Yes, there is a kite language. It’s fun and exciting to learn and use new words that perhaps you’ve never seen or heard before. We are providing the following glossary of kite terminology to assist you in developing or expanding your kite language skills. Enjoy and have fun!


Note: If you know a word that has been left out, please email it to us, and we will add it to the glossary, or try our Kitesurfing Glossary of Terminology to find what you're looking for!

-A-

Airfoil: An airfoil (in American English) or aerofoil (in British English) is the shape of a kite as seen in cross-section. A curved surface, which causes the air flowing across it to create a vacuum above the kite and provide lift.

Angle of Attack: The angle that the kite penetrates the wind. As the angle of attack increases so does lift and drag, up to a point. Too much angle results in a kite that stalls or won't lift, or causes the kite to be overpowered by the wind. Too little angle results in not enough lift but increases the speed of the kite.

Anhedral: The angle between an aerofoil and the horizontal when the kite is inclined downwards from its center. It’s the opposite of Dihedral. This is also used to add stability to a kite as in a sled kite.

Appliqué: A decorative design made by cutting pieces of material and applying them to the surface of another; to decorate something in this way, such as a paneled rainbow colored kite.  

Aspect Ratio: The relationship between the height and width of a kite. A tall, narrow kite has a high aspect ratio, while a short wide kite has a low aspect ratio. As an example a diamond kite has a low aspect wing.

-B-

Batten: Flexible strips or spars placed in pockets in the sail of a kite to help maintain the sail's rigid shape. The lightweight spar strengthens the curvature of the kites body or wing.

Beaufort Scale: A system of estimating wind velocities invented by Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort of the British Navy.  An international scale of wind force from 0 (calm air) to 12 (hurricane) for gauging wind speed by observing conditions on the ground.

Bowed: Kites are bowed that have the surface facing the wind curved backwards from the center to the edge. Diamond and delta wing shaped kites are bowed to create more form.

Bowstring: The string that secures the curved spar of single, dual and quad line kites.

Box kite: True classics never go out of style and few designs have withstood the test of time like traditional Box and Cellular kites. For simplicity and elegance, nothing beats them! Harbor Wind & Kite Co. offers a wide variety of classic box and cellular kites that are rock-solid flyers, especially in higher winds. There are many shapes that are variations of a box that are called box or cellular kites. Most are single line kites. Two of the most common shapes of box kite are rectangular boxes and tetrahedrons.

Bridle Leg: Each section of line going from the tow point of a kite to it’s connection point on the sail is known as a bridle leg. A kite bridle may have only two legs or dozens of legs.

Bridle: A series of lines that connect to the kite sail and frame to help support the kite and/or to orient the kite at a proper angle to the wind. On parafoil kites, the bridle can be complicated and may look like the complex lines of a parachute. Simple bridles just control the angle the kite flies at, while a complex bridle may also form the shape of the kite.

Bulk Line: Kite line comes in many composites, strengths and lengths. Nylon, Dacron, polyester, braided, Spectra, Dyneema, and cotton are just a few of the composites used for kites and all come in lengths from 35ft to 5,000 ft.

-C-

Camber: Camber, in aerospace and kite engineering, is the asymmetry between the top and the bottom curves of an airfoil in cross-section. The curvature of an airfoil or wing as viewed from the side is the curve that creates the lift, which makes the kite fly. Camber also describes the outside curve of the leading edge of a sport/stunt kite.

Carbon: One of the three most used composites for kite framing, carbon spars (rods) are made of carbon fiber, which is a stronger, material than fiberglass and considerably lighter and stiffer. A word of warning: if you break a carbon or fiberglass spar, handle it very carefully. They have splinters and can be very painful if they penetrate your skin.

Cellular Kites: See Box kite.

Centre ‘T’: The point where the spine and the lower spreader cross on a sport/stunt kite.

Chord Line: A line from the front of an airfoil (the leading edge) to the trailing edge. The straight line drawn from a point at the top of a kite to a point on the base. A term often referred to when discussing aspect ratios of a kite.

Cover: The material that covers the frame of a kite is sometimes called a cover. It can be made of paper, Mylar, cloth, rayon, polyester or nylon. The preferred term is to call it a sail.

Cross Spar: More correctly called a spreader bar, it is a spar that is made of wood, plastic, fiberglass, carbon or graphite or a combination of these materials. The spreader bar spreads the wings of a kite.

