what makes a kite fly?
142850
When you have a difference of pressure in the air there is a "low" and a "high" zone (think weather forcast on the news). The high pressure zone naturally wants to "even out" with the low so air moves to it creating wind among other things. Actually the air doesn't just move, it gets sucked! It's the same principal with a vacuum cleaner, only instead of dirt you've got a kite. You also have the shape of the kite which can manipulate the wind force and give it lift. I can't say I'm a kite engineer(I wish though) but the angles are probably a key role in how the kite is better controlled.
1140242
The wind exerts more pressure on the open side of the cups than it does on the rounded side, so that no matter which direction the wind is coming from, the cups will spin.  Wind velocity is calculated by the speed of the spin -- rotations are counted and divided by the time of measurement.  It was invented in 1846 but didn't really become accurate until electrical spin counters and timers were added.
711048
A catapult or a slingshot.
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Sails can go against the wind but not ireactly into it. There is about 90degrees, 45degrees either side of the direction that boats with sails struggle into.\n\nThe sail is shaped much like an aeroplane wing and it is this shape that forces the air to move fater over one side of the sail than the other, decreasing air pressure on one side of the sail and pulling the boat along. This will pull the boat in a slighlty side on motion to the desired travel but a central board (dagger board) creates sideways resistance and forces the forward  motion to be dominant.
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An aircraft flies due to aerodynamic reactions that happen when there is relative motion between air and a wing.\n\nIf a cross-section of a typical aircraft wing is viewed, the top of the wing can be seen to be curved downwards, while the bottom of the wing is less curved or straight, but angled to the airflow. This shape, called an airfoil or aerofoil, creates lift when it travels through the air. However, this optimisation is not applicable for aerobatic aircraft, which need to fly inverted, or for supersonic aircraft.\n\nLift is created as an airstream passes by something which deflects it. The force created by this deflection of the air creates an equal and opposite force on the wing according to Newton's third law of motion. The deflection of airflow downward during the creation of lift is known as downwash.\n\nNearly any shape will produce lift if curved or tilted with respect to the air flow direction. However, most shapes will be very inefficient and create too much drag. One of the primary goals of wing design is to devise a shape that produces the most lift while producing the least lift-induced drag.
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Cheetah, they can run 60 mph. (on land)\nPeregrine falcon, it can fly up 100-200 mph (in the air) \nBaleen Whale, it can swim up to 30 mph (in water)
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The one word answer is, spin. In fact, in 1671 Sir Isaac Newton noted how the flight of a tennis ball was exaggerated by spin. However, there is more to the curve that just that. The curve of a spinning ball, be that of a tennis ball, baseball, golf-ball, or even a cannon ball is due to a phenomenon coined the “Magnus Effect”. In 1877, Lord Rayleigh credited Magnus with the first “true explanation” of the effect.\n\nThe explanation of the Magnus Effect is a relatively simple exercise in aerodynamics and conservation of momentum. When any object is moving through a fluid, such as air, its surface interacts with a thin layer of air known as the boundary layer. In the case of the sphere or ball, the boundary layer separates from the surface, creating a wake or low-pressure region behind the ball. The front-to-back pressure difference creates a backward force on the ball, which slows its forward motion. This is the normal air resistance, or aerodynamic drag, that acts on every object. However, if the ball is spinning as it moves, the boundary layers separates at different points on opposite sides of the ball — further upstream on the side of the ball that is turning into the airflow, and further downstream on the side turning with the airflow.\n\nConsequently, the air flowing around the ball is deflected slightly sideways, resulting in an asymmetrical wake behind the ball. If it is assumed that the air in the wake has “left” momentum, for momentum to be conserved the ball must possess an equal but opposite or “right” momentum. Hence a sideways deflection in the trajectory occurs. The magnitude and direction of this resulting momentum vector and its corresponding Magnus force is directly dependent on the velocity vector of the ball with respect to the air, angular velocity vector of the ball, surface roughness, cross-sectional ball area, and air density. Examining each of these items and their influence on the magnitude and direction of the curve we see that:\n\n1.Velocity and angular velocity: Primarily, these vectors define the direction the ball curves, which is mutually perpendicular to both vectors (see: Alaways & Hubbard). Secondly, spin rate has a one-to-one correspondence with the curve’s magnitude, the higher the spin rate the greater the curve. Finally, the ball speed has an inverse proportional relationship to the curve, the faster the pitch the smaller the curve.\n\n2.Surface roughness and cross-sectional area: These factors influence the curve by being the means by which the air is deflected. In essence the seams on the ball grab the air and redirect it. Imagine the paddles on a paddle wheel as it moves through water, the larger the paddles the bigger the splash. An increased ball cross-sectional area allows for more air to be deflected by having more surface area in contact with the air and therefore more air available to redirect.\n\n3.Air density: We all have heard that baseballs curve more at sea level than in the Rocky Mountains. This is due to increased air density at sea level resulting in increase momentum for equal volumes of redirected air. Since momentum is conserved the ball’s momentum goes up with the air’s momentum resulting in larger curves at lower elevations.
