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DF Archive - Weathers Collection |
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As we jet into the twenty-first century we have celebrated a hundred years of the airplane, having witnessed its entire evolution during this relatively brief historical period. In this rapidly changing world of flight, one thing has stayed remarkably constant-the simple joy of flying a kite. Children and adults who flew the "new" kite inventions of the 20th century-the Eddy kite, Hargrave box kite, and Conyne aeroplane-are no different from today's, who fly large Peter Lynn creations, the newest sport kite, or a soaring delta. Materials and construction techniques have changed, but the joy and satisfaction of a fine-flying kite have not.
Stormy Weathers lived through much of the twentieth century and witnessed the deprivation of the Great Depression and the Second World War. There is little doubt that these events of his youth influenced his kite making philosophy, that is, to make the best flying kites with the least expensive and most readily available materials. Kite flyers and kite makers of the last thirty years have depended upon the newest materials, graduating from cotton or nylon taffeta, to ripstop nylon, from wood to fiberglass and carbon fiber. Stormy challenges us to look again at common and simple materials, not just because they are available and inexpensive, but, more importantly, because they work! Stormy never seemed to worry about appearances and convention. He was set in his convictions and when it came to his kites, confident of their capabilities. As kite doyenne (and his friend) Margaret Greger has said, "Kite makers come in many varieties: artists, engineers, inventors, tinkers. Stormy was all of these. His kites range from variations of the sled to his Victory kites-singularly high-angle, light-wind fliers. All were developed and brought to near-perfection in Stormy's style, which was 'test, test and test again, until you can't improve it further.' We can be grateful for this perfectionism and for the gift of the Swift Victory (Stormy's later version of the original Star Victory), which he worked on to the end of his life." For the pure kite enthusiast the kite designs pictured here, developed and proven by hours of flight time over many years, will prove informative and worthwhile. The "bottom line," one I witnessed dozens of times over the years, is that these kites were often the first in the air and the last taken down, regardless of wind condition. They had been refined to fly beautifully over the widest possible range of wind conditions. Kite knowledge like this is the equivalent of sitting at your grandfather's knee while he shows you how to make your first kite. You won't remember everything, you won't agree with all his ideas, and you'll make a few more mistakes than he does. But you'll finish with a great kite, one that flies high and steady. Consider Stormy your kite grandfather. The kites pictured in these galleries are among the Stormy Weathers kites held by the DF Archive. The archive holds additional kites, kite plans, letters, papers, and a manuscript by Stormy Weathers, all of which are available for examination upon request at the DF Study Center.
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