There are hundreds of kinds of kites; their appearances are different, and they fly differently.  Many authors have created their own lists of “kite families” to distinguish different groups of kites. Still, different kite types often overlap, making it hard to construct an exclusive classification scheme. But here’s some useful information about kite families.

Two fundamental questions can help distinguish kite types:

1. What does the kite look like?

2. What is its purpose?

Kites have Different Designs or Appearances.

Since kites are objects that fly with lines that control their flight, a good FIRST QUESTION to start with about a kite’s design is how many lines control the kite’s flight? This gives us a distinction between kites controlled by one line and kites controlled by multiple lines. Which gives us two categories:

• Single-line kites
• Multi-line kites

SECOND KITE DESIGN QUESTION: How many kites are being flown at the same time? One kiteflier will be controlling either

• a single kite or
• multiple kites (typically referred to as kite trains, trains, stacks, centipedes, or arch trains and ribbons).

THIRD KITE DESIGN QUESTION: How many surfaces does the kite have, and how is it structured? Shapes are either a single simple surface or multiple surfaces. Multi-surface kites are always three-dimensional and may resemble creatures or cellular structures. Single surface kites can be flat or have a 3-dimensional aspect if they are bowed.  A key structural distinction is having or not having spars to give the kite its structure.

Kites have many possible purposes. They can be used for artistic displays or performances, aerial photography, lifting and propulsion, military observation, leisure and family fun, competition, education, science, fishing, and other purposes. Some kites are designed to be flown in no wind at all. Some of these purposes require kites with very specific capabilities.

• Fighting Kites — Kitefliers in numerous cultures compete to have their kite be the last one in the sky by “cutting” or “grounding” opposing kites.
  • Fighter Kites — Highly maneuverable small kites often made of inexpensive materials
  • Rokkakus — Larger Japanese 6-sided fighting kites flown by individuals or teams
• Figure Kites — Kites shaped to represent persons, animals, or other objects.

• Sport Kites — Kites that use more than one line to launch and control the flight patterns of the kite or kites.
  • Dual Line — Two-line sport kites
  • Quad Line — Four-line sport kites
• Power Kites — Kites that are designed to generate enormous amounts of pull. They should be handled with extreme caution.
  • Power Foils — Parafoil designs that have been adapted with dual- or quad- line controls, power and performance enhancements, as well as a number of safety features.
  • Framed Power Kites — These kites are specially designed power kites with spars and can sometimes provide power in lighter wind ranges when other power kites cannot.
  • C & Bow Kites — C-kites are typically made with inflatable plastic bladders that span the front edge of the kite and fill perpendicular cells. Bow kites were developed with features that allow the kite’s angle of attack to be more easily altered and thus adjust the amount of power being generated.

• Indoor / Zero-Wind Kites — These kites are meant to be flown in a windless environment, either indoors but also outdoors, when the light wind would render traditional kite flying impossible.
  • Indoor performance kites — These kites, either single- or multi-line, are extremely light-weight designs that are flown by using the relative wind provided by the motion of the kite flier, pulling the sail against still air in a room or outdoors.
  • Miniature kites — Miniature kites are extremely small and light.