Tipstanding the EchoHawk on the Gulf of Mexico.. Misty Feb. day..
You've seen the "Cube"? Here's the "BLOCK"..
The Block (147kb)
This kite is 1 cubic meter, and flies in as little as 2mph.. It was my project
During Xmas holiday, 1997..
Plans for the BLOCK.. (130kb)
My first favorite kite is an Echo Hawk sport kite.. A full size, dual-line,
that has been my axel learning kite.. I've become pretty good at it,(imho)..
I do a ballet where I fly the kite to "Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies".
I had a custom frame of wrapped, Black Diamond rods built for it, replacing the
stock graphite 2200 frame.. It stiffened the kite up, and gave it a nice perforance boost..
I've been flying this kite so much, the sail is as soft as an old bedsheet..
The EchoHawk (47kb)
I now own a new SkyBurner T&T Competition.. It's a little larger than my EchoHawk, and the
sail is made of Icarex, w/double sewn seams, instead of Ripstop.. It's now my main kite..
This kite was hand built by Jon Trennepohl, autographed, and purchased on Nov. 3, 1997..
I flew it the next day.. It's a masterpiece of design and function.. Trick & Track
is an appropriate name for it.. It is a huge improvement over my Echo Hawk, and tracks a
straight line like no other kite I've flown..
The T&T Competition (137kb)
I also own a NiK-Nak, and a Pro Dancer SUL.. The indoor kites.. Although I've never flown indoors,
I want to try it when I get the use of a gym someplace..
The NikNak (11.5kb)
Several other kites in my bag are Deltas, diamonds, fighters, and several cheap plastic ones..
I have a 9ft Harlequin delta that I hook to 500ft of 200lb line.. It's a black/white kite, and when
I put 80ft, b/w crepe-paper streamers on it, you can see it for miles.. After all, as Gene Grump said to
me once, "People have to find you".. It sure serves its purpose..
I have also built the Squadron Kites, Fokker Triplane, and enjoy flying it when an eyecatcher is needed..
It is a very stable kite, and draws many nice comments.. After searching the Internet for several days,
I found just the right picture of Snoopy in a Red Baron scene.. I used a graphics program to resize it,
added a mirror image for the two sides, and then printed it on a heavy stock paper.. The Red Baron sits
proudly in the cockpit..
Presently, I am building a Wright Flyer,and am anxious to get it in the air..
I am a member of the 4 seasons kite club, http://www.4skc.com and you can find fliers at the SchoolCraft college soccer fields..
We fly on Wednesdays, and the first/third Sunday of each month.. All year round.. After all, wind is wind..
The College is located on Haggerty rd. between 6 & 7 mile rds. in Livonia, Mi.. There are 4 fields there,
so there is plenty of room to fly.. Although we have to put up with the soccer snobs walking through
our lines..
I have also joined the M2S2 club.. Mid-Michigan String Stretchers, and have a whole new group of people
to get to know, and fly with.. I joined at the 14th Annual, Kalamazoo Spring Kite Fest, held on
April 25-26 1998..
There is good reason for people to take up kiting.. You're outdoors getting good excersize,
and you meet the greatest people.. They're also the neatest group you could want to know.. Nobody throws
their trash on the ground.. The soccer slobs do enough of that for hundreds of us..
Cute Guindon cartoon (80kb)