Almost 3,000 years old, kite technology is still being put to a
large number of recreational, commercial, and military uses
today. Kites are Airplanes Kites are really tethered gliders.
Think about it. Just like a regular airplane they need to have
lift, thrust, stability, and control. The Wright brothers flew
their early airplane designs as kites to test their ideas. Only
after they were happy with the amount of lift and stability did
they build bigger versions capable of carrying a human being. I
had never heard of these before, but powered model airplanes are
sometimes flown as kites. They are called captive planes. The
kite line permits a limited type of steering. I do not know if
it is right to call them kites, but I have seen free flight
gliders flown with long lines hanging down. Periodically, the
pilot on the ground tugs on the line to steer the glider towards
lift. Experimental helicopter-like tethered platforms have been
built over the years. They have served the same purpose as
tethered balloons, e