A lightweight aircraft鈥攐ften erroneously considered a toy鈥攑ropel-led by the wind and controlled by a user on the ground via a line or set of lines. 聽are believed to have been constructed out of silk and bamboo in sixth-century China, where the monoplane was used for military purposes like signaling. In 1903, Wild West showman got in a small boat, attached it to a 鈥渕an-lifting鈥 kite鈥攁n item that most closely resembled a biplane鈥攁nd crossed the English Channel. Many innovations followed. Kite surfers now fly over the water behind inflatable designs, while Arctic explorers use lightweight and packable foil designs to pull themselves on skis across vast stretches of ice.
Kite

(Photo: Jarno Schurgers/Red Bull Content)
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