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Post by chrisperoni on Apr 17, 2012 17:11:15 GMT
So my new recurve and arows arrived yesterday and with my first arrow I immediately saw the improvement the offset fletching provides. I've never shot an arrow with anything other than straight vanes/feathers, and damn it if it doesn't look ten times cooler seeing the arrow spiral, straighten out wayy sooner, and fly truer! Just who exactly figured this out? I know I can google it and I will in a minute but I'd be interested in hearing what you know about rifling, helical & offest fletching, and related aerodynamicalalyiacal-ongoings. edit/add: to give a visual reference of our discussion link: www.trueflightfeathers.com/guide.htm |
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Post by randomnobody on Apr 17, 2012 19:38:20 GMT
I have absolutely no idea about any of the historic or other technical aspects, but when I first read mention of the idea, I had to wonder why it seemed like such a "special" kind of thing. As a former student pilot, the simple aerodynamics just made sense to me; if you want the arrow to spiral, angle the fletchings. They'll act just like a mix of aileron and rudder on an airplane and "lift" that arrow into a nice spiral, which would not only increase accuracy, but possibly reduce drag and increase range, theoretically presenting almost a "propeller" effect, though most likely all this is minimal, if it even exists.
Granted, standard fletchings would generate their own "stable" flight path, but the initial "wobble" would take some time to "wear out."
I haven't shot in years, and have no experience with the real-world differences between the two methods, but as I said before, when I heard the idea, I thought, "Hey, that's a great idea; why didn't I ever think of that?"
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Post by ineffableone on Apr 17, 2012 20:05:30 GMT
From what they say helical fletching helps the arrow recover stability after leaving the bow. That a helical fletching will smooth out it's flight faster than parallel fletching on an arrow. This makes the arrow less effected by cross winds etc and fly truer and straighter making it more accurate.
Helical fletching has been around quite awhile if I remember correctly. Though now with modern fletching jigs the effect is much better than the old methods of hand doing it.
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Sam H
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Post by Sam H on Apr 17, 2012 22:32:47 GMT
It was told to me once a while back by an SCA boyer and fletcher that the helical fletching on arrows came about as a sort of serendipitous find when arrows were fletched with flight feathers from the wings of large birds... and someone decided to fletch an arrow with feathers from the same wing - thus aligning the natural curvature of the fletching - and inadvertently finding the benefits of an arrow that spins while flying.
Whether this is true or not I don't know. I can say it certainly makes sense though doesn't it?
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Aaron
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Post by Aaron on Apr 18, 2012 2:13:09 GMT
Yep, all my arrows are helical fletched and I wouldn't have it any other way.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 18, 2012 5:00:24 GMT
Likewise, offset fletching is the only thing I'd ever use, the spin stabilisation works wonders!
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Post by ineffableone on Apr 18, 2012 6:21:40 GMT
wow ok I have been doing some hunting for the historic invention of helical fletching for arrows. I cam across some very interesting stuff but oddly found noting that really said when arrows started getting helical fletching. There was this bizare weird History page Fletching: A History www.antithetical.org/restlesswind/plinth/fletch.htmlObviously not serious. Also came across this thread on paleoplanet saying there is only evidence of straight fletching for medieval arrows paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/5977/t/Straight-or-Helical-Fletch-on-Medieval-Arrows-.html#.T45UaOJYAQ4However his argument in it seems fairly thin, with evidence from one ship wreck and the few arrows on that ship without any fletching left but clear glue marks and a painting. Someone brought up how easy it is for them to make a helical fletch by hand and shoot it only minutes later, testing it's effectiveness. He rightly asked how can such minimal evidence say that there was only straight fletching, it only show we have only found straight fletching in a very small sample of the millions of arrows that were made in the era. Today we have both types, years from now if an archaeologist discovered a small batch of only one style, and only one picture of that same style, would he jump to the conclusion that was it? While it could be there was only straight fletch in that era, I find it hard to believe no fletcher figured out in all the mass of Europe of that era to go with the natural curve of the feather and the arrow might work better? Finally in the oddest place, history of gun powder there was mention of the first rifling of gun barrels and how this was a copy of already in use helical arrow fletching. They cite 1400's as the invention of rifling and that arrow fletching had already been invented, so we know it is at least that old. www.americanfirearms.org/history.php I also came across an interesting comparison of straight vs helical. archeryreport.com/2011/07/helical-straight-fletch-accuracy-repeatability/Now first off seeing he is using veins instead of feathers made me question his reliability then the guys shooting pattern on the targets made me question it more. How ever I have seen basically the same info given in less structured form in other places. What it boils down to, straight fletching will fly faster and further, but only minimally. Most of the speed is actually at the end of the flight not the main flight. The helical fletch looses momentum and speed near the end due to energy loss from the spin. However helical does recover stability quicker after shooting from the bow and is more accurate, short distance this is minimal but longer the range more this effects the accuracy. The difference of speed and distance of a straight fletch is so minimal that helical definitely wins for better recovery and accuracy. So go for helical, straight fletch has no real benefit other than possible historic accuracy. Except we know at least by late Medieval era there were helical arrows as the invention of rifled gun barrels took the idea for rifling from helical fletching in the 1400's. But that isn't saying how long before the 1400's the helical fletch was around, it might have been quite a long time or only a short time, more evidence it needed to know. |
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Post by chrisperoni on Apr 18, 2012 13:33:04 GMT
some excellent stuff here esp. innef's finds! I added a link and a pic to the OP to give some reference.
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Post by chrisperoni on Apr 22, 2012 2:20:56 GMT
after taking a closer look at my arrows it's clear they are helical as well; not just offset. when looking sraight down at the feather quill/base I can see just a bit of the left side of the feather for the front 1/2, and a good deal of the right side for the back half.
-just wanted to say.
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Taran
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Post by Taran on May 3, 2012 16:51:47 GMT
Just an added thought on the offset fletching...
It seems it would lift the front end of the feather above where the arrow rests on the hand, thus reducing, if not eliminating outright, feather-burn.
Nor more grabbing the tweezers to yank glue and feather pieces out of my hand.
I like it.
Helical or nothing, btw.
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on May 3, 2012 19:26:06 GMT
Damn, this is the first time I hear about this... need to try that out. I fletch by hand so I hope I can get it offset correctly. Looks simply anyway.
Is it really that much better?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2012 23:59:51 GMT
More stability less speed, in general terms that is mind you.
I'd get a fletching jig if you want to get the offset correct I guess.
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Post by chrisperoni on May 4, 2012 2:13:59 GMT
imho it is far and away superior
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Aaron
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Post by Aaron on May 4, 2012 2:41:27 GMT
For our modern uses, yes, helical fletching is the way to go. With target shooting and hunting, most shots will be close enough that the loss in arrow speed is negligible, but the gains in stability at those close ranges will be extremely beneficial. If the bow was still a weapon of war, helical fletching on the battlefield would be less effective than straight fletching when you need that distance and arrow speed to hit a much further target. Plus the arrow has much more space/time to stabilize before hitting the enemy.
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