Books and Videos; AKA Publications A. Books and Videos Andrew, Hugh J.G. S.F. Cody's War Kites. !9.99 (approx US$20) If you're thinking of making a Cody kite, get this book. A few pages of history and background, but the bulk of the book is a 23-step set of instructions with many detailed illustrations. Not yet available from Kite Lines; try Bristol Kitestore, 1B Pitville Place, Cotham Hill, Bristol BS6 6JY England. tel (0272) 745010. Cottrell, Mark. The Kite Store Book of Kites. 1988. $13.95 No ISBN. The Kite Store Ltd. From the preface: ". . . if you feel like making a few of my stranger kites (some are quick to build, others can take weeks) most of which fly quite well and reading about my thoughts on certain types of kite design this book may be of interest to you." Plans for double and triple sleds, swept wing box kite, 2 ramfoils, keeled hexagon, multi-jib, Flaix family of kites, Whole World Kite, Cross Tail box, mega multiflare. Plans are not overly detailed. Also a chapter covering rules for flight, designing swept wings and deltas, lift capabilities and line strength, and altitude (height records, determining height). Book also includes diskette with 5 BASIC programs; listings for 4 programs in the book (evaluate side and lift area of flaix type kites; evaluate minimum size of kite to lift a given load in stated wind; estimate maximum height attainable by single kite system; evaluate size and shape of keel for swept wing designs). *Cottrell, Mark. Swept Wing Stunt Kites. $11.95 Whether you build stunt kites or not this makes you understand the anatomy of a stunter. Plans for LiteFlite kites. Cottrell, Mark. Kite Aerial Photography. 1987. $10.95 No ISBN. The Kite Store Ltd. Discusses suspension systems, cameras, cradle, and remote control systems and provides plans (not detailed) for several lifting kites: parafoil, delta, Peter Lynn Tri-D. A good overview, but some information, such as camera choices, is out-of-date. Author had been doing kite aerial photography for 9 years at time of publication. *Eden, Maxwell. Kiteworks. $14.95 ISBN 0-8069-6712-9 (hardcover, there is a paperback version now) A collection of kite plans (98% single-line) from many kitemakers. There are a number of errors: think the project through first. Not recommended for the first kitemaking book, but it does show many different approaches to kitemaking with many detailed illustrations. Gallot, Philippe. Fighter Kites. $12.95 ISBN 0-312-03964-6 Plans and instructions for 29 fighter kites. Use the metric measurements. *Gomberg, David, editor. Stunt Kites! $8.95 A basic flight manual for dual-line kites. 4th edition 1993. Gomberg, David. The Fighter Kite Book! A Complete Flight Manual for Single Line Maneuverable Kites. $8.95 Greger, Margaret. Kites for Everyone. 1984. $12.95 Library of Congress # 84-90383 Plans for about 48 kites (Vietnamese and snake, Dutch and dragon, sled, bullet, square, eddy, delta, box, corner and facet, flowform) and tails, bags, and drogues. Instructions written for various papers, plastics, or ripstop. Chapter on classroom kites. Greger, Margaret. More Kites for Everyone. 1990. $9.95 ISBN 0-9613680-1-4 Plans for about 17 kites (sled, delta, eddy, facet, Peter Lynn Tri-D, delta-conyne, Goble starbox, others). Materials called for are various papers, plastics (tips on heat sealing plastic), ripstop. Chapters on kites in the classroom and at camp (Margaret has been teaching kitemaking for over 15 years). both are self-published (and available from many kite retailers) Margaret Greger, 1425 Marshall, Richland, WA 99352 USA Margaret Greger's books are the ones recommended for beginning (to expert) single-line kitemakers. "More Kites for Everyone" is newer, has more current background information. Gross, Dodd. Flight School Video. DJ Sport Kites ( 1-800-296-KITE ). Dodd's instructional video was actually pretty good in that it starts with the very basics and gets into tricks like the 'axel' by the end. My only complaint is that he describes how to execute a maneuver while holding a kite indoors, then shows a kite doing the maneuver outdoors. Sometimes you see his hand and arm movements, sometimes not. Also, his axel technique seems to be different from what I saw on the West Coast, though his axel launch and coin flip look real nice on the tape. All in all, a video like