-D-

Dacron: A (trademark) used for a synthetic polyester textile fiber. A common construction material for kite bridles and flying lines. Dacron lines are thicker and softer than so called "microlines" and comes in different weights that identify its strength. Dacron as a fabric is used to make the sail of a kite.

Delta Box Kite: A kite design that combines the lifting power of the traditional box kite with the stability of the delta wing kite. A kite that is very popular because it can lift a lot of streamers, windsocks, wind wheels, etc. (kite laundry) and can be used for aerial photos.

Delta Kite: A popular kite that is shaped like an equilateral triangle. It is a very sturdy kite with a single spreader, a spine down its middle for strength, and spars sewn in along the leading (front) edges of the kite. It comes in many shapes roughly triangular depicting animals, insects, butterflies, birds, sea life, space travel, favorite cartoon characters and performs well in various wind conditions as a single line kite. Most sports/stunt kites are of the Delta design.

Dihedral: The V-shaped bend in the kite. Typically, more dihedral causes more aerodynamic stability in a kite as in a delta wing kite. Also it describes the connector part that forms this bend.

Downwind: With the wind; in the direction the wind is blowing; "they flew downwind."

Drag: The resistance a kite experiences while traveling through the air at high speeds. The drag is also affected by the weight of the kite, the materials it is constructed from and its surface covering.

Drogue: An air anchor: a restraint (basket or windsock shaped) consisting of a nylon covered frame that floats behind a kite; prevents drifting and/or maintains the kites’ heading into the wind. It helps keep the kite stable.

Dual line kite: Any sport/stunt or power kite that uses two lines for control.

Dyneema line: Dyneema has a slightly different molecular structure than Spectra and slightly better wear characteristics in heavy use areas, but it has a bit more elasticity than Honeywell's Spectra 1000. Dyneema fiber is popular in Europe and is gaining popularity in the US. Dyneema compares well to Spectra (an amazing fiber that is very strong and durable).

-E-

End cap: Hard plastic, vinyl or molded rubber parts that slip over the end of spars.

Extracto Winder: Molded out of high-strength plastic and small enough to fit easily into pockets or kite bags, the Extracto Winder features a built-in spar extraction tool to aid with the breakdown of stunt kites. Three troughs fit spars from .150” OD. A winder is used to store flying line and the line should be properly wound onto the winder in a figure 8 pattern to prevent creating curls in the line.

-F-

Fiberglass: A material composed of glass fibers in an epoxy matrix. This is an excellent kite material that combines strength and flexibility with relative lightweight. It comes in several forms from solid fiberglass rod to hollow tubes. Fiberglass spars have replaced the use of wood rods in kite building. Warning: broken spars have splinters that are barbed, and if they penetrate your skin they can be extremely painful to remove.

Fighter Kites: A very popular kite in the Middle East, India and China. These are usually small highly maneuverable kites that are flown on one line. Fighter Kite contests, where one flier overtakes and captures the other flier’s kite takes great skill. The flier steers the kite using choreography of pulling and slackening the line. Paper and Mylar is a popular covering for these kites.

Flat: Kites having a frame that holds the sail completely flat, and often spars surround the edge of the sail. Example: flag, dragon or serpent kites are often flat with long wide tails.

Foil: Soft kites that are based on the design of the parafoil. They consist of a number of cells running fore to aft, some or all of which are open at the front to allow air to inflate the kite so it takes on an aerofoil section. Due to the amount of power that these kites can generate, they can be used for a variety of different activities including kitesurfing, kiteboarding on land, snowkiting, kitebugging and recreational kiting. Various line set-ups are used to fly foils including 2-, 3- and 4-line systems; 2-line systems comprising of rings, wristbands or a bar. More complex depowerable systems use harnesses and 4-line systems using a bar or handles.

Frame: The assembly of structural members of the kite to which the sail or cover is fastened, often made out of wood or fiberglass. Parts of the frame include: spars that go from side-to-side; a spine that goes top-to-bottom; spreader(s) that holds other spars (rods) apart; riser (standoff), a small spar that lifts the trailing edge of the kite out of the flat plane. The frame may also be called the skeleton (bones) of the kite.

Freestyle: When a kite is referred to as "Freestyle" it is typically a good all round performer, capable of many tricks but having a generally steady pattern of flight. A style of flying which includes tricks (maneuvers or stunts) of more or less difficulty put together in rapid succession.

