Boomerang

This article is about the wooden implement. For other uses, see Boomerang (disambiguation).

A typical wooden returning boomerang

A boomerang is a flying tool commonly used by Rishi with a curved shape used as a weapon or for sport. Although it is usually thought of as a wooden device, modern boomerangs used for sport are often made from carbon fibre-reinforced plastics or other high-tech materials. Historically, boomerang-like devices have also been made from bones. Boomerangs come in many shapes and sizes depending on their geographic or tribal origins and intended function. The most recognisable type is the returning boomerang, which is a throwing stick that travels in an elliptical path and returns to its point of origin when thrown correctly. A returning boomerang has uneven arms or wings, so that the spinning is lopsided to curve the path. Although non-returning boomerangs throw sticks (or kylies) were used as weapons, returning boomerangs have been used primarily for leisure or recreation. Returning boomerangs were also used as decoy birds of prey, thrown above long grass in order to frighten game birds into flight and into waiting nets. Modern returning boomerangs can be of various shapes or sizes as can be seen in the diagram of modern Boomerangs to the right of page.

Historical evidence also points to the use of non-returning boomerangs by the ancient Egyptians, Native Americans of California and Arizona, and inhabitants of southern India for killing birds and rabbits. Indeed, some boomerangs were not thrown at all, but were used in hand to hand combat by Indigenous Australians.

Boomerangs can be variously used as hunting weapons, percussive musical instruments, battle clubs, fire-starters, decoys for hunting waterfowl, and as recreational play toys. The smallest boomerang may be less than 10 centimetres (4 in) from tip to tip, and the largest over 180 centimetres (6 ft) in length. Tribal boomerangs may be inscribed and/or painted with designs meaningful to their makers. Most boomerangs seen today are of the tourist or competition sort, and are almost invariably of the returning type.

Etymology

The origin of the term is uncertain, and many researchers have different theories on how the word entered the English vocabulary. The boomerang was first encountered by western people at Farm Cove (Port Jackson), Australia, in December 1804 where its use as a weapon was witnessed during a tribal skirmish:

...the white spectators were justly astonished at the dexterity and incredible force with which a bent, edged waddy resembling slightly a turkish scimitar, was thrown by Bungary, a native distinguished by his remarkable courtesy. The weapon, thrown at 20 or 30 yards [18 or 27 m] distance, twirled round in the air with astonishing velocity, and alighting on the right arm of one of his opponents, actually rebounded to a distance not less than 70 or 80 yards [64 or 73 m], leaving a horrible contusion behind, and exciting universal admiration.

— final paragraph on page; archaic language reinterpreted here

David Collins listed "Wo-mur-rāng" as one of eight aboriginal "Names of clubs" in 1798. A 1790 anonymous manuscript on aboriginal languages of New South Wales reported "Boo-mer-rit" as "the Scimiter".

In 1822 it was described in detail and recorded as a "bou-mar-rang", in the language of the Turuwal people (a sub-group of the Dharug) of the Georges River near Port Jackson. The Turnawal used other words for their hunting sticks but used "boomerang" to refer to a returning throw-stick. They were also mistakenly referred to as a woomerang, in confusion with the spear-thrower woomera.

History

Distribution of boomerangs in Australia

Australian Aboriginal boomerangs

The oldest Australian Aboriginal boomerangs are ten thousand years old, but older hunting sticks have been discovered in Europe, where they seem to have formed part of the stone age arsenal of weapons. One boomerang that was discovered in a cave in the Carpathian Mountains in Poland was made of mammoth's tusk and is believed, based on AMS dating of objects found with it, to be about 30,000 years old. King Tutankhamen, the famous Pharaoh of ancient Egypt, who died over 3,000 years ago, owned a collection of boomerangs of both the straight flying (hunting) and returning variety.