this should help new flyers and others who want to know how to do new tricks. Mark Virgilio (uspehmev@ibmmail.COM) Dodd is a real rare individual. Aside from his obvious competitive talent, Dodd is an accomplished instructor. Dodd's new Flight School video tape ... includes an introduction to Roller Kiting, Buggying, and Indoor flying in addition to dual-line flying tips, tricks and techniques. For those of you who read some of these posts, regarding buggying, axles and coin tosses, and have no idea about what we're talking about, ... call and order this video. If you've already seen these tricks, or have been flying for some time, now is the chance to improve your skills. If you're new to the competition circuit, this tape will give you the edge you need. If you're a casual weekend flier, you'll have some new stuff to show your friends. And if nothing else, you might get to see some really cool flying demos. Jason Benedict (jbenedict@law.fordham.edu) Hart, Clive. Kites - an Historical Survey. 1967. $14.95 ISBN 0-911858-38-5 (paperback) The best general history of kites (in English). Hosking, Wayne. Kites To Touch the Sky: A Guide to Making and Flying Plastic Kites. 1993. $9.95. No ISBN. Detailed plans for 32 kites, ranging from sleds to eddy to seven sisters to boxes, tretrahedral, and facet. Introductory chapters covering terms, components of kites, how to fly, and working with plastic. Ito, Dr. Toshio and Hirotsugu Komura. Kites - The Science and the Wonder. 1983. $11.95 ISBN 0-87040-526-8 The authors "applied scientific theory and scientific technology to the study of kites, their manufacture and operation." Chapters on Aerodynamics - Kite Stability; Aerodynamics - Kite Dynamics; Kite Making Materials; Development of the Basic "Original" Kite; Various Basic "Original" Kites. Translated from Japanese. Kite Builders International Workshop Video #1 - Beginning kitemaking. 60 minutes. $23.00 Discusses properties of different fabrics, how to prepare fabric, cutting, basic hems, different seams, leading edge construction, pockets and sleeves. Applique covered briefly (video #2 will focus on applique). (Address listed in Organization section.) Lynn, Peter. Buggies, Boats & Peels. $6.95 or in the archives (pub/rec/kites/info/buggies.boats.peels) (thanks to Andrew Beattie). History, theory, how to start buggying, etc., and information on Peter Lynn Peel kites. For traction enthusiasts. *Moulton, Ron and Pat Lloyd. Kites: A Practical Handbook. 1992. $27.95 ISBN 1-85486-050-X Good introduction to kite aerial photography and the best section around on parachuting fauna. Also chapters on making kites; lines, bridles, knots, and reels; rokkaku fighting; dual and quadline kites, with plans for 9 kites; plans for 11 single-line kites, plus a few others scattered throughout the book. A general broad introduction to the world of kites today. *Pelham, David. The Penguin Book of Kites. 1976. $12.95 An excellent reference, often called the "bible" of kiteflying. Good section on history, with many photos. Construction, including fastenings, joints and frame materials, cover material, knots, reels, and line (some information not current). Flying/aerodynamics, including lift and stability; bridles, keels, and rudders; tails and drogues; location; launching, control, and landing; wind conditions; rating a kite; measuring altitude. Kite patterns: over 100 plans, which are scaled drawings, not detailed instructions. The Prism Guide - Prism Design. $8.00 Included with each Prism kite, available separately from Prism dealers. Considered a little more advanced than Gomberg's book; a very small amount relates only to Prism kites. Reich, Ron. Kite Precision: Your Comprehensive Guide for Flying Controllable Kites. 