TOURNAMENTS, CONTINUED.
The newspapers are glad to publish notices and pictures, and some will
even print plans of work free. They are very persistent in getting
reports of the tournament, so the judges should be careful in recording
each event. The reporters will be on the ground if they have knowledge
of its whereabouts.
Ice cream and sandwich wagons are liable to get in the way, so it is
best to restrict them to the margin of the crowd. They should not be
allowed to come inside any of the locations for the events.
All string that is to be used in races of any kind should be measured
beforehand. It is best for the director to take charge of the string
until time for the event, or until he can turn it over to the judges
in charge of that group. Boys are liable to make a mistake in getting
their string too short, so it must be measured. I place a couple of
nails one hundred feet apart in the rail of the board fence, the boys
wind about that until they have the required length, and by counting
the string I can soon see if it is correct. If the string is given
back to the boy, there is a temptation to take out some. There is no
disadvantage in letting out the string from a stick in the races, if
there is a reel to attach it to when it comes to the winding in.
Announcements should be sent out a week ahead of the tournament that
the string will be measured such and such afternoons, perhaps two days
before the tournament. It is not best to leave it until just the day
before, as the director should be as free as possible from such work
at such time in order to give full attention to rounding up of details
that are sure to accumulate toward the last of the preparations.
=Quarter Mile Dash.= The race consists of the letting out and winding
in of a kite on one quarter mile of string. The boys set their reels
ready for the best speed and they group themselves quite close
together, but far enough apart to prevent mix-ups, and at the proper
time are handed their string that has been measured and labeled which
they attach to kite. Each boy in the race is allowed one helper and
the kite may be held by the helper a hundred feet away, ready to toss
it in the air at the sign for starting. When all is ready, the one in
charge of the group calls “ready! go!” The kites are tossed up and are
given the string as fast as it will be taken. The boy with a steady
head will sometimes stop playing out and work his kite up a little to
get more breeze. If there is plenty of breeze, they are fed all the
string as fast as it is pulled out. If a kite drops it may be worked up
again, but it must go to the end of the quarter mile and back. A time
keeper is placed by each contestant, and officers are needed to keep
back the onlookers. As soon as all the string is out the boy slips the
loop on the end of his string over a hook on the reel and winds in as
fast as he can turn. The kite mounts up in the air and is pulled with
great violence toward the reel. If a string breaks, the time keeper
stops the winding until the kite is again attached. No allowance is
made for mishaps. The kite that is jerked down into the reel first is
winner, and the owner is usually a pretty warm boy. The helper can take
turns in winding.
Other races should be similarly conducted. We have had races in the
construction of a tailless kite, including the lashing and stringing
of framework and covering, attaching of bridle and the kite must fly.
In all pulling contests, spring scales are used. In the light weights,
the twenty-five pound scales are best, but the fifty pound is more
serviceable for all around purposes. For very heavy pulling, large ice
scales might be borrowed for the day from some hardware man.
To measure the pull of a kite, the string is looped about the hook of
the spring and the record made. Several records are made of each kite
over a period of about thirty minutes or so. The judges going to and
fro measuring this one and that. The kite should be ascending to get
the best register. It is well in trial events to set the number of
times that each aeroplane may be tried or tests of pulling permitted,
as some will tease for a continual performance.
The art supervisors and teachers are good as judges for the artistic
events. All kites are in the air most of the time, so a general survey
is made of the whole field. It is well to have about five judges on
this group. Less will do the work all right, but it is well to draw
many into the service.
If the director could be on horseback so as to be easily seen, and also
be able to get about easily, it would help out considerably. Messengers
from judges to director or information would be useful.
=Badges.= For badges, we use a celluloid button, with our own cut, the
ribbon attached has printing in black. The officers get yellow, the
first prize, blue, the second, red. Some years we have used different
colored buttons, this year the buttons were all yellow, the ribbons,
yellow, red, and blue.
See the street car officials in order that they may plan accommodations
for the day. Instructions are posted for the car men by the officials,
that consideration be given to the boys with their kites and in most
cases the men have been very helpful in this respect. Of course large
kites cannot be taken on the street car. A great many are taken to the
field in automobiles.
Just before the tournament it is rather difficult to locate the boys
making their kites, as they work in secluded places, but if you know of
some that are making progress, a photograph by the newspaper men will
add considerable zest to the advertising side of preparations.
