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Boomerang Terms and definitions

Airfoil  -  The shape given to a wing which has a leading and trailing edge. 

Angle of attack  - The twisting of the boomerang arms which will have either a positive or negative effect on the boomerangs flight depending on the upward or downward twisting of the leading edge.

Angle to the Wind  - The direction of your throw relative to the wind.  A good angle to the wind is between 45º to 90º to the right or left of the wind depending on which hand you throw with. 

Positive angle of attack  - This results when you twist the boomerangs arm so that the leading edge tilts upward.  This will typically reduce the range of your boomerang

Boomerang  - A bent or angular club that can be so thrown as to return near the starting point.

Boomerang Template  - A template of a boomerang usually made out of 3/4" plywood.  This template is used to trace your boomerang onto your plywood and as a guide for your router to follow when you are cutting out your boomerang blanks.

Cradle Grip  - The act of gripping your boomerang by placing it in the palm of your hand and wrapping your thumb, pointer finger and middle finger around your boomerang.
 

Dihedral  - The upward or downward bending of a boomerangs wing.  This is a technique used in tuning. 

Dingle Arm  - The arm that has the trailing edge on the outside of the dual blade boomerang. This arm controls accuracy. 

Dual Blade Boomerang  - A boomerang with two arms.

Elbow  - The point where the dingle arm and leading arm meet. 

Height of Throw  - How high above the horizon you should throw your boomerang.  Typically 10º to 20º above the horizon is ideal. 

Leading arm  - The arm with the leading edge on the outside of the dual blade boomerang.  This arm controls range. 

Leading Edge  - The front edge (typically more blunt than the trailing edge) which leads the boomerang into the wind. 

Negative angle of attack  - This results when you twist the boomerang's arm so that the leading edge tilts downward.  This will typically increase the boomerangs range.

Negative Dihedral  - The downward bending of a boomerang's wing tip.  This will decrease lift to the boomerang and cause it to fly lower.

Pinch Grip  - The act of gripping your boomerang by pinching the boomerang between your thumb and pointer finger. 

Positive Dihedral  - The upward bending of a boomerang's wing tip.  This will add lift to the boomerang which will cause it to fly higher.

Tilt Angle  - The layover at which you throw your boomerang.  Typically this is between 60º to 90º

Trailing Edge  - The rear edge (typically more slanted) that trails behind the leading edge.

Tri Blade Boomerang  - A boomerang with three arms.

Tuning  - The bending or twisting of the boomerang arms which result in different flight patterns. 

Undercut  - An area where the material has been removed from the underside of the boomerang either on the leading or trailing edge.  Typically this is done on the leading edge from the tip to the elbow not exceeding more than two inches.