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Book Cover
E-book
Author Lorenz, Ralph, 1969-

Title Spinning flight : dynamics of frisbees, boomerangs, samaras, and skipping stones / Ralph D. Lorenz
Published New York : Springer Science+Business Media, ©2006

Copies

Description 1 online resource (xxi, 346, 7 pages) : illustrations (some color)
Contents Introduction -- Aerodynamics of balls -- Bouncing balls, airbags, and tumbleweeds -- Spinning bullets, bomb, and rockets -- Satellites and spin -- Encountering asteroids and comets -- Planetary probes and spinning parachutes -- Frisbees -- Flying cylinders and rings -- Spinning aircraft and nonspinning disc aircraft -- The boomerang -- Samaras -- Skipping stones and bouncing bombs -- Conclusions
Summary More frisbees are sold each year than baseballs, basketballs and footballs combined. Yet these familiar flying objects have subtle and clever aerodynamic and gyrodynamic properties which are only recently being documented by wind tunnel and other studies. In common with other rotating bodies discussed in this readily accessible book, they are typically not treated in textbooks of aeronautics and the literature is scattered in a variety of places. This book develops the theme of disc-wings and spinning aerospace vehicles in parallel. Since many of the examples are recreational, anyone who enjoys these activities will likely find it profitable and enjoyable. In addition to spinning objects of various shapes, several exotic manned aircraft with disc planforms have been proposed and prototypes built, these include a Nazi 'secret weapon' and the De Havilland Avrocar, also discussed in the book. Boomerangs represent another category of spinning aerodynamic body whose behavior can only be understood by coupling aerodynamics with gyrodynamics. The narrative, supported by equations and graphs, explains how the shape and throw of a boomerang relates to its trajectory.; The natural world presents still other examples, namely the samaras or 'seed-wings' of many tree species, which autorotate during their descent, like a helicopter whose engine has failed. The flight performance of these spinning wings directly affects the dispersal and thus the evolutionary competitiveness of the trees concerned. Samara-type configurations are also considered for instrumentation and other payload dispersal applications. In short, the book discusses a range of familiar, connected, but largely undeveloped, topics in an accessible, but complete, manner
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index
Notes Master and use copy. Digital master created according to Benchmark for Faithful Digital Reproductions of Monographs and Serials, Version 1. Digital Library Federation, December 2002. http://purl.oclc.org/DLF/benchrepro0212 MiAaHDL
Print version record
digitized 2010 HathiTrust Digital Library committed to preserve pda MiAaHDL
In Springer e-books
Subject Spin (Aerodynamics)
Flying discs (Game)
Boomerangs.
boomerangs.
TRANSPORTATION -- Aviation -- General.
Flying discs (Game)
Boomerangs.
Vrille (Aérodynamique)
Frisbee (Jeu)
Spin (Aerodynamics)
Physique.
Boomerangs
Flying discs (Game)
Spin (Aerodynamics)
Form Electronic book
ISBN 9780387307794
0387307796
9780387472898
0387472894
1280803533
9781280803536