Explanation of the physics of flying discs (FIXED) REDUX

[RC51ManSam]

I have a couple of theories and would like to bring this topic back up.

My understanding why discs are more stable at higher altitudes is the lack of tightly packed air molecules to react or interact with a disc therefore an understable disc would not be understable. In fact I can guess that when getting number for stability ratings it would be assumed that the disc is thrown at or close to sea level. A similar principle would be throwing the same disc in winter and summer. It would fly different because the amount of air molecules reacting or interacting are greater in the winter as opposed to the summer.

I couldn't really tell if or how much spin effects the right turn of a disc. My friend and I can throw the exact same disc and my will turn right quite a bit more than his based on the fact that I put more spin on discs when I throw because I tend to cock my wrist inward and when the disc is released has a certain amount more spin that his.

I also feel that discs that are beat in become understable for the same reason different plastics make discs behave differently. Smoother plastics tend to allow air to flow more smoothly over them and do not react or interact with it. When a disc is beat in the air passing over it will hit the imperfections in it and react or interact with it more causing it to be understable.

I have a Pro D Nuke and an ESP Nuke and they fly totally different. The ESP Nuke is very smooth. The Pro D Nuke has more of a textured surface in which the air reacts or interacts with more compared to the ESP Nuke.

 

[Speedly]

I can't really argue with much you've said, but I think it's important to clue us in on what you're looking for in responses.

 

[jrawk]

My understanding why discs are more stable at higher altitudes is the lack of tightly packed air molecules to react or interact with a disc therefore an understable disc would not be understable. In fact I can guess that when getting number for stability ratings it would be assumed that the disc is thrown at or close to sea level. A similar principle would be throwing the same disc in winter and summer. It would fly different because the amount of air molecules reacting or interacting are greater in the winter as opposed to the summer.

Fact

I couldn't really tell if or how much spin effects the right turn of a disc. My friend and I can throw the exact same disc and my will turn right quite a bit more than his based on the fact that I put more spin on discs when I throw because I tend to cock my wrist inward and when the disc is released has a certain amount more spin that his.

Myth.
the speed of airflow overtop the disc and it's release angle are the 2 biggest contributors to turn. There is no such thing as a truly stable disc. Stability varies constantly with the speed at which they're travelling. Chances are your wrist cock is producing Off Axis Torque, which slides the discs center of rotation slightly away from the exact center of the disc, which increases instability and makes the disc turn/flip more.
The more spin on axis the disc has, the more resistant it will be to angling hyzer or anhyzer during flight.... like when a gyroscrope is spinning fast, it will resist tumbling over. Or more simply, the harder it is to balance on a bycicle the slower you go.

I also feel that discs that are beat in become understable for the same reason different plastics make discs behave differently. Smoother plastics tend to allow air to flow more smoothly over them and do not react or interact with it. When a disc is beat in the air passing over it will hit the imperfections in it and react or interact with it more causing it to be understable.

I have a Pro D Nuke and an ESP Nuke and they fly totally different. The ESP Nuke is very smooth. The Pro D Nuke has more of a textured surface in which the air reacts or interacts with more compared to the ESP Nuke.

True for the most part, but disc stability is determined moreso by quantifying it's Parting Line Height (PLH).

 

[prerube]

1 rep point for Jrawk