1994. Tutor Text, P.O. Box 1605, Ramona, CA 92065-0895. ISBN: 0-9639010-2-8 Now also available in French, translated by Raoul Fosset. First the disclaimer: I consider Ron a friend (he considers me a friend, we've conversed both in person and via email . . .). He has helped me and my team on numerous occasions. The short review: Buy the book. It is full of solid descriptions and good photographs and drawings. When you buy it, tell them that I sent you. The long(er) review: The book begins with detailed descriptions of setting up a kite, posture, safety, and basic flying. The description of the different types of turns and speed control then follow. In my opinion, these two chapters are worth the price of the book. There are sections that describe in detail several tricks and utility moves, including leading edge and nose down launches. Sections on dog-stake flying and multiple kite flying are also clear and easy to understand. There are sections that talk about the Flexifoil and Revolution kites. I especially like the team flying sections and the discussion of some of the stunts. One part titled, "Flying the Space," will be required reading for Storm Front members. There are 3 complete ballet routines (an individual, a pairs, and a 4-person team). The many photographs and drawings really help with showing how things are done. The text is clear and would be useful even without the graphics. There are a few things missing: I would have liked to see a discussion about the speed of doing moves, i.e., snapping turns can be radically different than easing turns. The excellent discussion about geometry and team flying that rec.kites readers saw is missing from the book. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in flying dual line delta stunt kites. It will open the eyes of novices. More experienced flyers will benefit from the philosophy and way of thinking about flying. Marty Sasaki (sasaki@noc.harvard.edu) March 1994 Rieleit, Peter. Leistungsstarke Lenkdrachen zum Nachbauen. (Efficient Stunt Kites to Build) Ravensburger Verlag, 29.80 DM. ISBN 3-473- 42286-X 96 pages, lots of color pictures and photos This is the first book by Peter Rieleit. Peter owns a kite shop in Duesseldorf, Germany, and seems to be well known at least in this area. His book is called "Leistungsstarke Lenkdrachen zum Nachbauen" (Efficient Stunt Kites to Build). The book contains plans for seven stunt kites, three stunt parafoils and three so-called sculpture soft kites. You also find the usual chapters on kite material, working techniques and some words about flying and landing stunt kites. The plans are all accompanied by lots of color pictures and some drawings. As usual, I cannot say much on the stunt kites in the book. They are all based on the same outline. The only thing that differs is the aspect ratio (width/height) and the size. They all have two spreaders and no-stand offs. The plans are detailed and seem to contain all the important information that is needed to build the kites. In the second part of the book Peter introduces a new kind of soft stunt kites. The new thing with this sort of parafoil is the profile and the bridle. Peter proposes a self-stabilising profile which results in the fact that you only need one point at the profile where you attach the bridle line. Contrary to earlier parafoils or the paraflex from Wolfgang Schimmelpfennig, Peter's profiles are flat on the top and curved on the lower part of the profile. In addition to the profiles that go from the leading til the trailing edge, Peter uses one or two short (approx. 20cm long) profiles between the long ones to stabilize the most efficient forward part of the profile. The first plan of a soft kite is accompanied by 22 (!) color pictures that show how to cut and sew the profiles together. The only thing that could have been done better in this part is that he uses the same white ripstop for profile, lower and upper panel of the parafoil. It is therefore sometimes very difficult to see on the pictures what he is really doing. The other two plans are mostly a variation of the first one with respect to size. The last part of the book deals with so-called sculpture soft kites. Peter has built some really exciting soft kites, comparable only to the octopus of Peter Lynn or "Jake the Snake" of Wolfgang Schimmelpfennig. One kite, the super-fly, is a big eye catcher in any case just because of its size: four wings (3m x 2m), two on each side of the 15m long tail!! The other two plans describe how to build a banana and a pteranodon. All sculpture kites are based on the parafoil principle and are planned as stunt kites. Funny thing about the super-fly plan: Peter mentions in the plan that 48m ripstop in different colors are needed for it. As I wanted to build this kite, I recalculated the ripstop and finally ended up with at least 65m (15m tail not included)! Peter also mentions in some introductory sentences