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 a 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.
From the reviews of the first edition:
"In his fascinating book Spinning Flight, Ralph Lorenz provides
a rich feast of ... examples of spinning bodies ... . The book is
well organized ... . The discussion in the book ... should be
accessible to readers with some elementary understanding of
aerodynamic principles. For the expert, the book is full of open
problems ... . Its scope is extensive ... . In this respect, there
may be something for everyone within its attractively designed
cover ... ." (H. K. Moffatt, Nature, Vol. 444, December, 2006)
"If you liked physics at school, then this book is for you. It
concerns itself with flying objects that spin through the air, and
even tells you how to impress your friends with the biomechanics of
Frisbees. ... there is plenty of information at all levels, and the
book has a wealth of detail that only an aerospace engineer like
Lorenz could have come up with." (Len Fisher, BBC Focus, February,
2007)
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