I'd never noticed them before...
...not until a man asked if he could possibly take a look at the boomerangs on top of cabinet five.
...not until a man asked if he could possibly take a look at the boomerangs on top of cabinet five.
There were two. Very unassuming.
Carved strips of wood.
But you would be amazed at how heavy they are. I didn't expect the weight, nor the chat...
"Must be hard-wood?"
He began, "...the craftsmanship, all hand-carved, no machines, look at the uneven surface.
"Perfect aerodynamics, the curve of the top surface, greater than the one underneath, this is what produces the lift so it rises into the air when thrown."
"An aerofoil, designed so when you throw it, it rises into the air,
spins around and comes back to you."
spins around and comes back to you."
"All that technology, and remember this was before the age of aeroplanes!"
Tools created with such a sophisticated knowledge of aerodynamics, designed to be thrown, to rise in the air, spin about their axis, follow a curved path and to return to their owner.
Inspiring!
I really must spend more time talking to retired carpenters.
I'll never look at these boomerangs in the same way again.
You can hold (perhaps not throw) them for yourself in the Discovery for All session in the Hands-on Base on Sundays and during school holidays in the Horniman Museum. More details here.
