12-19-2018, 11:07 PM
(12-19-2018, 09:32 PM)Renatus Wrote: This looks like a good picture of a lawn dart.
That is it! Thank you, Renatus. Once I get used to the forum engine I'll be more facile in attaching images.
They came in various colors. It was a kid's toy and the object was to get more darts to land in the ring ... but boys will be boys and we found other, more er. challenging ways to utilize them. I have 3 brothers.... Recipe for disaster, but we all made it out alive and only scarred mentally. One interesting application of the darts ended up piercing my buddy, Mike Bailey's, foot.
I believe that that dart is a very good proxy for a plumbata. I think the manufacturer even admitted/advertising having used the plumbata as a model.
I'd be interested in seeing objections to using soft-tipped versions for determining flight characteristics, e.g. relative distance of different throwing methods, relative accuracy. I think one could alter their weight with minimal impact on flight behavior through the use of lead tape or lead-core fishing line, but I can't be sure until I have some in hand. I can envision some cool reenactments testing tactical assumptions using a whole bunch of the sort-tipped ones.
There is a nice PhD thesis in this maybe and could potentially add a lot to the state of knowledge of this vitally important subject.
After that we tackle peace in the Middle East...
Happy Christmas, Renatus