 The Kite ( 风筝 ) is the activity of flying kites. In this context a kite is a light, man-made object designed to fly in wind. The necessary lift that makes the kite fly is generated when the kite deflects a portion of the wind downwards. In addition to the lift, this deflection generates horizontal drag along the direction of the wind. This drag is opposed with the tension of one or more lines held by the operator of the kite. Kites held with more than one line can be steered by pulling the different lines with different strength.
In addition to kites that are mainly designed for the purpose of flying themselves there are power kites or traction kites. These are designed to generate substantial excess lift and pull that can be applied in related activities such as kite surfing, kite buggying or the like.Kite flying has been traced back to early China, and the development of paper. The earliest documented reference to a kite is the bird kite invented by Mo-Di in China, around 400 BC.
Kite flying requires lightweight but strong twine, as well as paper or tightly-woven cloth. Kites typically consist of one or more spars (sticks) that hold a sail of fabric taut. Classic kites use bamboo, rattan or other strong but flexible wood for the spars, and use paper or light fabrics such as silk for the sails. Many modern kites use synthetic materials, such as nylon or more exotic fabrics for the sails, and fiberglass or carbon fiber for the spars.
Chinese kite designs often emulate flying insects, birds, and other beasts, both real and mythical. The finest Chinese kites are made from split bamboo (usually golden bamboo), covered with silk, and hand painted. On larger kites, clever hinges and latches allow the kite to be disassembled and compactly folded for storage or transport. Lower-cost kites are often made from printed polyester rather than silk.
Kites flown by children are often the geometric type. Kites can be designed with many different shapes, forms and sizes, from historic flat geometric designs, through box kites and other aerodynamic forms, to modern sparless inflatable designs.
 Modern acrobatic kites use more than one line to allow fine control of the kite's angle to the wind.
A recent addition to the kite family is the rotorkite. This type of kite consists of a rotor or rotors much like the rotors found on helicopters and autogiros. In a proper wind the rotors spin and create lift. This type of kite requires two control lines, one for each hand.
Kites have been used militarily in the past, both for delivery of messages and munitions, and for observation, by lifting an observer above the field of battle, and by using kite aerial photography.
Kites have also been used for scientific purposes, such as Benjamin Franklin's famous (but dangerous) experiment proving that lightning is electricity. Kites were the precursors to aircraft, and were instrumental in the development of early flying craft. Alexander Graham Bell experimented with very large man-carrying kites, as did the Wright brothers.In recent years, multi-line kite flying has developed into a sport, with competitions for precision flying and for the artistic interpretation of music.
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