String Attachment.—­A box kite will fly very well if the string is attached to the top box only.  The tail box is then free to tilt up and trim the kite to varying pressures independently of the ascent of the kite as a whole.  When the bottom box also is connected to the string it is a somewhat risky business sending a kite up in a high wind, as in the earlier part of the ascent the kite is held by the double bridle fairly square to the wind.  If any doubt is entertained as to the ability of the string to stand the pressure, the one-box attachment is preferable, though possibly it does not send the kite to as great a height as might be attained under similar conditions by the two-box bridle.

[Illustration:  Fig. 118.—­Box kite with rear wings.]

When one has to attach a string or wire to a large kite at a single point, the ordinary method of using an eye screwed into the front stick is attended by obvious risks.  Mr. Dines employs for his kites (which measure up to nine feet in height) an attachment which is independent of the front stick.  Two sticks, equal in length to the width of the sail, are tacked on to the inner side of the sail close to the front stick.  Rings are secured to the middle of the sticks and connected by a loop of cord, to which the wire (in this case) used for flying the kite is made fast.

A Box Kite with Wings.—­The type of kite shown in Fig. 118 is an excellent flyer, very easy, to make and very portable.  The two boxes give good longitudinal stability, the sides of the boxes prevent quick lateral movements, and the two wings projecting backwards from the rear corners afford the “dihedral angle” effect which tends to keep the kite steadily facing the wind.  The “lift,” or vertical upward pull, obtained with the type is high, and this, combined with its steadiness, makes the kite useful for aerial photography, and, on a much larger scale, for man-lifting.

The materials required for the comparatively small example with which the reader may content himself in the first instance are: 

8 wooden rods or bamboos, 4 feet long and 1/2 inch in diameter. 4 yards of lawn or other light, strong material, 30 inches wide. 12 yards of unbleached tape, 5/8 inch wide. 8 brass rings, 1 inch diameter.

The Boxes.—­Cut off 2 yards 8 inches of material quite squarely, fold down the middle, crease, and cut along the crease.  This gives two pieces 80 by 15 inches.

Double-stitch tape along the edges of each piece.

Lay the ends of a piece together, tapes inside, and stitch them together half an inch from the edge.  Bring a rod up against the stitching on the inside, and calculate where to run a second row of stitching parallel to the first, to form a pocket into which the rod will slip easily but not loosely. (See Fig. 119, a.)

Remove the rod and stitch the row.

Now repeat the process at the other end of the folded piece.  The positions of the other two rod pockets must be found by measuring off 15 inches from the inner stitching of those already made. (Be careful to measure in the right direction in each case, so that the short and long sides of the box shall be opposite.) Fold the material beyond the 15-inch lines to allow for the pockets and the 1/2-inch “spare,” and make the two rows of stitching.