No one knows for sure how the returning boomerang was first invented, but some modern boomerang makers speculate that it developed from the flattened throwing stick, still used by the Australian Aborigines and some other tribal people around the world, including the Navajo Indians in America. A hunting boomerang is delicately balanced and much harder to make than a returning one. Probably, the curving flight characteristic of returning boomerangs was first noticed by stone age hunters trying to "tune" their throwing sticks to fly straight. In 1909 the Ngarrindjeri inventor David Unaipon patented an invention for a rotary wing aircraft based on his study of boomerang aerodynamics.

Modern use

Today, boomerangs are mostly used as sporting items. There are different types of throwing contests: accuracy of return; Aussie round; trick catch; maximum time aloft; fast catch; and endurance (see below). The modern sport boomerang (often referred to as a 'boom' or 'rang'), is made of Finnish birch plywood, hardwood, plastic or composite materials and comes in many different shapes and colours. Most sport boomerangs typically weigh less than 100 grams (3.5 oz), with MTA boomerangs (boomerangs used for the maximum time aloft event) often under 25 grams (0.9 oz).

The modern boomerang is often CAD designed with precision airfoils. The number of "wings" is often more than 2 as more lift is often provided by 3 or 4 wings rather than 2.

In 2008, Japanese astronaut Takao Doi verified that boomerangs also function in zero gravity as they do on Earth. He repeated the same experiment that German Astronaut Ulf Meerbold performed aboard Spacelab in 1992 and French Astronaut Jean-François Clervoy later performed aboard MIR in 1997.

Modern sports boomerangs

Hunting

It is believed that the shape and elliptical flight path of the returning boomerang makes it useful for hunting. Noise generated by the movement of the boomerang through the air, and, by a skilled thrower, lightly clipping leaves of a tree whose branches house birds, would help scare the birds towards the thrower. This was used to frighten flocks or groups of birds into nets that were usually strung up between trees or thrown by hidden hunters.

Boomerangs (termed "throwsticks") for hunting larger prey, such as kangaroo, were used for small prey as well. These throwsticks fly in a nearly straight path when thrown horizontally and are heavy enough to take down a kangaroo on impact to the legs or knees. For hunting emu, the throwstick is aimed toward the bird's neck, in an attempt to break it.

Communication

It has been documented that Western Victorian Australian aborigines used the returnable boomerang, in addition to hunting, as a means of communication over long distances . This visual communication is especially useful when winds or distance make impossible other well known methods of communication such as cooee.

Design

Boomerangs for sale at the 2005 Melbourne Show

A boomerang is a rotating wing. Though it is not a requirement that the boomerang be in its traditional shape, it is usually flat. A falling boomerang starts spinning, and most then fall in a spiral. When the boomerang is thrown with high spin, the wings produce lift. Larger boomerangs are used in hunting, thus they drop on the ground after striking the target. Smaller ones are used in sport, and are the only boomerangs that return to the thrower. Because of its rapid spinning, a boomerang flies in a curve rather than a straight line. When thrown correctly, a boomerang returns to its starting point.

Returning boomerangs consist of two or more arms, or wings, connected at an angle. Each wing is shaped as an Airfoil, so air travels faster over one side of the wing than the other. This difference in air speed creates suction or lift along what is roughly a plane which intersects the aerofoil at a near right angle along the long axis of the wing.

These wings are set so that the lift created by each wing opposes the lift of the other, but at an angle such that the flight pattern is constantly shifted as the forces of lift, drag, rotational inertia (etc.) 'attempt' to reach equilibrium. In simple terms, this means that one side of the boomerang is different from the other. If both wings were identical, then the boomerang would spin, but fly in a straight line.

Gyroscopic precession is what makes the boomerang return to the thrower when thrown correctly. This is also what makes the boomerang fly straight up into the air when thrown incorrectly. With the exception of long-distance boomerangs, they should not be thrown sidearm or like a Frisbee, but rather thrown with the long axis of the wings rotating in an almost-vertical plane. When throwing a returning boomerang correctly, it is important to follow the correct instructions to achieve a successful return.

