Design Challenge: Fly a Kite on Mars

[yale]

OK...

This weeks challenge.

Describe what it would take to fly a kite on Mars (assuming you got there).

The use of Unobtainium, magic, or more than minimum drugs not allowed.

[broomstar]

Make use of the dust storm there?  

[yale]

3 possible designs:

1) Kite for average winds
2) Kite for dust storms
3) Kite capable of flight in either condition.


Take your pick...

[remcook]

a beginning:

http://www.thephysicsofkites.homestead.com/index.html

[remcook]

the atmosphere on Mars it pretty thin

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/atmosmre.html

[remcook]

surface wind speeds: Wind speeds: 2-7 m/s (summer), 5-10 m/s (fall), 17-30 m/s (dust storm) (Viking Lander sites)

[remcook]

Surface density: ~0.020 kg/m3

[remcook]

A knot is 1.152 mph (0.514 m/s)

Beaufort wind scale:
http://www.sizes.com/natural/beaufort.htm

so..fresh breeze: 17–21 knots = about 10 m/s

density of earth atmosphere is about 1 kg/m3

Lift is determined by Cl *1/2* rho * V^2 * S

For earth: rho* V^2 = 1* 10^2= 100 kg/m/s^2

For Mars: rho * V^2 = 0.02 * 8^2 = 1.28

Assuming the same shape for a kite (Cl remains the same), we have to increase the surface area S by about 70 to generate the same lift. But that will make a heavier kite. Say, by choosing light materials, we can have a enormous kite that is twice the size of a small earth kite. then increasing the surface area by about 150 would do it. THat's one hell of a kite.

[yale]

The challenge requires that the materials be specified.

[remcook]

Kapton

[yale]

Please include
1) configuration: parasail, regallo delta, diamond, box, chinese dragon, etc.
2) Structure: Rigid spars, inflated spars, or sparless; inflated, rigid or flexible sail, etc
3) Size
4) materials