-G-

Graphite: Carbon based substance that when bonded in an epoxy matrix layer produces an exceptionally strong but very light material ideal for kite frames. Graphite spars are lighter and stiffer than fiberglass though more fragile. They are lighter than their carbon cousins and a bit more expensive. It is available in solid rod form and hollow wound or protruded tubes.

-H-

Handmade paper: Papermaking has traditionally been traced to about 105 AD in china, when Cai Lun, an official attached to the Imperial court during the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD), created a sheet of paper using mulberry and other bast fibres along with fishnets, old rags, and hemp waste. However a recent archaeological discovery has been reported from near Dunhuang of paper with writing on it dating from 8 BC. While paper had been used in China for wrapping, padding and kite making since the 3rd century BC, paper used as a writing medium became widespread by the 2nd century, while the later Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) was the first government on Earth to issue paper-printed money. Paper was one of the earliest materials, along with silk used to make kites, and is still used today in many cultures around the world.

Handles: come in many shapes and materials and are used to hold and/or attach the kite flying line(s).  Soft handles called wrist or finger straps are most often used with sport/stunt kites. For small and light wind sport/stunt kites, most fliers use three-finger straps. These straps give the flier excellent “feel” for the kite’s control and performance. Plastic handles or round rings (Yo Yo’s) that fit the hand and hold the line are the preferred choice for single line kites. Fliers with large sport/stunt kites use foam handles.

High Aspect Ratio: High aspect ratio wings abound in nature. Most birds which have to cover long distances e.g. on migratory routes have a high aspect ratio, and with tapered or elliptical wingtips. This is particularly noticeable on soaring birds such as albatrosses and eagles. Kites function the same way when they are wider from wingtip to wing tip than they are from nose to tail. The high aspect ratio is more efficient and provides greater lift and has lower drag.

Hummer: a tiny kite accessory that when attached to a kite spins with such a force that they whiz and hum.

-I-

Icarex: A trade name used to denote ripstop fabric woven from polyester fibers. This results in a cloth that is somewhat lighter and more fade resistant than nylon ripstop fabric. Due to the sheer thinness it does have its disadvantage of not being as durable as normal ripstop nylon.

-J-

Jojo Stoppers: German HQ name. Also called Yo-Yo Stoppers, these are nub-like devices to be placed along the leading edge of a sport/stunt kite to facilitate catching the flying lines and improving tricks and maneuvers like the Yo-yo, the Roll-up, Fruit Roll-up etc.

HQ offers a molded version that clips onto the leading edge while Prism designed a yo-yo stopper using APA fittings (similar to the fittings that stand-offs are inserted into on the lower spreaders). The APA fittings are attached using small zip ties, and go through a hole in the leading edge. Caution: not all kites are designed to roll-up, stay rolled up or fly while rolled up. We suggest you research your kite before adding yo-yo stoppers.

-K-  

Keel: 1) A triangular piece of fabric/material used instead of a bridle as a kite’s tow point. It does provide stability, but the disadvantage is that it will not allow you to adjust for as many wind conditions, as a bridle will. 2) Describes the underside of the body of a sport/stunt kite.

Kevlar: A type of extremely strong synthetic line with low stretch qualities that was used in the early 90’s for flying kites. It is extremely dangerous because it is so sharp. The preferred line for single line kites is nylon, polyester or Dacron. For sport/stunt kites most fliers use Spectra.

Kite Laundry: See line laundry.

Kite Train: Any combination of linking two or more kites together, each one attached to the kite in front of it and all flown from one control line attached to the lead kite forms a train of kites. There are several methods of creating a kite train. The conventional train of kites passes the flying line through the mid line of all the kites on the train. As it passes through each kite it is also attached to that kite. This method is not suitable for all kites. Another method is called branch training, where each kite has it's own individual flying line that is connected to a main trunk line. The kites fly themselves off the main trunk line appearing as branches of a tree. The most successful method using sport/stunt kites is to attach each kite to the kite in front of it at all its tow points. This method is called stacking and only works with framed kites.

-L-

Lark’s head: A simple knot (also called a cow-hitch) made by forming a loop at the end of a flying line and then folding the loop over itself to create a noose that can be placed over a knot on the end of a bridle line to secure the flying line to the bridle line. It is an excellent way to attach line to a kite and very easy to untie when you want to disconnect from the kite.

Laser Pro Gold: A high performance spectra kite line considered by most pro-fliers as the best line for sport/stunt kites.

Leading Edge: The spar on the outside edge of the kite running from the nose to the wing tip. The forward section of a kite’s wing that is struck first as the kite penetrates the wind.

