Book 3, Question 116
Why Does a Kite Need Wind?
A kite is like a wing on a string. Moving air hits its tilted face and slides over the top. The difference in push lifts the kite up, against gravity!
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 3
More fun facts
- A kite is a heavier than air object that flies, just like an airplane.
- Most kites have three main parts: the body, the bridle and the control line.
- Drag on a kite comes from the difference in air pressure between its front and back, and from air rubbing over its surface.
- Lift comes from differences in air pressure, made by air moving over the kite.
- An airplane gets thrust from its engines, but a kite gets it from the string and moving air, made by wind or by the flyer running.
- The Wright brothers flew their 1900 aircraft as a kite and used kite experiments to learn how their airplane would fly.
Sources: Smithsonian, NASA, NASA
Questions kids ask
Can you fly a kite with no wind?
You can if you run, because moving the kite through the air does the same job as wind.