Editing Kite control systems (section)

== Target-kites ==
The term ''target kite'' generally refers to the war-time kites used for shipboard anti-aircraft gunnery practice. These were the invention of [[Paul E. Garber]], doing war work while on leave from the Smithsonian (where he was responsible for the acquisition of much of the Air and Space collection).

The kites were ordinary two-spar Eddy style kites with a height of about five feet. The sail was sky blue with the profile of a Japanese Zero or German aircraft painted in black. Attached at the lower end of the vertical spar is a small rudder, much like a boat's rudder. The rudder is controlled by two [[kite line]]s, which are also used to fly the kite. The two lines come down to earth and terminate at an either a ''flying bar'' (a bar with spools at either end) or a special two-spool reel which incorporated a ratchet mechanism to assist in equalizing line length. The spool was in the center of a wooden bar which held the lines a fixed distance apart.