Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I finished my experiment and my hypothesis was correct. If I increase the size of the of the opening in the center of the ring, then it will fly farther. I understand why flying rings fly farther than frisbees, but what is it that is causing the rings to fly farther with a bigger opening. I think it increases the lift and decreases drag, but I cannot find any information that explains this. Can anyone tell me if I am correct.

Hi,

Aerodynamics is a topic that's well outside my expertise. And I couldn't find a concise explanation for the effect of the center opening size on flight distance. Perhaps one of the other experts will chime in with a better answer.

It makes sense to me that increasing the center opening size will reduce the drag. A larger opening will present less surface area as the flying ring moves in the air. Also, a larger center opening will tend to stabilize the flight (less wobbling). This would be due to an improved gyroscopic effect from having a greater fraction of the ring's mass at near the edge.

I hope this helps. Please ask again if you have more questions.

A. Norman