Fighters are even fun for calm people. These designs are from web plans or my own designs using Orcon, Mylar, paper, Dacron, and nylon on spars of bamboo or wood, and graphite bows.  I curve the spines by heating on a bare light bulb to the proper curve.  Some are slow and graceful, some are nervous and demanding, but they are the most rewarding kites around.

One aspect of flying fighters is how social the fliers become.  Fliers stand closer to each other and talk to each other while flying and are seldom very worried about damage to the kite.  Kites are less of an investment and are sometimes passed along as gifts. There are many local expert fliers, and my skills pale in comparison.  There is always something to learn about fighters, despite the apparent simplicity.   

Making fighters takes time and care but requires little more than a razor knife and ruler for tools.  Traditional paper and bamboo fighters, though excellent fliers, are time-consuming to make and are fragile to fly and transport.  The BASF, Dot-01, Dot-02, Lambert's Dogs,  No-Sew Buka, and Peter Stauffer Nagasaki Hata are some of my favorites made of  durable modern materials, and fly in damp conditions without damage. The Indian style of fighters are easy to make, and re-launch from the ground better than most Korean or Buka designs. 

The left one is a Bruce Lambert design, "Donna's Dog," made of Orcon, bamboo and 050 carbon.  The decoration is acrylic paint, applied to the backside.  It flies like a good Indian paper kite but far more durable.  Bruce has various "dog" versions in different sizes, but this one is the most popular. 
The kite on the right is about half the size of the one to its left, and is Dennis Ische's "Dot-02," a fine short-line flier that has become a favorite.  It is fast and precise, and flies as well as Dennis' excellent larger "Dot-01" but turns faster and flies on lighter line.  It has an 040 carbon bow, and a transparent film version flies very well, but I keep losing sight of it in the sky.

Galleries

Bruce Woods' Fighters

Mike Wilson's Asian Kites

Contruction

Fighter Kite Making

 Gentle Giant Buka Plans

Carbon Rod Data

Cotton is a favorite line for fighters although linen or Spectra are also popular. Cotton crochet thread is cheap enough to use in muddy or brushy fields without worry.  Just break off the tangles and dirt and re-tie the kite.  The thread can be run through melted bee’s wax to give a better grip for the  fingertips or just to make the line handle better, and colored thread is more visible on the ground, so you don’t step on it.  A  huge ball of it costs about $1.50 at fabric stores and a 1.5 mile long ball sells for around $6. Genuine Indian cotton flying line is fine stuff  for flying on lawns, with a fancy Indian-made spool.  It has less wind resistance and feels good in your hand although some of the thinner, harder stuff can cut fingers. Some shops sell heavy waxed linen with their fighters, which puzzles me after trying it.  The small halo or "Gator" reels are handy and are made for fishing with a handline. 

Designer Pizza 

It seems odd that a dozen kites can fill a pizza box yet it still feels empty.  To avoid taking the wrong box of kites  they are now decorated differently.  After painting the sides and bottoms with gold spray paint, the tops are covered in paper.  The one on the right has sheets of Chinese joss paper stuck on at random.  They look  neater around the house, and the painted bottoms keep the box from absorbing moisture from the ground while flying, so they don't warp. Felix rides an Ische Dot-01.