Bucky wrote:

Matt Whiting wrote in news:Fj%ng.29$Pa.4943

Then how do you explain how well a simple flat disk such as a CD will
fly? It certainly has no airfoil shape.


Skywise wrote:

They don't. At least none of the CD's that I've ever thrown went
very far. They all roll immediately and change direction.


I agree, CD's fly about as well as a crumpled up piece of paper. You
can throw them across the room, but they're not really flying due to
lift. Spinning the CD just keeps it somewhat stable, but I don't think
it generates any lift. I think throwing a CD vertically will go about
the same distance as throwing a CD horizontally.

If you give it a positive AOA at release and it is spinning fast at all,
it will fly just fine for a ways. It is too light to go far, but that
isn't due to lack of lift.

Matt