Build a Kite Aerial Photography Rig

If you can imagine it, there’s probably been a kite made of it. From box to barn door and sled to sode, the variety can be overwhelming. Just about any kite can carry a camera if it’s big enough, though, so the most important thing is for you to choose a kite design you think you can actually build. I went with a simple delta design I found on the internet. The delta is a proven kite with lots of lifting power and a simple shape. It’s also very aerodynamically forgiving, which is important for a first-time kite constructor who’s likely to do a less-than-perfect job.

There are hundreds of free kite plans available on the web. Take your time browsing through them, and find one you really like.

It was important to me that the entire kite be made from materials I could pick up locally. Of course you can find a better selection (and probably better prices) from online retailers, but if there’s one thing I know about making, it’s that you never get all the supplies you need on the first go. Being able to swing by a store to pick up those last few pieces you forgot can help maintain the momentum of your project. Also, everything that goes up in the air must come down, and if it comes down hard, you’ll want to be able to pick up replacement parts without waiting several days for shipping.

For the kite, I used ripstop nylon fabric, some webbed nylon strapping, three 1/4″ dowels, and one 3/8″ dowel. For the camera mount, you need a length of aluminum bar stock, two small springs (or carabiners), four eye screws, and a small bolt and nut.

Not pictured: kite line and winder, a sewing needle with thread (preferably the same material as your kite fabric), and a small washer.

The most important part of cutting the pattern for a delta kite is that it be perfectly symmetrical. The best way to do this is to fold along the center line and cut out both sides at the same time. The pattern that I followed is shown above.

Use a big flat area to do your cutting. Sharp scissors, clamps/pins, and weights to hold down the fabric will help you out a lot.

If you’re using nylon, you don’t have to hem the edges to keep them from fraying. Just run the flame from a lighter quickly along the edges. It’s not as strong as a hem, but it is much easier.

The world is full of people who both own and know how to operate a sewing machine. I am not one of them. I stitched the entire kite by hand. But don’t be intimidated by a bit of sewing! If I can figure it out, you can too. My stitches look terrible, but you’ll never see them when they’re 100 feet in the sky. This is the perfect opportunity to catch up on those podcasts you’ve been meaning to listen to.

The “tubes” for the dowels are made by folding the fabric over and sewing it to itself. You want the tube to be about 4-6 times the diameter of the dowel. You may have to do some trimming of the ends of the tube in order to be able to insert and remove the dowels.

The pockets which hold the dowels are made from nylon webbing folded over on itself with the edges stitched. Make the pocket about 4 times the diameter of your dowel long (for 1/4″ dowels, make the pocket 1″ long).

I added some extra fabric on the opposite side of each pocket as reinforcement.

Remember to keep folding the kite along the center line to make sure everything is symmetrical.

To connect the kite line, I sewed a loop of nylon strapping to the fin.

This type of camera mount is called a Picavet Mount. Its purpose is to dampen the motion of the kite string. You still only have two points of support, so it will swing. However, the camera will maintain its general orientation regardless of the movement of the kite line.

Cut two lengths of bar stock approximately 9″ long.

Aluminum is a soft metal, so you can use steel eye screws as long as you drill an appropriate sized pilot hole. Screw in the eye screws so they all face the same direction when the two bars form a cross.

Drill a hole through the center of both bars and bolt them together. If you are mounting your camera using the standard tripod mounting hole, use a 1/4″-20 bolt to both connect the cross bars and mount the camera. I am using a GoPro, so I just used one of the adhesive-backed mounting pads.

Using a length of kite line between 40–60′ long, thread the Picavet mount to the two springs according to the diagram. Note that A and B are the springs (or carabiners), 2 is the washer, and 1, 3, 4, and 5 are the eye screws.

The string should move freely through the eye bolts and springs. The springs connect to the actual kite line by making a loop around each hook as shown. Make sure the kite line and Picavet line don’t get tangled.

Now that you have a kite and camera mount, the sky is your oyster. If your camera has a built-in intervalometer, just set it to take a photo every few seconds. Otherwise you’ll need to use an IR device or some other remote control for your shutter. Don’t forget you can shoot video, too!