Standard Disclaimer: This plan describes the construction of my Sea Gull Kite exactly as I built it. It is very likely that you will disagree with some of the design choices - I don't claim to be a master kite builder so feel free to adapt it.
If you build this kite I would very much appreciate hearing from you.
| Sail | any type of quality ripstop nylon or polyester |
| Spars | 2mm fibreglass |
| Connectors | Eddy connector: 2mm |
| Miscellaneous |
|
The sail measurements are specified in Fig.1. Measurements do not include any hem or seam allowance (I recommend hot-cutting instead of hemming, since it's such a small kite).
Make a template for half of the sail, adding an additional 5mm at the centre for joining the halves (hatched area). Hot-cut. Sew a folded strip of ripstop (bias tape is best) to the leading edge (hatched area) to accommodate the spreader. Don't forget to close it off at the end. Repeat for the other half.
Hot-cut the keel, again adding 5mm allowance to attach it to the sail. Now sandwich the keel between the 2 parts of the sail and join up everything with a single seam. Add ripstop spine pockets at the top and bottom. You might also consider adding some dacron reinforcement where the pockets are; this also helps to maintain the shape: it doesn't look so great if the bird's head folds back under wind pressure.
Add a tail: I used 5 ripstop strips, each approx. 1cm x 2.5m.
The construction should be pretty obvious from Fig.2. I made my
own connector using plastic and brass tubing, since I couldn't get a 2mm Eddy
connector.
BTW, you don't need to remove the spars for transportation or
storage: just pull the spreaders out of the Eddy connector and roll up the kite
into a neat 60cm package.
Add a tow point on the keel as indicated. You may wish to add some additional points a bit further up and down the keel; this will let you adjust the tow point according to wind speed.
The kite flies well in light winds. It does have a tendency to flip in gusty conditions, so you need to watch it. Use the lightest line available.
Happy flying - and please email any questions, comments or suggestions.