to this chapter that only experienced kite builders should try to build these kites, especially as not all dimensions and measures are given in the plan. I can very much recommend this book. The section about the ordinary stunt kites does not contain very much that is new, but the two chapters that deal with soft kites and sculpture kites make this book an absolute "must have!" The many excellent photos in the book make it also useful for those who do not understand German. And if there are enough requests for an English version, perhaps Peter will produce one? (review by Bernhard Malle, November 1993) *Rowlands, Jim. The Big Book Of Kites. 1988. $12.95 ISBN 0-312-02047-3 Plans for plane-surface kites (roller, flare, others); 9 deltas; 7 corner kites; facet kites; 2 stunters (a diamond and a delta) plus a train of diamonds; 4 sleds; 2 parafoils, Sutton flowform; rotor kites; tails. Most plans are written for ripstop nylon, others for tyvek, plastic, mylar, or paper. Rowlands, Jim. One-Hour Kites. 1989. $12.95 ISBN 0-312-03218-8 Paperfold kites, sleds, deltas, flexible kites, bowed kites, box/ 3-dimensional kites, stunters. The instructions are written for tyvek, paper, sheet plastic, mylar, etc., little or no sewing (tape is the primary fastener). Chapter on decoration. Rowlands, Jim. Soft Kites & Windsocks. 1992. $14.95 ISBN 0-312-08986-X Sleds, parafoils, flowforms (Rowlands/high aspect), inflatable kites, windsocks, drogues. Introductory chapters on materials, different seams, construction. Schertel, Christine (text, plans, drawings). Skywork Experience II. Bernhard Maas (illustrations). 52 pages, 19.80 DM self-published by skywork-agency, 20144 Hamburg This is the second book from Christine Schertel. The first was completely devoted to stunt kites, with plans for a speed revolution for example. The new one contains plans for 9 stunt kites and three single-liners. Stunt kite plans are arrow, elegance, nodronte, flitz jr., wolkenstuermer 101, hunter, lite flite s, bombus, stunt starte Single-line kites are hargrave box kite, revolver, and cody. The speciality of both Schertel books is that they do not contain a single photo, but that each kite is drawn as an aquarelle by the well-known German photographer Bernhard Maas. Another speciality is that it is one of the rare books where you will not find the 500th introduction to sewing techniques and other introductory general stuff. I am not a stunt kite expert as Esben, so I cannot classify the different kites (most of them are said to come from German designers). The plans and drawings are quite good; I have not tried any plans yet, but it is also said in the introduction of the book that not every single step is shown. Nevertheless I think the instructions are quite clear. Something that I am missing in the book are a few words about each kite, for example about the history (no explanation of the cody!!!), flying characteristics or tips for the adjustment of the bridle. As someone said earlier in rec.kites, the book should be available from the Kite Lines bookstore... (Review by Bernhard Malle, November 1993) *Schimmelpfennig, Wolfgang. Lenkdrachen Bauen und Fliegen (Making & Flying Stunt Kites). $13.95 (German text). ISBN 3-8068-1011-7 Plans for 4 deltas, 3 diamonds, and the Paraflex (a foil). Good details. Schimmelpfennig, Wolfgang. Drachen bauen und steigen lassen (Making and Flying Kites). ISBN 3-8068-0767-1 Falken Verlag, Germany, 19.80 DM 79 pages, lots of color pictures, drawings and photos This is the second book by Wolfgang Schimmelpfennig. It is called "Making and Flying kites" and was published for the first time in 1987. There exists a new edition since 1991. Wolfgang is well- known in Germany, and I think also in the world-wide kite-community. He is one of the organizers of the "International Kite Flyers Meeting" in Fano. He has also published some other books on a) stunt kites, b) kites for children, c) a book mainly with wonderful photos from kites all over the world with many kite developers and d) since November 1993 a new book on single-line kites and stunt kites. This book mainly deals with single-line kites. It is divided into 4 chapters about the history of kites and kite building, materials, plans of kites and some tips on why kites fly. You will find plans for 19 kites and kite trains. The