Panflute Kite

The Panflute is a soft kite (no sticks) made of 7 connected windsock like tubes or cells. It has a good wind range and flies at an angle of 30-40 degrees. It flys with a side-to-side sway, or wobble, making this kite very pleasent to look at in the sky, particularly with a long ribbon tail, or other decoration.

Start by making the two templates (or measure directly) from cardboard, to cut seven (7) of each type panel ('B' for the bottom, 'T' for the top panel). For aesthetics try alternating contrasting colours for each cell or create a rainbow color sequence.

The kite is very forgiving, so while a hem allowance should be added, it isn't required.

Similarly you do not need to use exactly the measurements suggested on the template. A bit shorter or longer is fine, same with the widths. As long as the base width, at the lower end of bottom templete 'B', (7 cm in this diagram) is roughly doubled (14 cm), and quadrupled (28 cm), everything will work out.

On all the pieces hem the top and bottom edges. Then starting with one 'B' and one 'T' piece, for an outside tube, and pin them together along one side edge with the outside faces facing each other, IE: top and bottom edge hems on the outside, inside sides on the outside.

At this point also sew some loops at both ends of seam. These will be used to attach one end of the bridle line and tail lines of the finished kite. The bridle loop should be directed to the side, as that is where the pull comes from, while the tail or drogue loops should face downward.

In larger versions you may like to add a side pannel rather than a bridle loop. The pannel is made by layering and sewing together the material to make it thicker and stiffer, particularly as you get to the corner with the bridle point. Its job is not to add surface area to the kite, but to spread the forces from the bridle line accross the kite as evenly as posible, and prevent kite from folding up due to those forces. It is NOT needed for a normal sized panflute.

Preprepare the side pannel first, and hen both outside edges. Position it between the top and bottom pieces, before sewing through all three pannels.

You may also like to do a second run of the hem though the machine with a zig-zag stitch down the edge of the hems to prevent fraying. Isn't nessary, but will make the kite more robust and last longer. I didn't do this with my first panflute and it is now (5 years later) showing problems. Still flys great though (see photo left).

Fold the first two pieces along the seam, so the outside of the pieces is now outside. Taking another pair of top and bottom pieces sandwich the first two pieces already sewn together between these. Top piece over top piece, so the two outsides face each other. Simularly with the bottom. If you remember the outside sides face each other when sewing you should never get this wrong.

Pin them carefully together and sew through all four pieces, to finish the edge tube and start the next tube. This can be tricky so take your time and do it right. Run the edit through the sewing machine again using a zigzag or blanket stitch to stop the material fraying.

Repeat with another pair of top and bottom panels, twice more, to complete three tubes and one side of the middle tube of the kite.

Start the process again but starting from the other end of the kite, with the opposite edge of the pieces. When you run out of pieces you should have two halfs of the kite completed with only the last seam of the middle tube to be sewn.

This last seam is the most difficult as you have to roll both groups of panels into the middle cell you are closing off. That is the whole kite is rolled up, inside the middle tube, which is then completed, inside out.

Take your time and figure it out. and remember, inside faces of the top and bottom panel will face outside. Use lots of things like, pins, bulldog clips, clothes pegs, or anything else, to hold the two rolls of material tightly together in a roll, and help you position the four panels for the final seam. Only when you are sure you have it right, and you will not sew though more than the four panels you intend, should you proceed with the final seam.

When the final seam has been sewn, pull the kite out of the middle tube to form its normal working shape, removing any pegs, pins, or buldog clips you used to hold the rolls of fabric together.

To the loops you sewed at the front (upper) corners of the kite tie a bridle line approximately 2 metres long (longer the better, a cheap braided nylon builders line is good for this). Then tie a loop in the middle of this line to attach the flying line. Repeat for the lower corners using a much shorter length (about a metre), so you can attach a tail to the middle.

The plan calls for a drogue, to steady the kite. However I found a 5 metre ribbon tail, or tube will work much better, (and look good too). You can also just attach two seperate tails directly to the two lower corners instead. Almost anything will do as its job is only to remove some of the side-side 'wobble', of the kite. It should be a good length. If a drouge is used put it at the end of at least a 2 meter line, so it is some distance from the kite.