Some boomerangs have turbulators—bumps or pits on the top surface that act to increase the lift as boundary layer transition activators (to keep attached turbulent flow instead of laminar separation).

Fast Catch boomerangs usually have three or more symmetrical wings (in the planform view), whereas a Long Distance boomerang is most often shaped similar to a question mark. Maximum Time Aloft boomerangs mostly have one wing considerably longer than the other. This feature, along with carefully executed bends and twists in the wings, help to set up an 'auto-rotation' effect to maximise the boomerang's hover-time in descending from the highest point in its flight.

Throwing technique

diagram of the throwing of a left-handed boomerang

A right-handed boomerang is thrown with a counter-clockwise spin causing a counter-clockwise flight (as seen from above). Conversely, a left-handed boomerang is constructed as a mirror image with the aerofoils' leading edges on the left side of the wings, as seen from above, causing it to produce lift when circling clockwise. Although appearing symmetrical from a plan view, the leading edges are on opposite edges of the wings (leading and trailing) so as to present the leading edges of the aerofoil to the wind when spinning.

Most sport boomerangs are in the range of about 70 to 110 grams (2.5 to 3.9 oz). The range on most is between 20 and 40 metres (22 and 44 yd). Boomerangs are generally thrown in treeless, large open spaces that are twice as large as the range of the boomerang. A right- or left-handed boomerang can be thrown with either hand, but the flight direction will depend upon the boomerang, not the thrower. Throwing a boomerang with the wrong hand requires a throwing motion that many throwers may find awkward.

For right-handed boomerangs, throwers first establish the wind and launch direction by first facing into the wind, slowly turning their head left to right. They then turn between thirty to seventy degrees clockwise to the right, depending on wind speed (turning further for stronger winds).

The thrower stands sideways with feet-apart, left foot forward, so as to point in the direction of flight. Holding the right (or left) wing tip, flat side down, using the thumb on top and one to three fingers below, they tilt the boomerang upright at a ten to thirty degree angle from vertical. Cocking the boomerang back so that the central bend touches their forearm to allow adequate spin. They aim, by pointing with their left arm, at, or just above, the horizon.

Sharply stepping forward with the left foot, throwers follow through with their right arm and leg as they launch the boomerang in a similar way to throwing a spear or ball. Launching is performed crisply using a whip-like flick with their index finger, at the end of the throw, so as to cause counter-clockwise spin (seen from above). The strength of throw and spin must be varied according to the speed of the wind—the stronger the wind, the less power is required to provide lift enough to make the return journey. In other words, the stronger the wind, the softer the boomerang is thrown.

The boomerang initially should curve around to the left, climb gently, level out in mid-flight, arc around and descend slowly, and then finish by popping up slightly, hovering, then stalling near the thrower. Ideally, it should hover momentarily, to allow the catcher to clamp their hands shut decisively and firmly on the horizontal boomerang from above and below, sandwiching the centre between the catcher's hands. In other words, it is possible to avoid painful wing strikes to the hand by not sticking fingers directly into the edge of the fast-spinning wing rotor.

Boomerangs shouldn't be thrown level like a flying disc, as it will turn upwards abruptly in the direction of the top of its aerofoils, so if that direction happens to be up rather than to the side it may soar up so high and quickly down again so that the subsequent landing may cause damage.

Wind speed and direction are very important for a successful throw. A right-handed boomerang is thrown with the wind on one's left cheek. The angle to the wind depends on the boomerang, but starting with a 45 degree angle is recommended. Depending on where the boomerang lands, this angle can be modified so that a closer return is achieved. For example, if the boomerang lands too far on the left, turn to throw more to the right of the wind the next time. If the return goes over one's head, then throw softer. If it falls short, then throw harder. As for the wind speed, a light wind of three to five miles an hour is ideal. If the wind is strong enough to fly a kite, then that's usually too strong for boomerangs.

