The Mad Hatter High Hat is another weird design by De Vliegerende Hollander. It's a single-line two/six-legged-bridle "kite-train" based on an oversized magicians hat. The idea for the Mad Hatter High Hat originated from a talk to Tomoshi Takahara of the Mad Hatter Kite Club (see also related column).

The materials used in this kite are black, red, white and blue Icarex. The sizes of the kite have been exaggerated to create a larger flying surface and are 60 cm diameter for the brim (with a 20 cm diameter hole), a 40 cm diameter top and a height of 40 cm. The seams of the brim and top have been reinforced with 3 mm glasfibre. The top is stretched with the aid of three 4 mm spars spars and six bridle lines connect the outer edge of the brim to the top.

The maiden flight of the Mad Hatter High Hat occurred during the Bangkok Kite Festival 1999 (Thailand), but not after many frustrated attempts a bridling and re-bridling the "kite-train". The best results so far have been obtained by bridling the top of the hat at 2 and 10 o'clock and bridling the brim so the "leading edge" of the brim is slightly closer to the top of the hat than the "trailing edge"... in other words, brim and top are not parallel to each other.

Related links
Mad Hatter Witch Hat