The Small Oscillations of a Kite

A mathematical investigation of the small oscillations of a kite was proposed in “Stability in Aviation” in the form of a problem (p. 180, problem 16). A solution of this problem has been given by Prof. J. M. Bose in the Bulletin of the Calcutta Mathematical Society, Vol. II., No. I. Unfortunately his investigation contains many serious errors of a fundamental character, the effect of which is to render the solution inapplicable to a system in any way resembling an ordinary kite. As examples, the variations in the components of the tension of the kite string are assumed to depend on the velocity components instead of on the displacements of the kite, although Prof. Bose's previous equations show the contrary to be the case. Again, while in his introduction he considers the case of a kite attached by a forked string he contradicts himself by neglecting the displacements of the point of intersection of the string with the plane of the kite.