chapter about the kite history starts with kites from China, Japan, Thailand, Korea, and Bali. Wolfgang then mentions among others Bell and Cody and finishes the chapter with some remarks about F. Rogallo. The chapter about material and sewing techniques covers the usual techniques about ripstop, bamboo, carbon and wood spars, knots. You will also find remarks about sewing and painting of tyvek. In the plan chapter, there are plans for single-line kites: eddy, eddy- train, hexagonal-kites, train of hexagonal-kites, delta, flare, flare- train, multi-flare , nagasaki hata, indian fighter kite, sanjo rokkaku, janggaan, wau bulan, parafoil, spinning windsock, conyne-type delta and snowflake. The book also contains plans for a peter powell and a stunt kite called vector. The plans are detailed enough to be able to build all the kites. In the last pages of the book Wolfgang explains why kites fly and how one can increase the stability of kites. The book is finished with some information about stunt kite flying, on how to make pictures of kites and safety of kites in general. As a conclusion I can very much recommend the book. This was the first book on kites that I bought and I have built the snowflake, spinning windsock, the delta and a sanjo rokkaku from the plans with no difficulties. If you are a more experienced kite builder, you might be looking for a some more complicated or modern kites, but this book is perfectly suited for beginners. (Review by Bernhard Malle, December 1993) (This book may be out-of-print) Schimmelpfennig, Wolfgang. Phantastische Drachenwelt. Text in German. Falken Verlag, 49.00 DM. ISBN 3-8068-4513-1 127 pages, lots of color photos and drawings, four plans, A4-size. The book "Phantastische Drachenwelt" (Fantastic World of Kites) is the biggest book (A4-size), with the most color photos and the best plans from Wolfgang Schimmelpfennig. Unlike the other books from Wolfgang, this book is devoted more to the art and beauty of kitemaking and flying. It contains only four plans, but at least three come from internationally well known kite builders like Martin Lester and Maurizio Angeletti. The book is divided into four chapters that deal with different types of kites, creative kite builders, kite festivals and kite plans. The first chapter gives a short overview of the main existing types of kites. There are always some nice examples for specific kites given, but unfortunately, the builders or creators are not always explicitly mentioned. The second chapter presents some of the international well-known kite builders and their specialities: Alfons Karsten, Till Krapp and Peter Malinski (from Germany), Joergen Moeller Hansen (Danmark), Steve Brockett and Martin Lester (UK), Andre Cassagne (France), Maurizio Angeletti (Italy), Maasaki Modegi (Japan), Mousor bin Saad (Malaysia), Peter Lynn (New Zealand) and Scott Skinner (USA). Each of them is presented on two or four pages with at least five of six pictures of their most well-known kites. They have been (or let's better say: are) "kite pioneers which have influenced modern kite building a lot" (quoted directly from the forward of the book). In the third chapter some kite festivals are presented. I said "some" because, for example, there isn't any kite festival in the US mentioned. Those kite festivals that are mentioned come from Europe (Fanoe, Berlin, Damp and Scheveningen) and Asia (Singapore, Pesta Layang and Layang Bali). In addition the tradition of kite fights in Asia is mentioned. From what I have heard from rec.kites, at least some festivals from the US or the fifth continent and the stunt kite championships should have been mentioned here, too. In the last chapter four plans are presented: relax (stunt kite from Wolfgang Schimmelfennig), millestelle (sort of centipede from Maurizio Angeletti), the Martin Lester legs (guess from whom) and a dragon-fly (sort of conyne delta from Till Krapp). The plans seem to be as detailed as all Schimmelpfennig plans and the presented kites look really nice. The patterns for the kites are drawn 1:1 on a A1 sheet! As a conclusion I can very much recommend this book. It is not only for those who are only interested in kite plans, but even if you do not understand German, Wolfgang knows how to present the fascination of kites and building kites via the many color