If you braved the weather at Brenzett and Streatham, soaked up the sunshine at Horton Farm or have read the Summer 2008 editions of Aerodyne or the Kiteflyer (I got mine this morning) you will either have seen or read about Tux MK1a. If you went to the 2007 Suffolk Kite festival or frequented Therfield (Royston) Heath of a weekend during the summer of 2007 you may have even caught a glimpse of the early MK 1 windsock version.

Well having written ‘Is it a Duck?’ and been asked by Simon Hennessey if I would be willing possibly run a Tux building workshop early next year, I decided to revisit the design.

For those who didn’t know it already, and have just read the Summer 2008 edition of Aerodyne, you will probably have twigged that my given name is Guy Reynolds (I know it says Renolds in Aerodyne, but that’s just a typo), so there we are the game is up you know who I am, but I digress.

MK2 Tux is basically a ongoing development of the MK1a version, though on a bigger scale, and using a completely new scratch drawn pattern, rather than the opensource soft toy pattern used for the MK1 version. The initial plan was to build a 3m version, but when it came to setting out the cutting layouts it became apparent that using 1.5m wide fabric a 3m version was going to use almost as much meterage as a 5m version but with a significant amount of waste, but if I did a 2.25m version I had enough fabric on hand to make it and a couple of 1.5m versions, more on which later.

So what’s new in the MK2 version? Well working down from the top of his head,

  • The solid fabric whites of the eyes have been replaced with mesh, thus removing the need for the scoop air intake across the top of his head.
  • White soft ripstop flap valves have been fitted behind the eyes in order to slow deflation.
  • Flap valves have been fitted behind the beak again to slow deflation.
  • A velcroed opening has been added down his back to speed deflation (the flap valves work too well) and to give access.
  • Internal stays and ties have been added, particularly in the feet, in order to prevent ballooning.
  • His belly has been expanded (maybe a bit too much) since the MK1a is a bit on the skinny side having had a tummy tuck in order to make the pieces fit together.
    and finally a number of additional bridle points have been added.

So how does he perform, well all I can tell you so far is that he inflates well with a hairdryer when suspended from the chandelier in the living room. This is where Parkinson’s Law comes in to play and weather permitting you will probably find me late on Friday evening standing in the middle of Stanmer Park attempting to bridle Tux ready for this weekend’s Brighton Kite Festival.

The two 1.5m versions, well the first one will be made up and used to make any final pattern adjustments, the second one will then hopefully be the final kit/workshop version.

If you are down Brighton way this weekend (12th-13th July) come and visit us at the Brighton Kite Festival, its FREE, and why not bring your kiddies to the children’s workshop to make their own kite, I shall be there with other club members so why not come and say hello.