Bob and Charmayne's gallery of kites 2022

Bob's and Charmayne's kites in 2022

Early in 2022 we got several messages and emails from friends. A museum was looking for a replica Garber Target kite. We had made both sizes in 2005 for the Fanø Classics. Did we want to make another? We don't sell kites, Bob's new Colorado workshop wasn't set up for wood work yet, the kite plans had not made the move from Gig Harbor, we did not have fabric, and on and on. As the days and weeks went by neither of us could gather any enthusiasim to make another Target kite. Why not donate our 5 foot kite to the Museum?	Yes, a good solution. The currator, Doug Cubbison, was agreeable. We drove up to show him what we had. Exactly what he wanted. The installers of the new exhibit helped Bob put it up in the air. There is a huge gun pointing at it. The exhibit was still under construction so when we go back for a visit, I will get more photos. The idea of our kite was to show people what the gunners had looked at and practiced shooting down. The museum is in Dubois, Wyoming. Address: 6419 US-26, Dubois, WY 82513 It is the NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MILITARY VEHICLES.	In a little town but this is not a little museum. It is fantastic. And huge. 160,000 square feet (so far). Your admission ticket is good for two days and you may need even more time. The link to visit the website: https://nmmv.org/ Dan Starks, is the founder. This is a private museum and in my opinion is better than any of the Smithsonian museums we have been in. The museum is intended to teach and does it well. It honors our Veterans. If you go to Yellowstone or the Tetons, this is a stopover well worth a day or 3. Small tourist town... have reservations if you want a hotel room.



Bob always ckecks over the kites we plan on taking on trips. The Egyptian parasled took a hard crash while being soaking wet last summer. He especially wanted to check it over. Oops. As he shook it out, a white panel shredded. I came over to take a look and, in picking up the edge, more shredding happened. Not an easy fix and certainly not flyable. We have 2 others. It is ok. Not so ok. We started to check another ParaSled. This time my fingers went through a white panel, destroying a second 2 meter ParaSled in the space of about 10 minutes,	We were leaving for Fanø in a couple of weeks. Make another ParaSled? Not going to happen but Bob had an idea. He suggested we make new panels and sew them into the tubes. I was pretty skeptical as putting new fabric into old is not recommended. Bob did all the ripping apart, being very careful with the black tubes and keels, saving me a lot of work. I cut 2 new panels, this time a nice teal color. I re-applied the graphics Bob had saved and sewed the sled back together, using double sided tape wherever possible for added strength.	The refurbished sled was back in the sky in just a matter of days (and the dolphin kits had arrived and got sewn, too). Bob test flew it in back of the house in fairly strong wind. It held together and so went to Fanø. And has held up fine.


The new Peter Lynn dolphin kits arrived very quickly and were the expected quality. The instructions and video made them a snap to make. I added what has been called a tatoo on mine. They are about 3 meters long.


Fanø did happen for us in 2022! It was a wonderful 2 weeks weatherwise and for kite flying, visiting old friends, making new ones. And the UCVGP project was completed by all. This year the project was chosen by Michel. The L'Avion Belge or in English, The Belgian Plane. Michel made several sizes. The rest of us were satisfied with his large size.		Note Charmayne's special touch of using her Grandmother's antique lavender twill tape as edge binding in the picture of our kite below. Most of the group is following Achim's lead of stenciling information on the kite. Frits labeled his the L' Avion du Sauvé. Some are labeled with the UCVGP title and maybe the year. Cat used the name of the kite as did Michel. Scott went outside the box with his ripstop white patchwork with black cells beauty.

Bob's kite	Frits' kite	Scott's kite (sorry about chopping heads)

2024 note: the No Smoking Kites tee shirts were a joke for Achim. Scott supplied each of us one to wear to the UCVGP meeting. Achim Kinter was making what we called cigarette kites. He has written a fabulous book, now published. It is based on a series of small kites which he built in the spring of 2022.	The first kite he built was called the "Altikite". The kite bag Achim made for it reminded one of his kite friends of a cigarette. Nothing to do with the kite designed and sold by the Avian Clark-Preston & Co, Limited but the name stuck.	"CIGARETTE KITES, Commercial Kites for "Play, Sport and Science" from the beginning of the 20th century" is a book to use, built from, enjoy and have in your kite book libary.

After Fanø we made a new bol. We saw this interesting bol at the evening bol fly. Achim acted as my translator and I got the information to make one for us. Thank you Bolwelt for your plan and Achim for the translator duties. It flew for the first time in 2023 at Jamestown, North Dakota. It is made from Soarcoat.

Bob's Christmas kite!	It is our third 8 wing Box by Mike Bithell aka Kay's Box. See our 2019 Gallery for more details. Bob did a test fly in the yard. My relief was great. The graphics seem to work. One addition we have made to Mike's kite is using a "break" of nylon netting. It attaches to the trailing cell and is about 10 inches square. This seems to help stabilize the kite in our bumpy mid-western winds.