Performance Boomerangs

126 Pages·2018·8.16 MB·English

by  John Cross

Performance Boomerangs
Acknowledgements
The pursuit of trying to get the best out of all the boomerangs I have – both
those I made myself and those I have bought - is one of the most satisfying
parts  of  the  sport  or  boomerangs.    I’ve  been  making  and  throwing  boomer-­
angs since the mid eighties and in that time, I have learned a lot about boo-
merangs and how to get them to perform the way I want them to.

I have spent countless hours, making, tuning, and thinking about how boo-
merangs work, as well as talking with other throwers and trying to figure out
a  system  to  make  it  easier  for  me  to  get  the  results  I’m  after.      I  continue  to  
have an insatiable appetite for information on tweaking boomerangs to im-
prove performance.

I  couldn’t  have  accumulated  the  information  in  this  book  without  consider-­
able guidance along the way. This book is the result of collecting carving
and tuning tips wherever I can. Special thanks to the people who have
shared information with me over the years (either directly or indirectly) as
well as those who crafted the boomerangs featured in this book. A lot of
credit must go to them however any mistakes or omissions are solely mine.

Thanks to the late Brother Brian Thomas, Ted Bailey, Eric Darnell, John
Flynn, Fridolin Frost, Axel Heckner, Fred Malmberg, Doug Dufresne, Mi-
chael  “Gel”  Girvin,  Volker  Behrens,  Georgi  Dimantchev,  Bruce  Carter,  
Adam Carroll, Jonas Romblad, Ola Wahlberg, Michael Siems, Dan Nee-
lands, Pat Steigman and Chet Snouffer. Special thanks goes to Tibor
Horvath for prompting me to update this book although that project got
stalled for a couple of years. He was instrumental in editing and helping
with this second edition. I truly appreciate his help and advice. Thanks
also goes to David Bjørklund for again prompting me to finish what I had
started and for hosting the electronic version of the book.

I hope that as new tricks are learned and new boomerangs are designed,
people in the know will continue to share their knowledge so that we can all
benefit. I encourage you to discuss your experiences and findings with
other throwers and to pass on your knowledge to others whenever possi-
ble.

John Cross — 2012
1
PERFORMANCE BOOMERANGS

“Performance  Boomerangs”

Author and publisher
John Cross
1422 Highwood Blvd
Devon, Alberta
T9G 2E8
Canada

Graphics and pictures by John Cross

The boomerangs featured in this book are from
the collections of John Cross and Andrew
Cross.

First edition published 2003
Second edition published 2012

All rights reserved.
Copyright John Cross 2003, 2012
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PERFORMANCE BOOMERANGS

CONTENTS
Foreword 4
Safety 5
Good Boomerangs Great Boomerangs 7
General Design and Features of Boomerangs 8
Materials 11
Introduction to Tuning - The Tuning Model 15
Using the Tuning Model 14
Bending and Twisting 18
Add-Ons 21
Airfoil Modifications 28
Tri-Fly Modifications 34
Special Considerations for Wind 36
Putting It All Together 37
Alternate Tuning Methods 39
Repairs 41
Competition 42
Accuracy 44
Aussie Round 48
Fast Catch and Endurance 52
MTA 61
Trick Catch/Doubling 74
Relay 80
Long Distance 82
Performance Boomerang Gallery 85
Suggested Reading 122
Troubleshooting Chart 123

