History

The kite was probably invented by the Greek scientist Archytas in the 5th century. The kite was first used in Asia for pleisure.Countries like China, Malaysia, Japan and Indonesia are the most kite-populated areas nowadays. The kites used in these countries may not always be very advanced, but they are good flyers, handbuilt and cheap. A kite that flies over a house during the night was believed to keep evil spirits away. In some of the countries in Asia kites are still used in a religious purpose.

When you mention the word 'kite' in Europe, most people think of Benjamin Franklin. In a famous experiment in 1752 he hung a metal key from a kite line during a storm. When the kite was struck by lightning Franklin demonstrated the electrical nature of the fenomenon. Kites were long used for weather observations, but when the balloon and the airplane was invented they were used instead. Kites were also used by the military before the start of the 20th century. The kite was mainly used for observation, but airplanes and balloons took it's place even here.