フライングディスクの科学／The Science behind Flying Discs *Audio in EN / DE / FR / PT / ES

DENJIRO: Have you ever played with flying discs before? It flies just like this. This kind of flying disc you often see looks like a plate when you turn it upside down. Why is it shaped like this? Here, we have prepared a flat foam disc. Now, let me throw it with a spin. The disc dropped at an angle. It didn't fly too well because the center of gravity and the center of lift did not match. In the case of a disc, the center of gravity is right in the middle, while the point at which lift occurs is in the front of the disc's direction. This is why the disc got slanted and fell. Now, we have created a paper rim around the circumference of the disc, to mimic the shape of a flying disc. What happens when we throw this with a spin? It flies far and steady! By creating a rim, the complex airflow around the disc causes the center of lift to move towards the middle of the disc and creates stability. For this ring-shaped flying disc, there are no rims. With the ring, lift occurs in both the front and the back of the disc. Combined together, this means lift occurs at the center. Since this is balanced with the center of gravity, the ring is able to fly steadily without a rim. Look at what I've created here. This is called a chakram, a throwing weapon that was used in ancient India. It is said that the ring-shaped flying discs were derived from chakrams. Let's throw this at a target. I hope energy will bring you all happiness. Our magic word is "Happy Energy!"