Scott sled
Encyclopedia
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and based on an earlier design by William Allison, also based in Ohio. In 1964 it was featured in 'Kite Tales' the newsletter of the American Kitefliers Association, as a result it became much more widely known. A large number of derivative designs have appeared since then, the design described here is as it appeared in 1964.
Allison patented his kite in 1956, Scott never did. Allison won a civil cease and desist order against the Scott family after it had made and sold millions of kites.
The design is known for its ease of construction, sturdiness, light weight, portability, stability, and good performance. It's a sort of scoop-shaped parachute, held open by parallel spar
Spar
In sailing, a spar is a pole of wood, metal or lightweight materials such as carbon fiber used on a sailing vessel. Spars of all types In sailing, a spar is a pole of wood, metal or lightweight materials such as carbon fiber used on a sailing vessel. Spars of all types In sailing, a spar is a...
s. Most of the shape of the kite is produced by the pressure of the wind.
Description
The cover is made of polyethylenePolyethylene
Polyethylene or polythene is the most widely used plastic, with an annual production of approximately 80 million metric tons...
sheet about 0.0015 inches thick. Three vertical spars are taped to the cover. These spars are wooden dowel
Dowel
A dowel is a solid cylindrical rod, usually made of wood, plastic or metal. In its original manufactured form, dowel is called dowel rod.Dowel rod is employed in numerous, diverse applications. It is used to form axles in toys, as detents on gymnastics grips, as knitting needles, as structural...
s 1/8 or 3/16 inch in diameter. A two-legged bridle is used, one leg taped to the each side of the cover. The length of this bridle is between 6 and 9 feet long. Care is taken to make sure each leg is of the same length.
This kite type has continued to evolve, generally with only two spars. Vents are shaped differently, sometimes more vents or none at all. They are just called 'sled kites'.