5:15 ... *Helical (Spiral) Twist Fletching* - True helical fletching doubles the arrow spin rate and gives you tighter groups, better broadhead flight, flatter trajectory and a quieter arrow. 3 NASA engineers who were attempting to win a model rocket competition by launching their model to the highest altitude. This understanding led the scientists to the fins on the model rocket, which exist to stabilize the rocket. Model rocket fins, just like the vanes on your arrows, attach at an angle to produce spin, which in turn helps to stabilize the rocket. This technique is commonly called “helical.” As wind catches the angled fins or vanes, it forces the projectile (rocket or arrow) to spin. This spinning, just as with a bullet that’s fired out of a rifle barrel or with a football that’s thrown in a spiral, lends gyroscopic stability to the projectile, which prevents it from tumbling. All of the competitions’ model rockets had these straight helical fins. What the rocket scientists knew was that a curved fin is stronger and creates more torque in flight. So, they curved or cupped the previously straight fins, making them true helical fins. And their model rocket, because it stabilized more quickly, went higher.
The problem is if you have people who are not interested in the spirit of the definition, you end up with endless cheating. There was a period in the US when longbows were the shortest bows generally sold. And nobody was bothered by it. 56" R/Ds with recurved limbs didn't seem out of the picture to anyone. I think the guy who shot the first US Grand Slam with a longbow used something not longbow like. Apparently there was a period in field archery in the US, which was a pretty big deal at the time, there wasn't any 3D, etc... when compounds shot against sticks for the national championship. It was perfectly "legal". What surprises me about that design is it looks as though it has reflexed limbs when strung, which I thought was disqualifying. What is too bad is these guys are supposed to be the best longbow shooters around, to the extent their bows, and even techniques, look out of the ordinary, actual longbow shooters can't identify with them. With compounds, anything does go, pretty much, and the best shooters are shooting gear that is closer to the reality actual shooters use, though you still get scopes, extreme stabs, and umbrellas. The funny part is that maybe he was just the better shooter, or his arrows were more closely spined. But his bow looks like he is trying to do something the other shooters did not try to game.
It's really interesting with the bow here, don't get me wrong, I don't want to revoke the medal from Butts, he shot well, but with the WA normally being very strict about everything, like arrows, the distance from string silencers and the size/length of the arrow rest etc. - I really don't understand their decision here. It seems there is no rule given for the size or weight of the riser/handle.
Even in the British isles, a longbow was called a longbow because it was long! It is a recent idea, particular to a very small group of people, that it means a certain shape of bow... If the archers in the old times saw a Manchu bow they would probably call it a longbow, right? Because it is long... and it is a bow...
This bow from American archer should not be allowed in this competition. I'm aware, that it is, bit it should not be. Not a deserved medal in my opinion.