Throwers can modify various actions to achieve a closer return according to the conditions; the throw angle to the wind, the tilt, the power, the spin, and the inclination can be adjusted to vary the return point so the catch point can be perfected. Facing into the wind, then turning the head slightly to either side to check for the cooling effect, allows one to assess the wind direction, and thus the throwing direction, more accurately. For consistency, return to the same throw point and then use a background target object on the horizon to throw in the same direction relative to the wind each time.

Competitions and records

In international competition, a world cup is held every second year, with teams from Germany and the United States dominating international competition. The individual World Champion title was won in 2000, 2002 and 2004 by Swiss thrower Manuel Schütz. In 2006, Fridolin Frost from Germany won the title, with Manuel Schütz finishing third.

Competition disciplines

Modern boomerang tournaments usually involve some or all of the events listed below In all disciplines the boomerang must travel at least 20 metres (66 ft) from the thrower. Throwing takes place individually. The thrower stands at the centre of concentric rings marked on an open field.

Events include:

• Aussie Round: considered by many to be the ultimate test of boomeranging skills. The boomerang should ideally cross the 50-metre (160 ft) circle and come right back to the centre. Each thrower has five attempts. Points are awarded for distance, accuracy and the catch.
• Accuracy: points are awarded according to how close the boomerang lands to the centre of the rings. The thrower must not touch the boomerang after it has been thrown. Each thrower has five attempts. In major competitions there are two accuracy disciplines: Accuracy 100 and Accuracy 50.
• Endurance: points are awarded for the number of catches achieved in 5 minutes.
• Fast Catch: the time taken to throw and catch the boomerang five times. The winner has the fastest timed catches.
• Trick Catch/Doubling: points are awarded for trick catches behind the back, between the feet, etc. In Doubling the thrower has to throw two boomerangs at the same time and catch them in sequence in a special way.
• Consecutive Catch: points are awarded for the number of catches achieved before the boomerang is dropped. The event is not timed.
• MTA 100 (Maximal Time Aloft, 100 metres (330 ft)): points are awarded for the length of time spent by the boomerang in the air. The field is normally a circle measuring 100 m. An alternative to this discipline, without the 100 m restriction is called MTA unlimited.
• Long Distance: the boomerang is thrown from the middle point of a 40-metre (130 ft) baseline. The furthest distance travelled by the boomerang away from the baseline is measured. On returning the boomerang must cross the baseline again but does not have to be caught. A special section is dedicated to LD below.
• Juggling: as with Consecutive Catch, only with two boomerangs. At any given time one boomerang must be in the air.

World records

As of June 2010

Discipline	Result	Name	Year	Tournament
Accuracy 100	99 points	Alex Opri (D)	2007	Viareggio (ITA)
Aussie Round	99 points	Fridolin Frost (D)	2007	Viareggio (ITA)
Endurance	81 catches	Manuel Schütz (CH)	2005	Milano (I)
Fast Catch	14.60 s	Adam Ruhf (USA)	1996	Emmaus (USA)
Trick Catch/Doubling	390 points	Manuel Schütz (CH)	2004	Milano (I)
Consecutive Catch	2251 catches	Haruki Taketomi (J)	2009	Japan
MTA 100	139.10 s	Nick Citoli (USA)	2010	Rome (I)
MTA unlimited	380.59 s	Billy Brazelton (USA)	2010	Rome (I)
Long Distance	238 m	Manuel Schütz (CH)	1999	Kloten (CH)

Non-discipline record: Smallest Boomerang: Sadir Kattan of Australia in 1997 with 48 millimetres (1.9 in) long and 45 millimetres (1.8 in) wide. This tiny boomerang flew the required 20 metres (22 yd), returning to the accuracy circles on 22 March 1997 at the Australian National Championships.

Guinness world distance record

A boomerang was used to set a Guinness World Record with a throw of 1,401.5 feet (427.2 meters) by David Schummy on March 15, 2005 at Murrarie Recreation Ground, Australia. This broke the previous record set by Erin Hemmings who threw an Aerobie 1,333 feet (406.3 meters) on July 14, 2003 at Fort Funston, San Francisco.

