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.
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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.
