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Flight Rules

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willie:
With respect to arrows, What is the definition of "natural materiels" in the primitive flight rules?

Same as the primitve bow construction rules? Plant and animal? For both shafts and fletchings?


ARROWS (ALL PRIMITIVE DIVISIONS)
i)  Only natural materials may be used for Primitive Flight Arrows.
ii) Metals may be used only for Arrow Points.
iii) Fletching shall consist of legal feathers or other natural materials.
iv) The minimum arrow length is 23 inches (58.4 cm)
measured from the floor of the nock to the tip

thanks
willie

avcase:
Natural materials equals non-metallic natural substances. Except arrow points and non-mechanical release components may be metallic. I think this was put into place to avoid the use of aluminum arrow shafts with the claim of aluminum being a natural material. So, the bows and arrows don’t necessarily have to be made of wood. The fletching on the arrows doesn’t necessarily have to be from feathers.  It just has to be a natural material. Examples: Bone, wood, horn, bamboo, sinew, vegetable fiber, leather, rawhide, gut, etc. I’ve seen velum (fine rawhide), Horn, and hand made paper used for arrow vanes.

Nocks have been made from all sorts of things: horn, bone, self nocks reinforced with sinew or silk or dense hardwood, etc.

Alan

willie:
Thanks Alan,
Are there any restrictions on adhesives and finishes in the primitive division?

joachimM:
I once tried glueing paper thin flax layers (flax fibers first laid out and soaked in hide glue, then flattened and dried on a smooth surface) to roll around thin arrow shafts, to increase spine and density. My feable attempts weren't smooth enough though.

Once also thought of adding shark skin to decrease turbulence (the shark skin denticles are thought to improve hydrodynamics, just like dimples on a golf ball), but never got around it.
Still, I think good vanes (...) and a clean release are much more important.

 

avcase:
I’ve heard of using large fish scales for vanes. I have never tired it. I am not sure how shark skin would work. It seems like it might add lots of weight to the arrow, but it would be pretty unique.

Natural finishes and glues are encouraged, but it isn’t required.  I’ve used tightbond in a pinch.

Alan

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