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Top Secret Classified Flight Arrow

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Del the cat:
I had an idea for a novel arrow (doubtless been tried before) Small diameter shaft with long wooden vanes to both stabilise and stiffen it.
The vanes certainly stiffen the rear of the shaft, but how will it fly?
Well... the point travelled straight  ::) , but the back end was going round in a circle! At the top of it's trajectory it flattened out and came down like a helicopter or Sycamore seed!
Very entertaining! I managed a massive 150 yards ;D

On a more serious note, I used my best flight arrow (as shot from 90-110# warbows by my mate JT) as a reference and made an version based on that but with some hoped for improvements (based on my "stiffer at the rear theory"). I added a footing and tapered the front much more, The overall weight was down by 50 grains(375gn) The back was a whisker stiffer in spine, and the front a tad softer.
JT tried a couple of test shots and the improved version flew 18 yards further.
Obviously just 2 shots isn't a fair test, but it is encouraging.

The helicopter arrow does make me wonder I an actual flying/gliding arrow can be built.
Del

Gimlis Ghost:
The Turks made arrows with two vanes curved in opposite directions for the purpose of changing direction in flight.
They used these against sappers and battering ram crews that were too close to the walls for them to shoot straight down at them.
The arrows when fired at a high elevation made loops, some looping inside to come straight down while others performed outside half loops to come zipping back towards the base of the wall.
Probably one in a hundred actually hit anyone but it could certainly be distracting. The men at the base of the wall would think someone had circled around behind them.

BTW
I just remembered reading of a ballista bolt fitted with wing like vanes to extend its range, though accuracy went out the window.

bownarra:
How about a stiffer wood in the middle and lighter woods for the ends. Or just a light front end. There is a section in Saracen Archery about gliding arrows. It is something I always meant to play about with.

avcase:
Del,
The biggest issue I have seen with attempts at making gliding arrows is similar to your experience.  It is very difficult to get an arrow that is generating substantial lift to travel in a straight line. They tend to veer off course so much that the overall distance is less than what can be obtained with a conventional aerodynamically stable arrow. But I haven’t completely written off the possibility that an arrow can generate some mild amounts of lift, or at least use aerodynamic drag to slow the decent, yet maintain travel along the intended direction.  It is just difficult to know for certain what happened with the arrow between the time it was launched and the time it entered the ground.

I do believe I may have had some success with this. When I test shoot my bows and arrows, I keep notes on the angle the arrow was launched, and the angle that the arrow entered the ground. I have some arrows that consistently enter the ground at a much shallower than expected angle, which implies that the arrow is descending at a positive angle of attack. So it is descending with the point high or nose up. These arrows also tend to penetrate the ground less, which implies they are striking the ground at a lower speed, which I would expect if some of the arrows energy is lost to drag, which could have produced some lift.

willie:

--- Quote from: avcase on November 30, 2021, 07:58:51 pm ---I have some arrows that consistently enter the ground at a much shallower than expected angle, which implies that the arrow is descending at a positive angle of attack.

--- End quote ---

Hi Alan,
do these arrows differ from your other arrows by fletching or mass distribution? or?

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