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If you're keen on stunning kites and cunning stunts, buy a cunning stunning stunt kite. \n\nThe sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick so six slick sheiks sold six sick sheep six silk sheets.\n\nA quick witted cricket critic.\n\nI'm not the pheasant plucker, I'm the pheasant plucker's mate,\nAnd I'm only plucking pheasants 'cause the pheasant plucker's late.     \nI'm not the pheasant plucker, I'm the pheasant plucker's son,  \nAnd I'm only plucking pheasants till the pheasant pluckers come.\n\nSix sick hicks nick six slick bricks with picks and sticks. \n\nBetty Botter bought some butter, "But", she said "this butter's bitter, If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter! But a bit of better butter will make my batter better!". So she bought some better butter, better than the bitter butter, and she put it in her batter and her batter was not bitter! So 'twas better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter. .\n\nLuke's duck likes lakes. Luke Luck licks lakes. Luke's duck licks lakes. Duck takes licks in lakes Luke Luck likes. Luke Luck takes licks in lakes duck likes.\n\nThrough three cheese trees three free fleas flew.\nWhile these fleas flew, freezy breeze blew.\nFreezy breeze made these three trees freeze.\nFreezy trees made these trees' cheese freeze.\nThat's what made these three free fleas sneeze.\n(taken from Fox in Sox by Dr. Seuss)\n\nDid Dick Pickens prick his pinkie pickling cheap cling peaches in an inch of Pinch or framing his famed French finch photos? \n\nBobby Bippy bought a bat.\nBobby Bippy bought a ball.\nWith his bat Bob banged the ball\nBanged it bump against the wall\nBut so boldly Bobby banged it\nThat he burst his rubber ball\n""Boo!"" cried Bobby\nBad luck ball\nBad luck Bobby, bad luck ball\nNow to drown his many troubles\nBobby Bippy's blowing bubbles.\n\nWunwun was a racehorse, Tutu was one too. \nWunwun won one race, Tutu won one too.
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Why does a bird fly?  A fish swim?
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They do fly.\n\nWhere are you getting your misinformation?
520546
The sail acts like a wing that creates a certain forward force on the boat, regardless of its forward speed.  If the resistance to the motion (mostly water drag) is low enough, the boat can easily go faster than the wind.  Certain ice boats (with only runners for drag) have exceeded 100 mph with a 20 mph breeze.
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Ben Franklin and his kite.\n\nLightbulbs
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So you want to fly a kite? I do not blame you, as it could be fun.\n1. Tie two pieces of wood (you can use plastic tubing or bamboo) forming a cross. The ‘vertical’ piece can be 24 to 36” and the ’horizontal’ 14 to 20” long.\n2. Sail material:\na. If you use paper for the skin then tie string (a upholstery thread will do just fine) at the corners of the formed diamond or tips of the cross. Attach paper to the string. The string will prevent the paper from ripping. \nb. If you use fabric then there is hardly any need for the string, however hemming the edges is recommended. \n3. Attach 4 strings (use butcher cord or a  Polyester 40 lb line) each about 36” to the corners of the diamond then tie the loose ends together.\n4. Attach a tail made of ribbons (anything you fancy, be creative)\n5. Attach a line (butcher cord or  Polyester 40  lb line) to the ends you tied earlier and go fly that kite.\n6. I recommend a proper spool for your line.\n\nEnjoy.
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Diamond- and wing-shaped kites, being very light, need the tail for stability in flight; to give weight to the bottom and keep the kite upright in the wind.  Box kites, which are inherently heavier, do not require tails because there is sufficient weight below the string to keep the kite upright.
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it cuts down on the wind resistance and allows them to fly faster toward their destination
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Both:\n\nHave wings\nHave landing gear (legs for condor)\nNeed air to fly\nUtilize wind to help give them lift\nEmit waste\nUse energy\nNeed fuel\nFly.
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There is a lot of physics in sailing. The most important principle is Bernoulli's Principle, and it is the main reason that a sailboat moves. When the wind blows on a sail, it produces turbulent motion in the lee area of the sail, and lower pressures, which pull the sailboat forward. \n\n\nThere is also drag of the water and the air to consider, and buoyancy forces and their balance, wave propagation, and many other details. The following web site will get you started.