Chapi-chapi

Chapi-chapi is a small two-stick kite that can be quickly constructed from cheap materials such as newspapers, broom sticks, or discarded plastic sheet. It is very popular in the Philippines. A strong, straight stick is used for the vertical frame. The horizontal stick is tensioned into a bow in order to provide greater support for the paper or plastic sheet. A very long bottom tail is almost always necessary, while the side tails or fins are optional.

A woman flies a chapi-chapi constructed using newspapers, in Rizal Park.

A chapi-chapi constructed from broom sticks and plastic sheet from a discarded plastic bag, on top of other kites.

This kite, with a simple two-point bridle, has moderate lateral roll and flutter (oscillation), that some kite fliers prefer in kite fighting, over stable, quiet flight. Unlike the diamond-shaped Malay kite^[1] and Eddy,^[2] no extra strings are used in the edges for the frame, making the chapi-chapi easier and faster to assemble but relatively more fragile. The chapi-chapi is quite similar but not identical to the Thai "female" kite called pakpao,^[3] to the Patang or Indian fighter kite,^[4] and to the Nagasaki Hata or Matt Star fighter kite.^[2][5]

The kite shown in the 1999 Filipino film Saranggola was a chapi-chapi.

See also

• Fighter kite