate in this survey. The survey responses I received ranged from the beginning fighter kite flier to the advanced; from fliers who enjoy the thrill of competition to the ones who just enjoy flying. It was really quite interesting to read all of the answers, and I'm sure that you will enjoy the information provided below too. So read on!!

Favorite Fighter Kite & Why

• The paper kites are soooo light and responsive.
• The excellent spin characteristics is what sets these kites apart. They will spin anywhere in the window with very little loss of altitude.
• Good spin control at extreme low altitudes. Quick response, solid tracking and a soft and lazy patience off-wind.
• Ability to fly in a wide range of wind.
• The best fighter for the price (so inexpensive, one can own tons of them!), especially important when you are involved in "Line Cutting" competitions.
• A well made, well tuned bamboo-and -tissue (or mylar) fighter is good for a mellow fly.

• Most fun per buck and consistent quality.
• Very stable and controllable.
• The Vic's can be positioned well and is capable of fast directional changes, both characteristics are vital in "AKA type" touching competitions.

• These kites are attractive, slow, well balanced, and easy to handle.
• The GA lives up to it's "G"ood "A"ll-around name. Relatively quick, handles well in a crowd.

• The Swallow Tail has a super-tight spin with no altitude loss and laser straight tracking all the way across the sky. Predictable. The Z-Fighter cobras like a pro, really fast, blazing spins, good tracking, solid, predictable feel.
• The Cicada is unique.
• The Cicada is great for serious one-on one flying. Very fast, spins like a demon, quick recoveries.

• The BlackFeather has straight long tracks, and a quick spin, but the most important characteristic is the ability to pull line out in a neutral flight mode giving the most opportunity for positional advantage.

• Speed of turn, precise tracking, and of course, that it can be adjusted.

• Spencer's fighter is beautiful to look at.

• Handles high wind and is fast.

• Easy spins, good balance and tracking.

• Flies consistently well with very good control and response in all wind conditions.

• For goofing-off flying. Wide wind range; doesn't require a lot of attention; bright colors and noisy sail attract lots of spectators; great for giving beginners lessons, and the plastic sail makes field repairs a snap.

• This kite is fast and responsive. It turns quickly without letting out too much line. Another advantage is this kite is that because of the synthetic bow and the fact they are completely glued together, it does not need to have the bow frequently re-shaped, like a fighter with a traditional bamboo bow.

• [Brian Johnsen, WA]: Mine don't melt in the rain. Very low frontal area. Give it a tug, then give it slack and it will glide for an amazing distance in any direction, then very delicate control will bring it into a tight spin ready for it's next instruction.
• [Robin Levick, CA]: I'm developing an orcon and carbon fighter for super light wind. So far it flies on wind you can't feel, it spins nice, and it tracks pretty well.
• [Ed Alden, WA]: By building one's own kites, it is possible to have fun of investigation and design; produce a kite superior to the commercial models in performance, i.e., faster, straighter flight, fly in lighter winds, fly higher overhead, more stable hovering characteristics. The ability to build a "Family" of kites, each suited to a different wind speed, so that one gets the best performance in each wind.
• [Johnny Hsiung]: I enjoy the challenge of making the perfect "Combat" kite. I like my kites to be fast and responsive.
• [Christophe Salome]: I like the JM Favourite (plan is on my web site), because of it's manageability, speed and precision.

Reels and line used

"Line-Cutting" Competition

[ 13 ] - Have NOT... Yet!

Tips (or Secrets) on Flying Fighters in Competitions

Additional Comments

Recently saw a nice kite by Kai Griebenow. Orange and blue orchid on a black background. The most interesting part was the back and how the spar clipped into the spine. Very nice! Didn't get to fly it though, wished I had.

