Chapter 5. Kites!

Imagination is the highest kite one can fly.

—Lauren Bacall

With all the focus these days on fancy drones, it’s easy to overlook one of the most fun and inexpensive hobbies around: kite flying. With some paper, sticks, glue, and string, you can have something in the air that you can control in less than 20 minutes. 

Kites have a long history, with their invention credited to 5th century BC China. In the early days, the frame was created from bamboo, and silk was used for the sail and string. They frequently were made to look like animals (especially flying ones like dragons).

While primarily used as a form of entertainment, kites have also served as signaling devices for early armies, lifting science equipment into the sky, ...

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