While my kite was one of those cheap plastic versions purchased at a local Walmart, it did the job in keeping me busy for hours on end. For one German maker, named Sergej Bekauv, the recent Thingiverse ‘Catch the Wind’ Challenge enticed him to create his own unique 3D printed Triforce kite.
“As a huge fan of Thinigiverse and of 3D-printing, I discovered the Catch the Wind Challenge,” Bekauv tells 3DPrint.com. “One windy day I decided to fly a kite which I had also made myself. There I remembered the challenge and suddenly had the idea to create/design my own 3D-Printed kite.”
“After successfully 3D printing and assembling the test frame, I knew that it would work,” he tells us.
Using Rhino 3D version 5.0, he designed all of the various frame parts, before 3D printing all 27 of them on his CTC 3D Printer which he purchased about 2 months ago. In all, it it took him about 2-3 days to print and assemble all of the pieces, which are glued together using a two part epoxy adhesive. For the sailcloth that goes around the frame, Bekauv used a gold/silver rescue sheet, and double-sided tape to hold it on.
As for how the kite flies, Bekauv, who is currently studying Product Design at the University of Kassel in Germany, tells us that it does an excellent job as long as there is “a steady, but not too strong wind.”
“My dream is to print the whole kite at once, with a 3D printer that has a big enough build platform,” he tells us.
In the meantime, anyone interested in replicating Bekauv’s unique 3D printed kite can download all of the necessary files for free from Thingiverse and fly their own love of the Legend of Zelda’s symbol in the sky. What do you think about this kite? Discuss in the 3D Printed Triforce Kite forum thread on 3DPB.com. Check out the videos of the kite below.