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Local conditions, drag and distance
avcase:
--- Quote from: willie on December 12, 2017, 01:58:06 pm ---
--- Quote ---I am not sure how much arrow shaft drag can be exploited to get farther shots.
--- End quote ---
Alan, I know you covered some FOC principles in an earlier thread where gliding was discussed, but maybe there are thoughts for other possible exploits out there? Have most of your efforts been limited to the "If we can delay the decent, then the arrow might go further" concept?
--- End quote ---
Short answer is yes. One of my biggest challenges at our Flight competitions is that some portion of the arrow remains above ground so it can be found and measured. A soft landing is pretty important, and it is even better if I can get a little extra distance in the process.
I do want to better understand the role of atmospheric conditions. I think this is useful. One of my current obsessions is trying to understand how Harry Drake shot an arrow over 2000 yards in 1971. It doesn’t seem possible given the equipment he was using, yet I do not doubt his distances were completely legitimate. My theory is that he was a master at knowing when and where to shoot in order to get as much help from the atmosphere as possible. Another part of the mystery is that this record was set at a lower altitude location than Bonneville, and the recorded temperature was a very cool 59 degrees F. The wind was noted as a gentle but steady off-angle tail wind of 5mph.
Alan
DC:
--- Quote from: avcase on December 13, 2017, 02:34:57 pm ---
Short answer is yes. One of my biggest challenges at our Flight competitions is that some portion of the arrow remains above ground so it can be found and measured. A soft landing is pretty important, and it is even better if I can get a little extra distance in the process.
--- End quote ---
A little aside for a sec. What would happen if you got a real soft landing. So the arrow hit flat and skipped along the surface. Does it not count in scoring?
avcase:
--- Quote from: DC on December 13, 2017, 04:46:40 pm ---
--- End quote ---
A little aside for a sec. What would happen if you got a real soft landing. So the arrow hit flat and skipped along the surface. Does it not count in scoring?
[/quote]
According to the Flight rules: “An arrow that’s comes to rest in other than the usual position may be measured from the tip of the arrow if visible, or from the point which it enters any object other than the ground.”
In this case distance wouldn’t be measured to the point of the arrow where it came to rest. But this is where the acting judge may need to get involved. For instance, if there was a chance some external forces act to continue to move the arrow after it has landed, such as high winds, or flash flooding, etc., then it will not be possible to score the arrow.
We have had rare instances where an arrow may have hit a rock below the surface and bounced out, but I am not aware of any time that this resulted in a much of an advantage.
I don’t think an arrow can descend at such a high angle of attack that it would land flat on the ground. If it did, then there probably wouldn’t be enough forward motion to carry it forward very far. In fact, if this happened then the arrow will descend in a long slow spiral, and may end up traveling the wrong way by the time it hits the ground. What usually happens is that the arrow picks up speed as it descends, and this moves the center of pressure further rearward, eventually forcing it into more alignment with the trajectory path before striking the ground.
Alan
willie:
Alan
Lots of light powder snow has been hanging in the branches of the spruce trees here. When a pilot friend stopped by, I commented how we hadn't had any wind for 2 weeks. He said it seemed unusual because just a few hundred feet up, it has been a steady headwind for days on end. His (airplane) trip home each afternoon is slowed, while he he looks out over a forest of undisturbed snowy trees. He observed that it seems like when the wind is the other way, the trees are swaying and the ride is bumpier.
Having worked on deck for many years, most of my observations about wind and waves were more about the waves, but I can say that all waves are not created equal. Sometimes sea conditions weren't near as poor as one would expect (for the given wind), and sometimes just the opposite. Could the same be true for the atmospheric side of the boundary? Are there vertical flows to be considered besides the of mentioned "thermal uplift"?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secondary_flow#Wind_near_ground_level
Badger:
Releasing balloons might give you some indications but I am not so sure what you would do to make adjustments for it.
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