A look at one of my designs, and the plan to build one.

I designed the Firefly Fighter over 20 years ago. This is a western style fighter kite, small and quick. I wanted a swallowtail kite with a different look to it. Something that was the inverse of an Indian Fighter with its distinctive triangular tail. Of course most western designs are variations on the classic diamond kite shape, and while swallowtail kites aren’t uncommon, I liked the result. The battens support the swallowtail points, and that helps the sail to remain tight. The trailing edge has a gentle curve. I didn’t want too many straight lines, but it can be built with straight trailing edges too, and that doesn’t affect the performance of the kite much. I usually make this kite out of Mylar to keep it light. It wasn’t designed to carry cutting line, though it probably can. It flies very well in a wind range of 4 to 12 mph. Over the years I’ve built the Firefly using Orcon (as in the photo above), mylar, paper or cellophane wrap that florists use. The plan can be scaled up slightly, but will require a stiffer bow and battens. All the details are on the plan. Just click the link below to learn how to build a Firefly.

The plan for the Firefly can be found here:

http://www.fighterkitecentral.com/plans/Firefly-Tom%20Humphrey.pdf

The Firefly is a joy to fly in a calm breeze. For fighter kite enthusiasts out there, I hope you will build one and enjoy it as much as I have! To see me flying this kite, see below:

I hope you have fun building and flying your Firefly Fighter!