Board Thread:General Nerf discussion/@comment-27306930-20190923064918

With every wave of new Nerfers there seems to be a misunderstanding of how Nerf darts work, and the difference between aerodynamics and ballistics. Unfortunately it's compounded by years of misinformation and disinformation on the web, a limited understanding of the subtleties by an admittedly younger and more impressionable fan base, and just good old stupidity. Present company excluded of course 😉

So let me make an attempt to explain what's going on in simple terms. First, almost everything you've been told about Nerf darts is basically wrong. Let's start with aerodynamics. Aerodynamics is the study of lifting bodies, their shape, angle of attack, and lifting force, also known as "wings". So let's set the record straight: Nerf darts aren't wings. They aren't lifting bodies. They aren't being accelerated through the air, or missile guided. Therefore they aren't "flying".

Nerf darts are projectiles. Like cannon balls and bullets. They're travelling through the air, reacting to turbulence and air density, wind shear and thermals, and basically plummeting from Point A to Point B using nothing more than inertia. It's true, drag, weight, center of gravity, and shape are important in both aerodynamics and ballistics. But the most important difference is Nerf darts aren't "flying".

Now onto shape. Ever notice bullets aren't shaped like wings? That's because ballistics isn't aerodynamics. Bullets aren't flying. And neither are Nerf darts. They're sailing through the air. But not like sail boats that harness the wind. More like beer cans you'd throw at a Nickelback concert. As a result, they don't need to be wing shaped. And that's where this conversation takes a turn.

Ballistic objects need a different shape. Depending on how fast they're travelling, there are three basic shapes. Things that are travelling extremely fast through the air are "needle" shaped. That's why bullets and jet planes are pointy. Things that are travelling pretty fast are teardrop shaped, also known as aerofoils.

But things that are travelling slowly have an entirely different shape. It looks a lot like a gumdrop on its side. It's actually the same shape as rain drops free falling through the air, which naturally take on the most efficient shape as they fall.

That leads us to Nerf darts. Nerf Elites are neither pointy, teardrop, nor gumdrop shaped. Their shape is what uninformed people think is aerodynamic. They look like they shoot really far, but they're actually really inefficient.

Fortunately, good old trial and error has lead us to darts like AccuStrikes, Waffle Heads, RadEagles, Adventure Force, and K'Nex darts. They all perform better than Elites. Notice the pattern??? Flat heads. Just like that efficient gumdrop shape, darts with this shape are more consistent, more effective, and more accurate.

And that my friends is where aerodynamics and ballistic are different. Unfortunately there's a whole new generation of Nerfers that needs to relearn this lesson. I guess some patience is necessary 😉 