h a l f b a k e r yI like this idea, only I think it should be run by the government.
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disclaimers:
1) Use only in familiar areas - you'll need to know where the trees and power lines are.
2) You'd think this would already exist, but a quick Google didn't turn up anything.
3) This is actually my wife's idea, posted by proxy (me).
LED-lit Night kites
http://www.guernsey...photog.html#gallery
Similar. [waugsqueke, Oct 04 2004]
Glow-in-the-dark hairkites
http://bz.pair.com/fun/glowkites.html
Um, a visualization of a collaborative project between [FarmerJohn], [beauxeault] and [beauxeault]'s wife. Shot on location in Iceland, at midnight.
[20Kb image] [bristolz, Oct 04 2004]
(?) Lights for kite
http://www.geocitie...alb_luci/lights.htm
Fly at night it with kites is an experience to try. [mgangemi, Oct 04 2004]
(?) Kite Lights
http://www.windpowe...ies/kitelights.html
More lights [migennes, Oct 04 2004]
Glow in the dark paint.
http://www.theglowc..._THE_DARK_PAINT.htm
It does what it says on the tin [sufc, Oct 04 2004]
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Make sure you fly it where the UFO spotters can see it. |
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Paint a really scary face on it to excite the neighborhood kiddies. |
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You could paint a moon on it, and then fly it on a beach somewhere on a warm cloudy night. |
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Genie with long tail please. + |
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could this be done with fibre optics? |
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bris, that is just genius. |
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Here is a spin on the kite idea: fill a balloon with natural gas (hopefully it will have some hydrogen in it). Tie it off with a long polyester knitting yarn. Light the end and let it go. It will float up into the night sky with flaming drops falling from it rather prettily. Eventually, the yarn burns to the balloon, igniting it in a swirling ball of fire. This makes a very satisfactory spectacle, resulting in many calls to the authorities. |
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Would certainly explain those mysterious lights others have reported on these pages. |
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What an excellent idea. I love bristolz's contribution,
photoshop is truly a wonderful thing. |
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Great idea, I would be suprised if they aren't already in use in Japan though. |
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Woop, I just googled for luminescent kite, very baked. |
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Can I add my vote to the clamour for croissanting annotations? Or in this case, links? Brilliant (NPI), bris. |
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// fill a balloon with natural gas // |
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Doesn't work. Methane (CH4) has about the same density as air, the balloons just flop around - no lift. Acetylene doesn't work either. You have to use hydrogen. The metallised balloons are better as they have a lower diffusion rate. |
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Polyester yarn tends to blow out especailly if the balloon achieves a high rate of ascent; Green PIC (time fuse, 1 inch per second) is better, but expensive. If you have 3 balloons you can lift a small flare or waterfall unit (drops white sparks). A small plastic cup or bag of gasoline suspended below the balloon gives and impressive fireball when the fuse reaches it (the hydrogen itself doesn't give much of a flame). Or you can have a pushme-pullyou arrangement with 2 hydrogen balloons and one methane or acetylene balloon. Add a small thunderflash for extra noise. NB observe local altitude limits and notify ATC if necessary. |
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Definitely results in many calls to the authorites and several letters of complaint in local newspapers the following week. |
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Yes, but would you want it attached to your hair? |
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//Doesn't work...the balloons just flop around//
[8th of 7] Well, my crazy uncle taught me this. I tried it again a few years ago, and it does work, although it depends upon the makeup of the local gas (in some areas, natural gas contains hydrogen). But, if you don’t get enough lift, there is a danger of your mini Hindenburg blowing sideways into your neighbor's dead pine tree, and setting that off in a spectacular blaze. If this should happen, retreat indoors until firemen arrive. Then, in housecoat and slippers, answer any probing questions with mysterious references to “ball lightning”. |
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I decided I loved Chemistry when I found out about the periodic table. What a beautiful thing, to discover that matter lines up as 1, 2, 3, 4,... But if that had not inspired me, my first day in college chemistry class would have. |
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It was a freshman "weeder" course at a large university, so there were about 300 in the class and it was taught in a large room with a very high ceiling to accommodate the stadium-style seating. The professor walked in and said "I'm going to show you why I'm a chemist." He ignited the string of a balloon filled with helium and let it drift upward. Before it reached the ceiling, the flame reached the balloon, and there was a small "pop." |
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"That," he said, "was a *physicist's* reaction." |
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Then he lit the string of a similar balloon, filled with hydrogen. This time, of course, rather than a little "pop," we experienced a huge "FWOOM!" and we all felt the heat and concussion wave on our faces. |
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With a maniacal grin, the professor turned to us and said, "That was a *chemist's* reaction, and *that* is why I am a chemist!" |
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You might like Oliver Sach's book "Uncle Tungsten," [beauxeault]. |
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//Make sure you fly it where the UFO spotters can see it.// |
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I propose an LED autogyro kite: The kite has two or more lightweight black blades with LEDs on the tip connected to the yarn by a swivel hook. |
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The kite is spun up by hand with a ripcord and cast downwind. The blades autorotate generating lift. The spinning LEDs draw circles and spirals in the sky. |
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You could theoretically generate enough energy from the rotation to light the LEDs without degrading performance too much, although for simplicity I'd probably just use a button cell or cyalume tips. |
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Heck, I could make this myself from fishing line, coat hanger wire, a mini-bearing (for better performance), cardboard and LEDs. All I need is nephew as an excuse to build it. |
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Hydrogen has 26 grams of lift per mole (about 23 liters). Helium has 24 grams of lift per mole. Methane (CH4) has 12. Not nearly as much as helium, but still significant. Acetylene (H2C2H2) has zero lift, since it weighs 28 g/m, about the same as air. |
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Im feelin good old quarter stick of dynamite, you save the kit until say christmas around the ass crack of dawn and light the fuse and let it fly, kids from all over the town will think old saint nick kicked the bucket... tsk tsk |
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A couple of my kitesurfing buddies decided to go out kiting at night on Manly beach (Sydney, Australia). They attached those photochemical glowsticks to their kites and caused quite a bit of confusion on the beach! |
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Glow in the dark paint mixed with a bit of varnish and away you go. I've tried it recently and it works well. Next time I'm going to attach a small battery run UV light for a bit of extra glow. |
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This may sound strange, or it may have even been some kind of UFO...I have no idea. My friend and I decided to go to the Southend of Wrightsville Beach one night. There is beach and sand dunes for miles, and a ton of people hang out when it is dark. Well, as we walked up to the gazeebo, when we first walked in, all of a sudden we saw this beautiful glowing red object flying ever so calmly in the hair, it was almost like a hover. Right underneath the glowing red, there were two streamers flowing in a circular motion...like it was the kites tail. I tried to search the Internet as well, to find a kite like this, and no luck. If something like this could be manufactured, I would definitely purchase it cause it was such a wonderful and amazing site to see. |
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