Cody Kite Gallery


A selection of pictures from classic Cody kites 

In 2001 it was 100 years ago Samuel Franklin Cody patented his manlifting system.
October 16, 1908, Samuel Franklin Cody makes the first powered flight in Great Britain
in his British Army Aeroplane No 1.
Cody, (b. Franklin Samuel Cowdery), a former cowboy and gold prospector, left the United States
to Britain in 1889 to set up a Wild West show. 
Cody was Chief Kite Instructor to the British Army Balloon Factory at Farnborough (1902-09).
In 1902 Samuel's wife, Lela (Leila) Marie, became the first woman to fly, using his 
'Man-lifting War Kite'.


When clicking on a picture you can load a larger one.
Be warned: some pictures are very large in order to show
all the details

1. Famous poster with portrait of Samuel Franklin Cody
with moustache and Stetson hat, together with his
patented War-Kite.
By clicking on the poster you can view a full page version.

This is the same poster but even bigger. (363 kb)
A high res. version showing all the tiny details. (1.36 Mb)














2. Cody in his typical cowboy outfit posing with the
manlifting system while sitting on his horse.











3,4. Cody sitting in a small chair under his
carrier kite. Probably a demonstration for
the britisch army ca 1901.
On the right the army is testing a carrier
kite with basket.

Ca. 75 Years later...

5,6. Modern replica of the manlifting system in
action on Scheveningen beach, the Netherlands.
Project initiated by Martin Lester, Nick Morse and
David Turner.
Black and yellow kites built by Nick Morse ca. 1978?
The Pink lifter is being prepared for take-off
towards the allocated stop on the main line.

6. A large crowd assembled around the manlifting
experiments on Scheveningen beach.


7,8,9, and 10. Cody kite with extended wings, built
by FDD. Span ca. 6 meter, cell size 90 cm.















11,12. Lifter kite with 90 cm cell size (3 feet was
standard lifter module size for the manlifting
system). Kite built by FDD. Picture left taken at Katwijk,
in the dunes. Putting up the Dutch manlifting system was
stopped because of complaints by the nearby naval airforce base.
Picture right at Scheveningen beach Kite Festival.
11. Cody kite fly-in at Malden airfield near
Nijmegen, the Netherlands.













12. Sending up a lifter of 50 cm cell size,
part of the mini cody system built by
Nico van den Berg and friends.
Note the airbrake 'pants' to stabilize the system.


14. The stack of four lifters.














15. Large-winged Cody with top-sail












16. Short-winged Cody with a different kind of
top-sail. A triple compound Cody in the
background.











17. Lifter with 90 cm cell size built by
Berry Kramer 1992 (holding the bridle).











18. Light brown Cody with extended
wings, top-sail and keel.
Cell size 80 cm, 5,5 meter wingspan.
Built by Geert Donker Duyvis (GDD)

See the builders homepage for more
kite artwork:
Geert Donker Duyvis' "Gddweb"








19. The same Cody flown at
Scheveningen Kite Festival, in the
background the yellow carrier of the
Dutch manlifting system.












20. Compound Cody 50 cm cell size, 2.5 meter wingspan, built by GDD.


22. Cody train, 30 cm cell size, 1.5 meter span, built by GDD.
Colours match the colours of the '78 Nick Morse manlifting system.
The pilot kite can be flown with top-sail (see right picture).


24. Dark blue Cody with extended wings.
50 cm cell size, 3.5 meter wingspan.
Built by GDD.













25.Micro Cody System at a kite exhibition in the Tilburg
Textile Museum, Netherlands. Small cody kites built from
paper, straws, and 3 mm aluminium tube, by FDD.
(The big basket of the dutch manlifting system in de left
picture can be seen in action below)
Dutch manlifting system operated by Windkracht team.
The yellow carrier kite is built by Berry Kramer.
More info on the system on the Windkracht website:
WINDKRACHT

Pictures of an original experimental Cody kite
and a replica of an early Cody kite by Domingo from Spain

Some more Cody related links:

  • Geert Donker Duyvis' "Gddweb" has a Cody gallery as well
  • Original Cody Kite, a trapezoid box version
  • Kites, Cody Plans and Instructions
  • The Drachen Foundation
  • Cody & seine Drachen
  • http://www.sfcody.org.uk/ (Jean Roberts' site)
  • Samuel Cody (short biography plus links to Farnborough)
  • KAP Cody Manlifter FANO 1999
  • Cody Team Berlin
    • Last modified on 16/11/2001. You are visitor number since 1/11/2001.

    Back to Frits Donker Duyvis' Home Page