3/25/2019 Aerodynamics of Boomerang.

Chapter 5

Boomerang model

Boomerang is a rotor the blades spinning linear speed of wich is low, if compared it to the translation speed of the whole boomerang. It means that the slow spin cannot produce a lift force strong
enough to keep boomerang in air like helicopter blades do. The lift energy is mainly obtained from transitional motion of boomerang. On the other hand the spin forces boomerang to act as a
gyroscope which is affected by forces produced by blades. The blades shape and their orientation make the boomerang to return. Here I present a model which explains why and how boomerangs
return.

How many blades has traditional Australian aboriginal boomerang?

Ref

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Right answer is four. According to the boomerang model (see figure above) there are two types of boomerang blades: radial and arc.

Spinning around its center of mass, a boomerang activates radial and passive blades as shown in pictures below.

Radial blades are active, arc blades are passive Arc blades are active, radial blades are passive

The blades in active position interact with air and produce forces the angular momentum of which determines two types of Boomerang gyroscopic precessions.

First type boomerang precession

First type boomerang precession is well known to be responsible of boomerang return (all pictures are presented for right hand boomerang).

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When the boomerang is thrust outwardly in a vertical position, it spins with angular speed w and flies with speed v. Radial blades produce well-known lift force, which affects spinning boomerang
at positions, when air flow gets in front of them. The lift forces have different values for forward and backward spinning radial blades, as boomerang is moving onward. The difference of lift forces
has angular momentum, applied to rotation axis, and provides the first type gyroscopic precession of spinning boomerang around Z-axis with angular speed Omega1. This first type gyroscopic
precession is well known and is responsible for boomerang's turning backwards.

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Second type boomerang precession

Second type boomerang procession is responsible for keeping a boomerang in the air as long as possible and determines its trajectory shape (pattern). Usually arc blades are smaller and have a little
lift which by itself cannot hold a boomerang in the air. When the boomerang is thrust outwardly almost in a vertical position it has big speed, but small vertical component of lift force. While speed
decreases, the vertical lift force component also decreases. It means that after some time boomerang begins to fall down. The main function of arc blades is to continuously rotate spinning plane in
such way which keeps constant vertical component of the lift force (which mainly is produced by radial blades). The second type precession does the job.

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The boomerang's arc blades are perpendicularly attached to the end of the radial blades. Arc blades have either negative dihedral and/or negative angle of attack or positive dihedral and/or positive
angle of attack. The arc blades become active when spinning boomerang gets a position, in which radial blades are parallel to the direction of flight. The lift force generated by said arc blades results
in a second type gyroscopic precession around axis X with angular speed Omega2. Arc blades dihedral and/or angle of attack define precession Omega2 sign and value.

This type of precession is

discussed in aeronautical
engineer Alan Adler's
scientific paper about the
ring's flight. Actually, the
flying ring can be
considered as a
construction, having just arc
blades (stabilizers) with
absent of radial blades.

The paper shows that the arc

blade dihedral and attack
angle of stabilizer can be

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constructed in different
ways to have either positive
or negative angular moment
- nose up or nose down.
When construction spins,
the angular moment
determines
precession Omega2direction
and value.

Lift of leading and trailing half-rings

Vs for a conical angled ring

OK, lets see how it really works. Download video (optimized for Divx player). First movie shows corkscrew fly pattern of flying ring with leading edge which is orientated at negative angle of
attack. Second movie shows the fly pattern of the same ring orientated at positive angle of attack (I just turn it in my hand 180 degrees). Note that precession direction is changed from
counterclockwise to clockwise.

Returning Boomerang relation. Joining First and Second types of precessions.

First type of precession Second type of precession

Total "8" type precession
Omega1 Omega2

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The flight trajectory (flight pattern) depends on "8" type boomerang precession and, thus on Omega1 and Omega2 ratio.

Both, first and second type gyroscopic precessions direct boomerang to return backwards close to its launching position. Boomerang relation Omega2= K * Omega1 describes best condition for
boomerang to return, where K range is about 1/3...1/4. The coefficient K=1/3 gives "8" type of flight pattern, the coefficient K=1/4 gives "O" type flight pattern. If K<<1/4 boomerang remains

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orientated vertically too long (lift force is orientated along fast spin axis) and falls down with ballistic trajectory (almost like a stone). Then it rolls on ground making short arc. If K>>1/3 boomerang
flies forward with corkscrew trajectory and also does not return.
When wind speed is zero, "8" (K=1/3) type pattern has landing point in behind of launching point, while "O" (K =1/4) type pattern has landing point in front of launching point. Some in-between
K values give intermediate flight patterns. Wind speed shifts the landing point. So the said boomerang has optimum return pattern for fixed speed of wind, as the coefficient K for particular
boomerang is constant.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FLIGHT PATTERNS

Description of the "8" type of flight pattern.

When the boomerang is thrust outwardly in a vertical
position, it will create and maintain a forward flight
pattern from the point of launching; it subsequently begins
an upward flight until it momentarily stalls in the air, then
makes a 180 degree turn to the left, reverses its forward
flight and simultaneously rotates 90 degrees from vertical,
taking on a horizontal, hovering type of flight pattern, and
returns closely to the point of launching, passes it and
slowly flies second small loop to the opposite side. Total
flight pattern looks like asymmetrical "8".

"8" type of flight pattern. Top view.

Seemovie3 and movie4 for DivX player.
Description of the circular "O" type of flight pattern.
When the boomerang is thrust outwardly in a vertical
position, it will create and maintain a forward flight
pattern from the point of launching; it subsequently begins
a horizontal flight making a 270-360 degree turn to the
left, reverses its forward flight and simultaneously rotates
90 degrees from vertical, taking on a horizontal, hovering
type of flight pattern, and returns to the point of
launching, passes it and slowly continues the second small
loop to the same side.

Total flight pattern is helix type and looks like "O".

Actually it is the same "8" pattern with large asymmetry:
big first loop and very delayed small second loop
of "8"which in most cases is not seen, as boomerang is "O" type of flight pattern. Top view.
landing before making it. For most cases "O" type flight Seemovie5 and movie6 for DivX player.
pattern is preferable to "8" type one, as it has a feature of

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very slow hovering landing, thus making it relative safe to

the thrower.

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