Perhaps the prettiest fighters I've seen are made by Spencer Chun. They also have the tightest and fastest spin, without losing altitude, of any fighter I've flown. However it was reluctant to fly in a straight line for any great distance. Perhaps a bridle tweak would have improved that, but I didn't get the opportunity to try it. As a fighter kite they are probably a little overpriced. As a piece of art they are a little under priced, so it all averages out in the end. It would be nice to see Spencer come out with a graphic design that emphasizes the kite's spinning abilities.

One of the most interesting kites seen at this years post KTA public showing, in conjunction with Buggy Boogie Thang II, was an indoor fighter kite by Peter Lee. This kite was so well balanced that it was STABLE! The kite was hot cut .5 oz. polyester with a Grand Master spine and a VERY STIFF spar. Surprising, just the opposite of what you'd expect for an indoor fighter. It flew beautiful straight lines across the entire wind window. However, instead of spinning it had what might be characterized as a slow turn. This was Peter's "keeper." I'm not sure if all his kites feel this good.

Speaking of stable fighters, the boys from Brazil, Hans and Yves, have introduced San Diego to inverse fighters. Their small, bowed, paper and bamboo kites resemble a topless rokkaku. They are inherently stable and need to be coaxed into the acrobatics one normally expects from a fighter. Very different, requires almost the opposite techniques to get the desired results. Lots of fun, and delightful kites."

Build your own kite and see what changes have what impacts: add weight to the nose (slows spin), add weight to the tail (increase spin), make the bridle longer, make it shorter, make the bow stronger, softer..... In short, experiment with your kite to understand what makes it tick.

A fighter pilot needs more kites than a golfer needs clubs. The difference between the best fighter kite in the world and what you can make is less than a few hours of work.

For "cutting" competitions, I have said this hundreds of times, that it is "some skill" and "some luck", but it is important to have a good slicing angle and lots of tension on the line. However, if both fliers used the same manjha and were equally skillful, then someone has to lose. There is no magic or formula, or it would be very boring! I flew fanatically as a child, until I left India at the age of 18. I was known as the mad kite boy in the city of Lucknow, India. Most of the fights in India are called "Tangles", and are flown at distances of 50 - 1000 mtrs., sometimes even more. In India, distance is a statement of prestige as it says how much you are prepared to lose (kite and manjha).

Now I am known as the mad kite flier in the village where I live because no one around me flies kites, but the whole village knows who is flying the kite which is around 900 mtrs. away, going down behind the pub, or the cricket club, and rising up majestically. My most recent trip was to Weifang, China, where I caused quite a stir with my kites and was awarded a prize. I flew my kite around the arena at the opening ceremony, spinning it over the heads of the crowd as we paraded around the arena to marching music.

I like Indian fighters because I haven't flown anything better. I get mine from Stafford Wallace, and I also sell kites for Stafford. The quality control on these kites is excellent and the kites seem to be consistently good. I'd like more people to try these kites!

I've been designing and building for 10+ years. I haven't yet got what I think is the ultimate in performance. Competition keeps pushing me to achieve better performance, and I think that the winners of most of the competitions now build their own, the level of design having gotten to the point where the commercial designs aren't competitive anymore. This is gratifying for we few builders, but hard on those who must depend on the commercial kites.

Come and Join us in the Manjha Club International. Everybody is welcome!

Several years ago, at WSIKF, I met Ed (and Matthew) Alden, and fortunately, I was able to trade one of my handmade fighters for one of Ed's fighters. I really respect the work that Ed has put into designing his kites (see the article he wrote about his "Family" of fighters in KiteLines Magazine, Spring 1993). It's definitely one of my "special" kites.

Over the years I've tried to collect fighter kites from all different kite makers. Each kite is unique, some, mainly for looks, others for their excellent flying characteristics, and still others for the new innovative materials used in the construction. The latest kite I just received is the Mighty Mite; I'm still playing around with all the adjustments...(grin)

A fighter is much more fun if you tune it very carefully.

Results compiled July 8, 1996 by Gina Hsiung. Comments, suggestions, or additional survey responses are always welcome!