pictures. Only drawback: The book is until now only available in German, and I do not know of any plans to translate it into English. The book is as usual available from the KiteLines bookstore. Review by Bernhard Malle (January 1994). Schimmelpfennig, Wolfgang. Neue Lenkdrachen und Einleiner (New Stunt Kites and Single Liners). Text in German. Falken Verlag, 24.80 DM. ISBN 3-8068-1353-1 80 pages, lots of color photos and drawings Since a few weeks, there is a new book from Wolfgang Schimmelpfennig available called "Neue Lenkdrachen und Einleiner" (New Stunt Kites and Single Liners). Wolfgang has already published one book on stunt kites, one about single-line kites and one about making kites with kids (all of them available via the Kite Lines bookstore). In his new book you can find plans for six stunt kites (Solar Fire, Bel Air, Relax II, Scanner, Heavy Duty and Paradox) and three single-line kites (Samurai, Starflake and Starbird). The book resembles very much his other books: there is an introduction, a chapter about how to be creative with colors and forms when building kites, one chapter about materials and techniques. The book contains a lot of nice color pictures, but the names of the creators and kite builders (Peter Lynn, George Peters, Peter Malinski or Schimmelpfennig himself) are very rarely given. The plans themselves seem to be as detailed and good as in all the other books by Wolfgang. As I am not an expert of stunt kites I cannot say much about the different kites. Nevertheless I have the impression that most of them are already well known and not really new. As Wolfgang never mentions any inventor or original designer of the kites, I get the impression that he has invented them all by himself... There is one kite that is a little bit extraordinary: the paradox is a quadline kite. It is built like a box-kite and consists of seven panels. Wolfgang mentions in his description that the kite can also be used as single-line kite if you add a tail to it. It seems that Wolfgang thinks that everyone knows which handles to use for a quadliner, which length of kite line and which flying technique. The chapter about the single line kites is introduced with a two-page picture of Wolfgang's soft-kites "Big Boss" and "Jake the Snake," two stunt kites. The Samurai is based on an ordinary genki, but a little bit modified to better fit the design of a samurai. The Starflake is kind of facet kite and if I remember right, I have seen the same design also in a book of Jim Rowlands or Margaret Gregor. The last plan in this book describes the Starbird. This kite is a combination of flat star kite and an Eddy in the lower part of the kite. The book ends with some very general tips about tuning a kite and some safety rules. As a conclusion I am disappointed by the book. There have been so many advances in kite design in the last years and I have the impression that none of them are reflected in this book. Wolfgang, who has developed "Jake the Snake" (softkite), a new paraflex (soft stunt kite), who seems to be a good friend of Peter Lynn and other well known kite builders, could have put some more effort in finding new and interesting designs. (Review by Bernhard Malle, November 1993) Smith, H.D. "Skip". The Illustrated Guide to Aerodynamics. 1992. $18.95. ISBN 0-8306-3901-2 Marty Sasaki wrote: A reader of rec.kites who understands aerodynamics recommended [this book]. The first few chapters provide a great deal of insight into how things work. There are also chapters on control and stability. Reading the book caused several light bulbs to go on above my head. I've got some serious experimenting to do... Synergy, Richard P. Stunt Kite Basics: Making All the Right Moves. 1993. $15.95. 