Long distance boomerangs

Long distance boomerang throwers aim to have the boomerang go the furthest possible distance while returning close to the throwing point. In competition the boomerang must intersect an imaginary surface defined as an infinite vertical extrude of a 40-metre (44 yd) large line centred on the thrower. Outside of competitions, the definition is not so strict, and the thrower is happy whenever he does not have to travel 50 metres (55 yd) after the throw, to recover the boomerang.

General properties

Long-distance boomerangs are optimised to have minimal drag while still having enough lift to fly and return. For this reason, they have a very narrow throwing window, which discourages many beginners from continuing with this discipline. For the same reason, the quality of manufactured long-distance boomerangs is often non-deterministic.

Today's long-distance boomerangs have almost all an S or ? - question mark shape and have a beveled edge on both sides (the bevel on the bottom side is sometimes called an undercut). This is to minimise drag and lower the lift. Lift must be low because the boomerang is thrown with an almost total layover (flat). Long distance boomerangs are most frequently made of composite material, mainly glass fibre epoxy composites.

Flight path

The projection of the flight path of long distance boomerang on the ground resembles a water drop. For older types of long distance boomerangs (all types of so called big hooks), the first and last third of the flight path are very low, while the middle third is a fast climbing followed by a fast descent. Nowadays boomerangs are made in a way that their whole flight path is almost planar with a constant climbing during the first half of the trajectory and then a rather constant descent during the second half.

From theoretical point of view, long-distance boomerangs are interesting also for the following reason: for achieving a different behaviour during different flight phases, the ratio of the rotation frequency to the forward velocity has a U-shaped function, i.e. its derivative crosses 0. Practically, it means that the boomerang being at the furthest point has a very low forward velocity. The kinetic energy of the forward component is then stored in the potential energy. This is not true for other types of boomerangs, where the loss of kinetic energy is non-reversible (the MTAs also store kinetic energy in potential energy during the first half of the flight, but then the potential energy is lost directly by the drag).

Related terms

Kylie is one of the Aboriginal words for the hunting stick used in warfare and for hunting animals. Instead of following curved flight paths, kylies fly in straight lines from the throwers. They are typically much larger than boomerangs, and can travel very long distances; due to their size and hook shapes, they can cripple or kill an animal or human opponent. The word is perhaps an English corruption of a word meaning boomerang taken from one of the Western Desert languages, for example, the Warlpiri word karli.

Use in media

• The Magic Boomerang, an Australian children's drama series in the 1960s, where time stood still for the duration of its flight, whenever the boomerang was thrown by the child who owned it.
• Marine Boy used an electrified boomerang as his main weapon.
• In Mad Max 2 a feral child uses a boomerang as a weapon.
• In The Legend of Zelda series, the main character, Link, uses a boomerang as a weapon.
• Batman uses a Batarang, a boomerang-like weapon.
• Captain Boomerang, an enemy of the Flash, uses many different explosive boomerangs as his weapons.
• In Skies of Arcadia, the character Aika uses large boomerangs as both a ranged and melee weapon.
• The character Sokka from Avatar: The Last Airbender uses a bladed boomerang throughout most of the series.
• The character Mahad from Skyland uses a boomerang throughout most of the series.
• Used in the Multiplatform game series, Ty the Tasmanian Tiger, The main Character used an assortment of fictional rangs, such as the Fire-rang, or Ka-boomerang as his modus operandi.
• Used in Dragon Quest VIII The player uses one.
• In Final Fantasy XIII, the character Hope Estheim uses Boomerangs as his preferred choice of weapon.

See also

• Throwing stick

Further reading

Boomerang Ask.com Design, Throwing, Flight Path.

External links

• Types of Boomerangs
• History of Boomerangs
• Unspinning the Boomerang, The Maths and Physics of a Boomerang
• Boomerang aerodynamics an online dissertation
• Explanation of the origin of the word 'Boomerang'
• How to Throw Boomerangs, a beginner's to advanced guide to throwing boomerangs
• Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)