How does boomerang work and who invented it?

Boomerang is a throwing weapon thatwas actively used by ancient tribes during battles and hunting for animals. It was highly prized for its long-range flights and its ability to return back to the warrior. Today boomerangs have already lost their combat mission and are used only for entertainment. Several years ago, during a drought in Australia's Cooper Creek River, archaeologists found four ancient boomerangs that were made around 1650-1830. In those days, most of the regions of Australia remained unexplored and large civilizations were not familiar with the local aborigines. The find was able to reveal an interesting detail about the life of these peoples.

Once upon a time, the boomerang was a dangerous weapon, but today it is a child's toy.

Interesting fact: competitions are sometimes held in the USA and Australiaon throwing a boomerang. The winner is determined depending on the type of competition: the sports equipment must stay in the air for as long as possible, return to the person with maximum accuracy, or be caught as soon as possible.

Content

• 1 What is a boomerang?
• 2 How to make a boomerang?
• 3 How to throw a boomerang?
• 4 Why is the boomerang coming back?
• 5 Who Invented the Boomerang?

What is a boomerang?

At their core, boomerangs are the same propellersbut of an unusual shape. They are different and most of them are only capable of long-distance flights. But in the imagination of people, Australian boomerangs most often surface, capable of returning to the thrower. They represent an arcuate plate with a lower flat and upper convex surfaces. Previously, boomerangs were made of wood and were a special type of club - a battle cudgel with a thickened end. Sports boomerangs today are made from deciduous trees, plastic and composite materials. Most boomerangs are very light and weigh no more than 100 grams. And the mass of shells for competitions at a distance is at all less than 25 grams.

Boomerangs come in all shapes and sizes

How to make a boomerang?

Anyone can make a boomerang.This will require a piece of wood - strongly curved roots or hard twigs like oak are better suited for this. In extreme cases, you can use plywood, but such a boomerang will be able to fly for a maximum longer, and you should not wait for a return. On the Internet, you can find templates for cutting the correct shape of the tool. Returning boomerangs have a distance between the ends of 38–46 cm and an angle between the shoulders of 70–110 degrees.

One of the mockups of the boomerang. Here are some more interesting PDF options

It is important to remember that the bottom of the boomerang should be flat and the top should be convex. It is difficult to describe this process in short, so it is easier to watch the video.

You need to catch a boomerang by clapping your hands. If you are not sure, it is better to let the boomerang fall - it flies at a very high speed

Why is the boomerang coming back?

As you might have already figured out, boomerangs return toowner due to its structure. They consist of two blades that are at a certain angle to each other. The air flowing around the boomerang creates a lift and, due to the difference in the structure of the blades, it does not move along a straight path. Constantly leaving to the side, he describes an arc and eventually returns to the place of launch. It is believed that in order to return, the projectile must gain a rotational speed of more than 10 revolutions per second.

Australian aborigine with a boomerang

Most of all boomerangs were loved by the indigenous people.Australia. In 2017-2018, archaeologists carried out excavations in the Cooper Creek area, which is located near the Australian settlement of Innamincka. On the bed of a dried-up river, researchers found four ancient boomerangs and one half-broken shell. It is believed that they were made not so long ago, several hundred years ago. But in those days, the Europeans did not yet know about the existence of the Australian aborigines.

Boomerangs found in Australia

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In general, the found artifacts differed little fromeveryone else. Only now, during their study, the researchers noticed that the shape of the shells was changed. Most likely, in addition to being used for hunting, Australian boomerangs were also used for controlling fire - probably, we are talking about stirring coal. There is also speculation that they were used during rituals.