Get your school officials enthusiastic first, and get their
cooperation in encouraging the undertaking, for it is a great school
social gathering and should be made worth while. Then boost for it.
Demonstrate by making or flying a kite, and the boys will take care of
the rest.
A SAMPLE ANNOUNCEMENT.
MANUAL TRAINING OFFICE
Los Angeles City Schools
KITES AND AEROPLANE MODELS.
New Year’s Greeting to the
Kite Makers of Los Angeles:
The Sixth Annual Kite Tournament will be held April 20,
1912, at Exposition Park. The spring vacation will be a
good time to design, construct, and try out new ideas.
The model aeroplanes will have a much larger place than
heretofore at the coming tournament. A number of good
plans of kites and model aeroplanes will be sent out during
the coming season.
Spruce sticks can be obtained again this year at 1335 E.
6th St. at the Southern California Box Co., in 25c bundles
or more.
The Goodyear Rubber Co., No. 324 S. Broadway is carrying
string rubber and will have one sixteenth and one eighth
inch, very good sizes. Models propelled by rubber bands
should be from 20” to 30” across. Do not make the planes
too wide, much of the failure of models is due to this
mistake.
Two firms in the east are advertising small gasoline motors
for model aeroplanes. Models to carry these motors should
be from 6’ to 8’ or more. Models so equipped are operated
by cords running to the ground. One boy claims to have
succeeded with a storage battery under his arm and an Ajax
motor in his model. If we get our model well under control
we should be able to carry the storage battery on a wheel
as suggested two years ago. No one has reported a success
with the clockspring device. A long coiled steel wire
spring has more promising possibilities.
Look for advertisements in “_Popular Mechanics_” and other
magazines, for firms carrying parts such as gears, rubber
motors, etc. There will be a few events for commercially
manufactured models, but these are not to compete with home
made.
The usual kite events will be about the same as during the
past two years. The quarter mile dash with the use of reels
will be used; also an eighth mile dash will be listed this
year in which the string is to be wound in by hand.
The “_Scientific American_” of October 14, 1911, has an
article on “How to make a Model Aeroplane that will fly 700
feet”. Look it up.
Ask at the libraries for Mr. Collin’s books on “Model
Aeroplanes”. There is a second book out by this author that
seems very good.
Look out for ideas in the daily newspapers and at the
Dominguez meet.
Principals please post.
Respectfully,
CHAS. M. MILLER.
MANUAL TRAINING OFFICE
April 12, 1912.
Sixth Annual Kite Tournament at
Exposition Park, April 20, 1912.
TIME:--No kites are to be put up before one o’clock, and judging is to
begin at 2 p. m.
CARS:--Georgia St., University, Grand Ave. to Figueroa Junction,
Vermont Heights or Inglewood on Main to Figueroa Junction.
PLACES:--Bulletin boards will be used as usual--see information, if you
can’t get located.
RAIN:--If the afternoon is stormy, the tournament will be postponed two
weeks.
GIRLS:--All events are open to the girls.
ADMISSION:--No admission fee, and friends invited.
ARTISTIC EVENT:--All kites will be judged for artistic effect no matter
where located--must fly.
BALLOONS:--Boys must bring their own balloon equipment.
STICKS FOR FRAMES:--Any wood, except the hardwoods, may be used for
frames, but spruce is best.
INTERMEDIATE AND HIGH SCHOOL BOYS:--All intermediate boys are eligible
and all high school boys who have been in a grade school since last
tournament, may enter from such school. Look up some of your kite
makers.
KITES:--All should be encouraged to make and fly a kite, even if not
for a prize. Make it a kite flying day for your school.
EXTRA PARTS:--Boys should bring along an extra stick and some paper in
case of accident to kite.
NEW INVENTIONS:--Special new features will be recognized if they have
real merit.
PRIZES:--Ribbon badges and diplomas will be awarded as in former years.
ORGANIZE:--Distribute your efforts over many events.
REGISTRATION:--Send in registration to Mr. Miller at Grand Ave. School
on Friday. Give names of boys. No one will be kept out for lack of
registration.
MEASURING:--Kite lines for quarter and one-eighth mile dashes and
yacht race will be measured at Grand Ave. School, Thursday and Friday
afternoons, April 18th and 19th.
Come one--come all.
Respectfully,
CHAS. M. MILLER.