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PERFORMANCE BOOMERANGS
Foreword
One of my major complaints back when I This book is not aimed at the novice thrower.
started throwing boomerangs was the lack of To use the techniques in this book to their full
tuning information. Although the information potential, you have to be able to throw consis-
available was a good starting point, most of it tently enough that you know the problem with
was  very  general  and  didn’t  really  take  you   the flight is the boomerang and not you. It will
very far after you had the basics down. I al- be assumed here that you know how to adjust
ways found it disappointing that there was no for wind, power, elevation and layover to get
source of information that went beyond the ba- fairly good returns with your favorite boomer-
sics on how to tune and carve boomerangs. angs. Although it is helpful if you have tried
carving and tuning your own boomerangs, it is
Because of the lack of information, tuning can not required to get good results. Nor is it re-
be a bit overwhelming for the uninitiated. For quired that you intend to use these techniques
instance, many never try tuning an MTA be- to construct competition boomerangs. They
cause  they  don’t  even  know  where  to  start.    My   are presented as examples of how different
objective is to remove some of the mystery modifications are used. Hopefully, the tech-
from the art of tuning and provide a starting niques here will help you get your boomerangs
point to get you going. Granted, experience is to perform better or inspire you to get back out
the best teacher and it would be foolish to as- in the shop and try some new things.
sume by reading about it, anyone could be-
come a master tuner. Having a guide to at This book has specific sections on the various
least get you started will ideally make the en- types of competition boomerangs. The section
tire task less intimidating and hopefully, you on long distance boomerangs was not in-
will be more willing to give it a try. cluded in the first edition of this book. It is ad-
mittedly brief and less complete than other
Carving and tuning boomerangs is not hard. sections. Their performance is so unlike other
Although there are numerous tricks and tech- types of boomerangs, I could not do them jus-
niques used when tuning, in reality, they are tice in the space provided. Besides, a great
mostly variations of the same thing even book has already been written on them exclu-
though they seem unrelated. This book is an sively (see Suggested Reading) and anything I
attempt to shed light on these techniques and wrote would be just plagiarizing it.
how  to  use  them.    I’ve  tried  to  make  connec-­
tions when I can to give a bit of insight into why Similarly, there are a number of other topics
things are done the way they are. usually covered in other boomerang books left
out of this book. These include history, theory
If you work your way through the tips in this of the physics, construction basics, thrower
book, hopefully you will end up with some profiles, and specific plans. If you are inter-
pretty good flying boomerangs. The tips here ested in these subjects, there is a list of books
are ones that have worked for me. Undoubt- at the end of this book worth tracking down
edly,  I’ve  missed  tricks  here  and  there  and  do   that have excellent sections on these topics.
things differently than some other throwers. I A quick search on the internet will yield more
do not know all the tricks the top competitors plans than could ever be included in a book.
use to get their boomerangs to fly the way they
do. I definitely do not mean to suggest that the What follows is what I think is the most com-
solutions presented here are the only way to prehensive guide on maximizing the perform-
do things. This book outlines how I approach ance of boomerangs available. In this, the
problems and how I go about trying to fix them. second edition, additional tips and tricks have
Although there are exceptions to the examples been added that were missed in the first edi-
given, they should be useful even though they tion.      I’d  like  to  think  I  got  them  all  this  time.
won’t  always  apply.
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PERFORMANCE BOOMERANGS
Safety
Any time you are throwing boomerangs, you Some throwers like to wear protective gloves
should take care to ensure the safety of those as well but this is a matter of preference and
around you. Boomerangs can be dangerous if not required safety equipment.
thrown carelessly or around others not aware
of where they are in the air. Do not assume As well as the usual safety throwing rules, ex-
others know where your boomerangs are going tra care should be taken when tuning boomer-
or are paying attention to you. Be aware of angs. The process of tuning can sometimes
your surroundings and any people who may be yield unpredictable results – particularly when
walking near your throwing area. Wait to throw you are at the beginning of the learning curve.
until you are sure the area is clear. If a throw Tuning can potentially turn a poor performer
does get too close to someone, loudly yell a into either a great boomerang or a throw stick.
warning to duck. Make sure you leave even more room for mis-
takes than you would need if you were throw-
A good general rule is to throw on a field with ing your favorite boomerangs. Remember,
at least 2 to 3 times the range of you boomer- with each change you make to a boomerang,
ang in every direction. If not possible, the bare you can completely change the characteristics
minimum for a field to use is 20 meters larger of that boomerang. Keep this in mind particu-
that the range of your longest range boomer- larly if there are others in the area you are
ang. If you were throwing a 50 meter boomer- throwing.
ang, you need to be at least 70 meters away
from anything you could hit . When carving some of the more exotic mate-
rials, protection from the dust is required. In
Boomerangs should be painted bright colours particular, extra care should be taken to en-
to make them easy to see - both in the air and sure you do not breath the dust from materi-
on the ground. Losing sight of a boomerang is als such as fiberglass or phenolics. They can
never fun. If it crashes, you want to be able to cause serious damage to your lungs if pre-
know where to go looking for it to find it. If you cautions are not taken. A HEPA rated dust
lose sight of it in the air, it can be quite unnerv- mask (good to 1 micron particle size) should
ing to hear it whiz past you on the return. be used at all times when dealing with these
Don’t’  take  your  eyes  off  a  boomerang  that  is  in   materials. Although more money than dis-
the air. posable paper masks, they offer significantly
more protection. Safety glasses and hearing
It is also good practice when throwing with oth- protection should also be used any time
ers to wait until other boomerangs have landed power tools are being used.
or been caught before launching yours into the
air. Although some games such as suicide call
for everyone throwing at the same time, this
should be the exception and not the rule while
on the field.