Lift: Describes an upward force, created by wind pressure on the front surface of a kite and a vacuum on the backside.

Line Set: The lines, which are used to pilot the kite. These lines come in a variety of weight and lengths. Stronger weight lines are required for stronger winds and/or bigger kites. Line sets are usually wound and stored on a line winder.

Line Laundry: Anything that you can hang from your kite or on the line going to your kite is called line laundry. Examples are tails, streamers, wind wheels, spinning baskets, spinners, dynamos, flag lines, tube tails, fuzzy tails, magic tails, spin socks, hypno twisters and on and on, the list is endless. All of them add an exciting, colorful addition to your kite.

Longeron: In kite construction, a longeron or stringer is a round dowel or spar made of wood or poly composites, to which the sail of the kite is fastened or supported by. The longerons are called spines, leading edges, or battens.

Loop knot: a type of terminal connection in which the line is attached to the swivel with a free-swinging loop rather than a snug attachment.

Low Aspect Ratio: A good example of low aspect ratio is the diamond shaped kite. Most people think of the diamond kite as the ‘Ben Franklin’ kite. A kite that is longer from top to bottom than it is wide as in a diamond kite. Although not as efficient as a high aspect kite, it is very stable with the correct amount of tail (streamer) added.

Lower spreader: More correctly called the bottom spreader on a sport/stunt kite it is the spreader that is closest to the tail of the spine. See spreader for more info.

-M-

Multi-line Winder: A multi-line winder can hold two comfortable foam cushion grips and two sets of lines. It has a deep “V” notch for heavy gauge line and shallow arch for ultra light line. Made of durable, high-tech plastic in bright orange for easy visibility on the flying field. Foam handles are lightweight and color-coded. Harbor Wind & Kite Co. has a variety assortment of this kite accessory.

Mylar: Is a lightweight, very low-stretch material that has revolutionized the sail making industry. It is lower in stretch than other woven fabrics. At HP KiteKrafters, we use it strategically to control the airfoil shape the sail takes under load. Used correctly, Mylar also prolongs the life of your sail by keeping it from stretching out over time. Very thin Mylar is also used to cover small kites and dragon kites.

-N-

Nose: The leading point of the kite. The leading edge of a parafoil.

-O-

Octopus Kites: Kites shaped like octopi with long streamers as tentacles shout “on to the sky!” as their colorful streamers dance and delight children of all ages. Popular themes, beautiful graphics and excellent stability make these kites perfect for first-time flyers. Usually made of rip-stop nylon, rayon, polyester, Mylar or silk. No assembly required; just attach the line and add a breezy day for a whole lot of fun.

Outhaul: A nautical term adapted to kite terminology, it is a line, which is part of the bridle of a kite, which is used to widen or narrow the tow point on a sport/stunt kite. This shift has a very dramatic affect on the turning, stalling, recovery and other handling capabilities of the kite.

-P-  

Pitch: describes the up and down motion a kite makes when its nose angles into the wind. Too much pitch will cause the kite to not lift as well as it might. Too little pitch will stall and cause the kite to nosedive toward the ground.

Power Kites: Stunt kites that are flown to experience an upper-body physical workout or just battling the sheer power of the wind. Usually having two lines, they can be framed sport/stunt or foil-type kites. The large power kites (over 8ft) are capable of generating enough pull to lift people weighing under 225lbs off the ground or dragging them if they can hold on.

Pull: To put it in the simplest terms, it is how hard the kite pulls against the flier or its anchor. Very large Peter Lynn kites actually have to be tied to a bulldozer as an anchor.

-Q-

Quad line Kite:  Kites utilizing four flying lines for control. This allows a flier the ability to not only steer left and right like a dual line, but he/she can maneuver the kite to fly sideways, i.e. using the left or right edge of the kite as its leading edge, spin like a propeller, and fly forward or backward. The Rev (Revolution) is the quad line kite of choice for most professional fliers. At Harbor Wind & Kite Co. we have a large selection of quad kites.

-R-

Ready to Fly: Abbreviated, RTF is a term denoting that flying line and/or line, winder and handles are included with kite.

Reel: See winders.

Rip-stop: This term refers to the type of weave that incorporates smaller fibers with larger fibers creating squares of reinforcing fibers in the cloth, which make it resistant to tearing. It is reinforced with fiberglass and is generally nylon or polyester and if it tears, it will most often stop when the tear reaches the reinforcement. It is lightweight, has low stretch characteristics and is perfect for kite making. Rip-stop signifies quality in a kite.

