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Steering
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By Dan Beard

In 1893 the New York underwriters took to flying immense star kites covered with oilcloth. These kites had two bellybands and two strings to guide or steer the kites by, and tails of jute, with a life buoys attached.

The two-stringed star kite is an invention of Professor J Woodbridge Davis of New York (See Fig. 29).

Steering Kites.

Seven years ago the professor began to experiment in flying kites, and being displeased with the stationary position ordinarily assumed by them, and not satisfied with the wig-waggle of the short-tailed or the darting of the light-tailed variety, which imparts so much excitement to the young novice, he added two bellybands and two stings, by means of which after a little practice he was able to steer his kite around the sky and make it perform all manner of absurd antics, to the great delight of the small boys.

It is said that the professor became so proficient with his kite that he could make it cut out letters in the sky, dance and dive, and do other marvelous things. He also found that he could make it go off the wind many degrees. In speaking of what he could now make the kite do, he said it would not sail upon the wind as the Vigilant and Valkyrie did, but it could make some very remarkable tacks.

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