Ordinary sunglasses offer protection in the
event of a catch that bounces off your hands
towards your face or from an errant throw.
This is particularly important when throwing
boomerangs such as fast catches which can
have more of a tendency to bounce off your
hands as you go for the catch. For this rea-
son, it is also wise to only attempt catches
when the boomerang is below head level.
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PERFORMANCE BOOMERANGS
Safety
After carving, it is a good idea to shower and One last safety consideration that should be
wash off any dust. Some dusts may cause obvious  is  to  make  sure  you  don’t  attach  any-­
irritation on the skin if not washed off. thing sharp or jagged to your boomerang.
Similarly, jagged edges should be rounded to
Additionally, precautions should be used prevent injury when catching.
when handling lead used for weighting boo-
merangs. Wash your hands after handling
and spray a sealer coat of paint or cover the
weight on the boomerang with tape. Avoid
melting lead or using power sanders which
could cover the area with lead dust.

Although good boomerangs can and have
been made out of aluminum, making metal
boomerangs should be avoided. Metal boo-
merangs can de-tune easily if they crash lead-
ing to unpredictable flights. Also, because of
their thinness and colour, unpainted metal
boomerangs seem to disappear against a
cloudy sky making tracking difficult to impossi-
ble. For these reasons, they are not allowed
in competition.

If spray painting your boomerangs, do it out-
side or in a well ventilated area. If you plan to
paint a number of boomerangs, it may be a
good idea to invest in an organic vapour
mask. Be aware that organic vapour masks
and HEPA masks are not interchangeable.
Using an organic vapour mask in a dusty envi-
ronment will not help to protect your lungs.
The same goes for using a HEPA mask in a
vapour rich environment like when you are
painting. Although you can get combination
masks that have cartridges for both, I recom-
mend using separate masks for the different
activities.

If you are dealing with epoxy either for repairs
or for laminating, be sure to wear protective
gloves and work in a well ventilated area.
This is another situation in which an organic
vapour mask can be beneficial, particularly if
you are dealing with it for an extended time
such as when laminating. Epoxy can become
an irritant with repeated exposure and it is
best to minimize contact with it if you can.

