"SOS" - Brookite

A Funny, playful, not to handle and anarchical flying toy * #63, #64, #65 6-2006

(Fig. 1: Kite #63)

The Triplane or SOS-kite made by Brookite in the United Kingdom is a great design from somewhere the 1920's. When you take a good look at the pictures, you can see the uncommon structure of the frame of this kite.

A little project

Frits Sauvé, Douwe Jan Joustra and I decided to make some of these kites for testing purposes. We wanted to know what the flying characteristics were of this kite. With the special question of this kite would usable as an easy to fly children's kite. We didn't have drawings or other information then some pictures in catalogues or kite books. So everyone of us made some kites to our own interpretation and did some kite flying tests. After that, parts of each interpretation were put together to get the most authentic kite and a final one was made by Frits.

(Fig. 2: Kite #64)

A lively flyer

The kite is very easy to assemble. Just unroll it and place the spreader between the ropes, then you are ready to launch the kite. It is a quick riser. But it will only stand in the air by a for each kite specific wind range. Even by a very little wind change you can expect vehement reactions of the kite as you can see in the three video fragments. The video fragments give a very good sight of the behaviour and stability of these kites.

Video fragments

Each of this video fragments is featuring a different kite. Kite # 63 and # 64 have the dimensions 150 cm x 117 cm and kite # 65, the little one has the dimensions 66 cm x 45 cm. The difference between # 63 and # 64 is the fabric of the kites. Kite # 64 has more closely woven cotton then the coloured loosely woven kite. The difference between the weights of the two bigger kites is almost nothing.

Kite # 63 Kite # 64 Kite # 65

Conclusions

The SOS Kite is an original design with great looks. It is very easy to assemble. It is also easy to build. But it has a poor wind range, it is not easy to fly and it is very unstable. For the people who like to be busy on the flying fields: it can made spectacular diving's and due to its frame structure the kite isn't easy to destroy. But and that is sad to say, at the end of this little project we have to conclude that this kite is not useable as a children's kite.

But consider building this kite! It will only cost you two or three ours and almost no material. Then when you are ready, you have something to do when you have your previous build kites perfect 'standing' in the air and you are having fun keeping this kite up!