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Archive - History of traction Kites |
Wind-power has revolutionised self-supported polar travel since the introduction of traction kites in Greenland in the late 1980's.
ca. 2000BC |
China |
Kites pull wheeled vehicles over the China plains |
ca. 1700 |
Samoa |
Kites are used to propel canoes |
ca. 1720 |
USA |
Benjamin Franklin uses a kite to pull himself across a Massachusetts pond on his back |
1826 |
England |
George Pocock patents his char-volant (a carriage pulled by his collapsible arch-top flown on 4 lines), which carries 4-5 passengers near Bristol, England at speeds up to 33km/h |
Nov 6 1903 |
France-England |
Samuel Franklin Cody crosses the English Channel from Calais to Dover (38km) by a kite drawn collapsible ballasted canoe. |
Summer 1988 |
Greenland |
Martin Block, Gunther Kerber, Udo Krieger, Michael Krug and Frank Wagner cross Greenland unsupported from East to West on a Parawing-pulled sled. First kite crossing. |
Nov. 1992 - Feb. 1993 |
Antarctica |
Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Dr. Mike Stroud cross the Antarctic continent unassisted, travelling 2,380km in 95 days using an Up-Ski chute. First unassisted crossing of Antarctic continent. |
Nov. 1996 - Jan. 1997 |
Antarctica |
Borge Ousland crosses Antarctica, travelling 2800km in 66 days on skis pulled by a Parawing. First solo and unassisted crossing of Antarctica |
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