Rip-stop Polyester: Originally developed for America's Cup sailboats, it is a very strong, lightweight sailcloth. Most top-flight kite designers use it because it is exceptionally strong and lightweight with very low stretch. Polyester absorbs less water than Nylon, so a kite will stay much lighter on high humidity days. Polyester also has a higher resistance to UV rays from sunlight, and its colors will last much longer before fading.

Rokkakus: A six-sided basically flat kite. Harbor Wind & Kite Co. sells the finest Rokkakus kites in the industry. First, our unique Velcro tensioning system ensures perfect sail tautness on every setup. Further, our superior carbon struts make possible phenomenal light-wind performance. Finally, the spectacular back-cut appliqué graphics will blow away just about anything on the flying field! Furthermore, they are fun to fly.

Roll: A 'wiggle' along the length of the kite where the right or left sides move up and down. A slight roll will make a kite move to the side - that is how two-line kites work.

Rotor: As the term suggests rotor kites use a spinning sail action to gain lift much like the rotors do on a helicopter. At Harbor Wind & Kite Co. we stock several helicopter kites. They are a novelty, turns heads on the flying field and fun to fly.

-S-

Sail: Any material used to build a foil or cover a kite frame. See cover.

Single line kite: A kite requiring only one line to fly it

Sled: Sled kites have very flexible or no frame. They are easily folded down to a small size for travel, backpacking or boating. Often they are described as  'pocket kites'. Sled kites are easy to make and fly and do not break if they crash. They are excellent learning project kites for children so they make good starter-kites for children.

Sleeving: A short braided line covering (usually 12 inches) which encloses the ends of flying lines and helps to increase the line strength at their tie points and prevent wear.

SLRS: The SLRS (Superior Line Retrieval System) combines the large capacity of a Yo-Yo with the smooth operation of stainless steel ball bearings. The SLRS is ideal for small to medium kites that love “deep sky” flying. These reels have a unique fold out crank that also locks the reel in place and they come with handy zippered cases.

Spar: Any solid rod or tube used in the construction of the kite frame.

Spectra©: A very slippery synthetic fiber used in making kite line. It has a great strength to weight ratio with low stretch characteristics. With this line a sport/stunt kite flier is able to do more revolutions in a line without loss of control or breakage. It is used almost exclusively when flying dual or quad-line kites. It is expensive, but worth it. Its only disadvantage is its low melting point making it easy to be cut by other types of line.

Spine: The center spar (rod) that forms the backbone of certain kites. May also be called a longeron.

Spreader: A spreader is any spar (rod) used to spread the kite side to side. Generally there are two spreaders on delta shaped sport/stunt kites. These are the spars that run horizontally across the span of the kite opening the wings. Also known as either a top spreader or bottom spreader, most stunt kites will have two bottom (lower) spreaders with each one running from the center spine to its leading edge, and one top (upper) spreader which runs from leading edge to leading edge.

Stability: the quality or attribute of being enduring and free from change or variation; the ability of a kite to fly a steady, stable course as it is guided.

Stacking: See Kite train.

Stand off: A short length of carbon or fiberglass spar (rod), which runs between the lower spreader and is attached to the trailing edge of the kite. Stand-offs serve to tension and provide form to the kite, increasing its lift and stability. It also prevents the sail from luffing when flying a kite on the edge of the wind. Old-timers referred to it as a “whisker,” a now out-of-date term.  

Stand off retainer fitting: There are two. One on the bottom spreader and the other on the trailing edge of the kite. There are as many variations of these fittings as there are kites.

Standard kite: Any kite designed for flying in the 4-18mph-wind speed. The ideal wind speed for flying most kites is a constant, turbulence free 12-13mph.

Streamers: See line laundry.

Strut: Small and short pieces of wood dowels, fiberglass, carbon, graphite or bamboo used to reinforce the kite’s frame. Many three-D kites; airplanes, ships, birds, etc. use struts.

Stunt Kites: Also called sport kites that can be maneuvered around the sky for fun, exercise, competition or just entertainment purposes. Most have dual lines and are easy to learn to fly, (pull the left line to turn left, the right to turn right); it’s just that simple. Some have four lines. These are called quads and the second two lines allow the kite to be stopped and hover in the air, spun on the spot or even to be flown sideways or backwards.

Super Ultra Light: See Ultra light kite.

