Boomerang Hovers Back

Towards the end of the flight, the boomerang’s axis of spin has been twisted to 90^O from it’s launch orientation. Effectively, this means that the boomerangs is now rotating horizontally and the remaining lift being produced by the wings is acting optimally against gravity, producing a slow, hovering descent. A well made and thrown boomerang will by this time have used up its forward motion due to the complex interplay of aerodynamic and gyroscopic forces which causes the boomerang to "brake" in flight. Interestingly, its spin rate now increases slightly to conserve angular momentum, futher slowing its descent. The overall energy of the boomerang has by now been depleted by aerodynamic drag and being used up in acclerating the boomerang into curving flight. At this point it can be caught (carefully).