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PERFORMANCE BOOMERANGS
Good Boomerangs, Great Boomerangs
To me, the difference between a good boomer- Sometimes even minor changes can have a
ang and a great boomerang is one you like to dramatic effect on the flight.
throw  or  one  you  don’t.    The  difference  can  be  
quite subtle. For some reason, the ones you Although getting the best out of your boomer-
throw remind you of what attracted you to boo- angs is very satisfying, it can also be very frus-
merangs in the first place - that uncanny ability trating. Sometimes, what you do fixes the
of a stick to return to your hand. The other problem on the first try but more often, you
type may work OK but there is something un- struggle through it trying different variations.
satisfying about them. They may require too Sometimes you feel you have tried everything
hard of a throw, not go far enough or not per- and are still not quite satisfied with the results.
form like you want them to. You may not even There  is  always  a  challenge  that  hasn’t  been  
be able to explain why you like one over an- come  across  before  or  something  you  haven’t  
other. tried yet in your attempts to increase perform-
ance that little bit more. Approach each prob-
To get a boomerang to be one of those that lem with an ideal flight in mind then strive to
you always tend to throw, there are a lot of fac- get that flight.
tors. Looking good and feeling well crafted are
important, but unless it flies how you want it to, Learning to adjust a boomerang to your throw
you  are  unlikely  to  throw  it  regularly.    If  I  don’t   takes  practice  and  lots  of  patience.    Don’t  be  
like  the  flight  or  don’t  enjoy  throwing  it,  I  am   dismayed  if  you  don’t  get  it  first  try.    If  you  
more likely to either put it in a box or display it struggle for a long time on a particular prob-
for art than to throw it on a regular basis. My lem, sometimes it is best to leave it alone for a
most treasured boomerangs are the ones I al- while and re-visit it a later time with a fresh
ways take with me out onto the field not those mind. Just like throwing, getting the perform-
that have excellent artwork or a fine finish. ance you want gets easier with practice. The
more you do it, the better you get at it.
The  boomerangs  that  don’t  get  taken  to  the  
field  are  not  bad  boomerangs,  it’s  more  that   Used properly, the tips and modifications pre-
they  don’t  match  my  throwing  style.    They  may   sented in this book can be used to fix most
just be slightly out of adjustment for my tastes. flight related problems. They are not a substi-
To make boomerangs the ones you always tute for poor design, poor craftsmanship, or
carry with you, you need to know how to adjust poor throwing technique. The tuning tips pre-
them so that they match your throw. sented here are generally very effective when
working with proven designs.
It’s  not  possible  to  adjust  every  boomerang  to  
match every throwing style. Some designs Likewise,  these  tips  also  won’t  make  your  boo-­
have an inherently smaller throwing window merangs foolproof. You will still need to throw
than others. Most boomerangs, however, are them right to get good returns. In some in-
made to be suitable for a wide variety of throw- stances, an adjustment to your throw may be
ers. Many boomerangs that may not fly at their required once the tuning modification has
maximum potential for you fly fine for someone been done.
else.
Practice is the only way to get really good.
Tuning and carving for performance is subtle Get out there and do it and you will be a con-
business but is not difficult to learn if you have tender.
a good starting point. A lot will depend on your
throwing style and how particular you are
about your results. Most boomerangs require
at least some tweaking to get them flying right.
7
PERFORMANCE BOOMERANGS
General Design and Features of Boomerangs
Below is a diagram of the different parts of a can act as a third blade. This is easiest to see
boomerang. For lefties, the boomerang is a on boomerangs with a sharp V shaped elbow.
mirror image of the one below. The below diagram shows the transition from a
Elbow tri-blader into a traditional shaped boomerang.
Lead Arm
Dingle Arm
There are essentially five types of elbows
Center of gravity
commonly seen on two-bladed boomerangs:
the V, the U, the flat-top, the keyhole, and the
1/2 blade extension.
Direction of rotation
One note about naming conventions. The
terms arms wings and blades are all inter-
changeable. Similarly, the dingle arm can also
be referred to as the trailing arm, the free arm,
or arm 2 while the lead arm can also be called Generally, tri-bladers or multi-bladers are de-
the lift arm, the throwing arm, or arm 1. scribed by having neutral wings, offset back-
wards or forwards or swept forwards or back-
Rather than try to force boomerangs into cate- wards. In actuality, wings swept forward or
gories such as omegas or hooks, instead lets offset backwards actually are variations of the
look at some key different design features. same thing. The degree of sweep or offset
helps determine lay down rate. Swept forward
Typical tips designs include: straight, tapered wings reduce the lay down rate whereas back
out, tapered in, bulbous, flared (or swept) or a swept wings increase the lay down rate. For
combination of two or more of these features. this reason, it is commonly used when design-
Bulbous and flared tips are used extensively to ing multi-blade boomerangs for specific events
enhance the performance of boomerangs. such as fast catch or trick catch.
They add extra surface area near the tip where
it has the most effect and also contributes to a
natural weighting that comes from having more
mass near the tips.

Designs may be fairly symmetrical or not even
close. It is not uncommon for the blades to not
only be of different length but different shapes
as well. Multi-blader boomerangs with blades
of significantly different lengths or that are not
Two-bladers are generally considered anything evenly spaced are generally referred to as
with two fairly distinct arms. This definition can non-symmetric multi-bladers.
be fuzzy as on some boomerangs, the elbow
8