Swivel: A devise, adopted from fishermen gear, used to attach a flying line to a kite. Formerly used to attach flying lines to sport/stunt kites, this practice has been discontinued and replaced by a method of using a lark’s head knot at the end of the flying line tied behind a knot on the bridal line. This method is more efficient and removes a problematic component (the swivel) in the line system.

-T-

T-Connector: A strong molded fixture that holds together the spars for the spine and lower spreaders.

Tail: Long ribbons of fabric attached to the tail or trailing edge of the kite providing stability and decoration. See also line laundry.

Tetrahedron kite: The kite is a geometrical spar frame, covered by sail and called a cell. A tetrahedron kite may contain many cells. Since the kite is cellular, it can be expanded easily just by adding more cells. It is also a very strong, ridged structure, allowing the use of very light and flimsy materials for sail. The down side of using many cells is that a large number of spars make the kite heavy. To offset the weight each cell is usually enlarged to add more sail. It is difficult to create a collapsible version for transport, and it takes a lot of time for setup. It still is a great kite to build and fly.

Three Finger straps: See Handles.

Top Spreader: See spreader.

Tow Point: The connection point for the flying line to attach to the kite. It could be a solid fabric keel, a loop in the bridle or the end of a bridle. The tow point also serves as a place to adjust the kites’ angle of attack to the wind.

Traction Kites: Any large foil-type kite that is designed to have more pull that lift. They are powerful and can pull the user at great speed in a buggy, on an ATB (an off-road skateboard), a skateboard, roller skates, surfboard, and beach boogie board or on a snowboard. Traction kites always have four lines or three lines to allow for braking.

Trailing Edge: The back (aft) edge of the kite is always known as the trailing edge.

Train: See Kite train.

Turbulence: Irregular motion of the atmosphere, as indicated by gusts and lulls in the wind. Trees, buildings, burms and uneven ground can cause turbulence making it almost impossible to fly a kite, especially a sport/stunt kite.

-U-  

Ultra Light kite: A kite designed to be flown in a wind range of 2-9 mph.  These kites are tailored with very lightweight materials and will not fly in heavier winds without breaking up. Super Ultra Light kites are designed for optimal performance in wind range 0-6 mph. Super ultra lights are best flown indoors on very short lines.

Upper leading edge: the upper section of the leading edge wing being first struck by the wind.

Upper Spreader: See spreader.

Upwind: the direction the wind is coming from.  

-V-

Variable Vented kite: A kite with vents with variable covers attached with Velcro that allows the flier to remove or reposition the covers thereby creating various sized openings in the kite.  The purpose of the vents is to control the amount of wind passing through the sail. These kites can be flown in 20-30 mph wind speeds.

Vent: An opening in the kite sail to reduce the wind pressure on the face of the kite and improve its stability.

-W-

Whisker: Antiquated name for a standoff. These are small tensioning rods used to tension or batten a sail. See Standoff.

Wind range: A term used to describe the range of winds that a kite will fly well in. Usually given in mph.

Wind shadow: The area behind an obstacle (such as tall shrubs, trees or buildings) where air movement is not capable of flying a kite.

Wind speed: the velocity or speed of the wind as it passes the kite. The ideal wind speed for kite flying is 10-15mph, however many kites made today will fly in as little as 3-5mph and up to 25-30mph. Remember in most cases the larger the kite, the less wind it takes to fly it.

Wind wheels: Sometimes called dynamos, F-Stops, and other trade names wind wheels added to a flying line create a spectacular kite display in the sky. They come in many diameters from inches to feet.

Wind window: describes the area, a 120-180 degree arc of the sky downwind of the flier, in which the kite can be flown. Roughly, one fourth of a sphere's surface.

Wingtip: The very end of a kite’s wing is called its wingtip.

Wrist straps: See Handles.

-X-

X-Zylo: A spectacular throwing air toy. Approximately 5 inches in diameter and made of a very rugged poly material, these air toys are designed to be thrown like footballs. When thrown correctly, they literally float on the wind for great distances. The record for distance is over 200 yards in a single throw. That’s two football fields!

-Y-

Yaw: Refers to the "fish-tailing" action of a kite caused by external forces that set the kite’s mass into a lateral (side-to-side) motion.

Yo-Yo Stoppers: See Jojo stoppers.

Yo Yo Winders: Simply the best non-mechanical line winders you can buy. Yo-Yo Winders make it easy to dispense the line and reel it in quickly. Easy to grip with one hand. Available in 5, 6, 8, and 10-inch diameters with or without line.

-Z-