Paper Boomerang Book: Build Them, Throw Them, and Get Them to Return Every Time
To the elementary school students in the Los Angeles Unified School District who have inspired me with their warmhearted smiles and other kindnesses small
Introduction Since the dawn of civilization men and women have been hurl ing things through the air But no other projectile they have ever fashioned and thrown displays such odd and fascinating behav ior as the returning boomerang Just as rainbows bubbles and waves are apt to inspire a sense of joy wonder and fascination so it is with boomerangs And although the boomerang is per haps just as strange and beautiful as these other simple things since it is a solid object it is easier to hold in one's hands manipulate and study This book will teach you how to make paper boomerangs quickly how to alter them to fly in large spaces such as audito riums or in smaller rooms such as bedrooms living rooms or classrooms and how to decorate them in a variety of ways The Paper Boomerang Book is for students parents and teachers and anyone who has ever been curious about boomerangs and wished to have a little fun with them The basic method of con struction and basic throwing techniques are set forth in easy to understand photographic illustrations You will find that the paper boomerangs in this book are a cinch to make graceful in flight and fun to fly In 1963 when Americans scientists were developing the space program and pushing the study of aerodynamics with the flights of the X 15 I saw a television program in which a professor of aeronautics flew a small four bladed boomerang It was about eight inches in length He only threw it twice hardly moving his arm but each time it zipped around in a perfect tight little cir cle He caught it so effortlessly both times that it seemed almost magical I was hooked If he could do it so could I I went down to the
garage and cut out two 20 by 2 inch wings out of 14 inch ply wood I crossed the wings nailed them together and bent the nails over on the backside with a hammer I filed the front sur faces to make an airfoil Then I took this crude flyer up to the grassy hill at the local high school I threw it It went straight out as if it would end up on the next block but at the last sec ond it curved upward and came hurtling back It was far too big and heavy to catch so I stood aside and let it land a couple feet from me I experimented with these heavy boomerangs for about a year Once something momentarily distracted me as one was returning I looked away and the boomerang clobbered me nearly knocking me over More than 30 years later I began experimenting with small paper boomerangs in the classroom These little paper flyers worked amazingly well Many of my students suggested that I write a book on the subject so I pulled out my old math and physics texts and started doing formal experiments with differ ent types of paper I studied the physics of flight to improve these boomerangs flying abilities and then started giving throwing lessons to my students Eventually I became so good at making and flying paper boomerangs that I could zip them around the room and get them to land on my desk or in my lap My students and I have had a great deal of fun with these simple boomerangs While you're reading through this book do not let the chapter on theory scare you It is truly easy to make throw and fine he paper boomerangs Even very young children can be taught to throw them One of the most enjoyable experiences I have ever had as a teacher was giving boomerang throwing lessons to preschool students I selected a little girl and taught her how to throw one She wound up her arm and hurled the boomerang for the first time with perfect natural technique But she lost sight of it and just stood there wondering where it went When it came around in a perfect circular path and bopped her in the back of her head a little wave of laughter spontaneously washed over the