142 pages. ISBN 0-9696954-0-3 Dave and Sherrie Arnold wrote a review of this book for the Summer- Fall 1993 issue of Kite Lines, and the book sounds like a very good choice for novice to intermediate stunt kite flyers, especially those interested in precision flying and competitions. Covers safety and courtesy; line selection and care; bridling; descriptions of precision figures; precision flying and competitions. Daniel G. Sharpes (ad414@dayton.wright.edu) wrote: When my customers ask me about stunt kites and what they do, I point to that book and open it up for them. The cover shows 36 different maneuvers for the novice, intermediate and expert flyer. When I open the text I can show them big pictures (the book is 8 1/2 by 11 inches) of what kinds of knots to tie, how to tune kites, a nice discussion on kite aerodynamics and the wind window - the most important thing is half the book is oriented toward flying the maneuvers. Each stunt gets a two page treatment. On the left page is a drawing of how to fly the stunt as well as how to move yourself (!) The right page has a short description of the maneuver and then a lot of tips on flying it. It's a very nice book and I retail it for one dollar more than Ron's. But between the two, I recommend Rich's for the newbie who wants to fly their first stunt kite with an idea of what can be done and how to do it. Thomas, Carol. Kite Crazy. $29.95 ISBN - History, theory, construction of four kites: a kiskadee, a rokkaku, a dual-line and a quad-line stunt kite. Kite Crazy video - SOMA Film and Video. $29.95 Demonstrates construction of the kites covered in the book. *van der Horst, Servaas and Nop Velthuizen. Stunt Kites to Make & Fly. $21.95. ISBN 90-6868-052-8 THOTH Publishers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 96 pages, lots of color photos and drawings and some really nice cartoons This is the English translation of a completely rewritten and vastly extended version of 'Stunt Special' from the Dutch magazine Vlieger (Kite), as it appeared in April 1989. At least Nop is well known as one of the people from the shop Vlieger Op in Den Haag and as "crazy" buggy pilot. The book is completely devoted to stunt kites. It is divided into 3 sections, "contents," "construction plans," and "appendices." It contains plans for 9 stunt kites: shuttle (a variant of the well known Ace), speed wing (a copy of a German kite), team-light (a featherweight variant of the hawaiian), standard-200 (sort of spin- off), kwat (a quadliner with the shape of two combined hexagons), speedfoil (an extremely fast cousin of the English flexifoil), sputnik 1 and 2 (enhanced versions of the paraflex, a sparless German kite), gizmo/cicada (two Dutch variants of a modern French design "Big Brother") and dykehopper (in the text the authors admit that "if you really think that you have mastered the art of building stunt kites, then this is your test case"..(whatever Nop will say with this....). The first section deals (like any other kite book) with the history of kites, kite material, lines, different types of kites and some basic sewing techniques. Different from some other books, Servaas and Nop also explain different bridle adjustments, grips, control bars and harnesses. If you are new to quadliners, you even find some good information about steering this beasts. Some pages about team flying, training and figures lead to the presentation of the plans in the book. Additionally to a lot of comprehensive pictures, you find also some really nice cartoons in this chapter. The plans for the kites seem also to be comprehensive and clear. I am just building a speed wing, and there are absolutely no problems with the instructions. As already explained, there are plans for 9 different kites. Only the speedfoil, the Gizmo/Cicada, Sputnik and the dykehopper seem to be new designs. What is missing at some places are references or hints to the original inventors of the "old" designs. In the appendice there are additional instructions on how to build a kite sack, a folding device, foam grips and whiskers. There you can also find a short listing which can be used to calculate variations of the profiles for the sputnik with the help of a spreadsheet program. When I ordered the book at our local book store, I had to wait three months for it to come. But when it finally had arrived, I found the book very useful, with some new plans, clear instructions and some, let's say, unconventional, cartoons. In accordance to the normal phrase in "KiteLines": Not only if you are a real kite enthuthiast, this book may not be missing in your personal library. (Review by Bernhard Malle, December 1993) van der Horst, Servaas and Nop Velthuizen. Stunt Kites II - New Designs, Buggies and Boats. ISBN 90 6868 085 5, THOTH Publishers, Bussum, The Netherlands Available in German, English, and Dutch. Kite Lines Book Store P.O. Box 466 Randallstown, MD 21133-0466 USA (410) 922-1212, fax (410) 922-4262 Carries almost all kite books in print, ships worldwide, and allows you to return any book within 10 days if you're not satisfied. * Books also listed, with more extensive comments, in Esben Collstrup's Stunt Kite Plan Bibliography. B. AKA Publications Publications may be purchased by non-members for the second (higher) price listed. Descriptions provided by Brooks Leffler (kyteman@aol.com), Executive Director of AKA. Books may be ordered by mail through the Rockville address; by phone or fax; or by email to Brooks (kyteman@aol.com). Members may also use the AKA Store, listed in _Kiting_. Prepayment preferred, Mastercard and Visa accepted. See AKA listing under Organizations for address, etc. International Sport Kite Competition Rules, Third Edition, First printing, August 1993. 78 pp. $5.00 $7.50 This is the latest iteration of the rules by which all recognized sport kite competitive events are run worldwide. This edition contains 30 pages of rules, diagrams of 36 maneuvers for individual precision events, 14 team diagrams, sample scorecards and worksheets, job descriptions, and examples of specific judging criteria. AKA Rules & Guidelines for Comprehensive Kitemaking Competition. First edition, 1991. 28 pp. $5.00 $7.50 These rules were developed primarily for the comprehensive judging of hand-made kites conducted annually at the AKA Grand Nationals. In comprehensive competition, kites are categorized by design, and judged for craftsmanship, structural design, flight, and aesthetic appeal. Included are category definitions, recommendations for qualification of judges, judging procedures, and scoring. AKA Rules and Guidelines for Fighter Kite and Rokkaku Competitions. AKA Fighter Kite Committee. 1992. 20 pp. $5.00 $7.50 A companion piece to the AKA Sport Kite and Comprehensive Competition Rules, this booklet includes rules, safety guidelines, suggested field setup, and judging criteria for individual and team single-string kite fighting. AKA Manual on Kiting Events. H. B. Alexander and Ellen Rubenstein Chelmis. 1992 Revised Edition. 36 pp. $6.00 $8.00. This manual is designed to help you design, organize, and run a kiteflying event, and provides comprehensive guidelines for setting date, program, and site, as well as discussion of competitive vs. non-competitive events, organization, sponsorship, public relations, staffing, judging, safety, and repairs. Includes sample field layout and forms. Kites in the Classroom. Wayne Hosking. 48 pp. Revised 1993 Edition. $5.00 $7.50 This is a guide for teachers, and includes some history, terminology, simple aerodynamics, discussion of materials and tools, instructions and plans for15 kites, brief lessons in flying, and notes on conducting a kite workshop. Kite Club Organizer's Handbook. Victor Walton. 28 pp. Second printing, 1993. $5.00 $7.50 A compilation of ideas from kite clubs across North America, this handbook is intended to be a useful resource for kiters who wish to bring a bit of structure to their kiteflying activities, while avoiding the pitfalls others have experienced. Topics include leadership, formal and informal structure, incorporation, by-laws, newsletters, and event ideas. How to Fly a Kite: A Kiteflier's Manual. Miller S. Makey, Robert M. Ingraham, and Jeff Reed. 1992. 66 pp. $2.00 $3.00 AKA Founder Bob Ingraham and Former President Miller Makey have joined forces with artist Jeff Reed to produce a compact primer on kites and kiteflying, written especially for those who say, "I never could get a kite to fly." Topics covered include types of kites, brief history, anatomy of a kite, simple aerodynamics, how to fly a kite, kite safety, and a glossary. AKA/STACK International Stunt Kite Competition Rules, $1.00 $1.00 1990-1991 edition Although this book was superseded by the 1992 Rules, and again by the 3rd Edition above, the differences are mostly organizational. This book shows all but eight of the maneuvers now in use, and describes most of the dos and don'ts, so it's still useful for the neophyte flier. 36 pages, 28 individual figures, 14 team figures. Professor Kite and the Secret of Kites. Corey Jensen & Glen Ciccarelli. Available only in bulk: $8.00 per 100; $44.00 per 1000, ppd. This is a tri-fold leaflet on the basics of kite flying and kite safety. Good handout for festivals & workshops.