Design of a large inflatable kiteplane

This paper presents the various structural considerations in designing a large inflatable kiteplane. Material issues are addressed and a departure from conventional inflatable kites is suggested by using a single material instead of a structural foil and an internal gas barrier. Furthermore, rigging the kite using bridle lines is given attention. It is shown that the required internal pressure for a beam to keep it stiff is greatly influenced by the location of the bridle line. An optimum placement of the bridle line is found through analysis of the bending behavior of the beam in combination with a stress-based wrinkling criterion.