Aerobie

This article is about the flying ring. For the 1950s rocket, see Aerobee.
An Aerobie ring

An Aerobie is a flying ring used in a manner similar to a chakram or flying disc (Frisbee), for recreational catches between two or more individuals. Its ring shape of only about 3 mm (0.12 in) thickness[1] makes the Aerobie lighter and more stable in flight than a disc.[2] It can be bent to tune it for straighter flight.[3] Since it has very low drag and good stability, it can be thrown much farther than a flying disc. The Aerobie was used to set two former world records for thrown objects.

Designed in 1984 by Stanford engineering lecturer Alan Adler, the Aerobie has a polycarbonate core with soft rubber bumpers molded onto the inner and outer rims. The outer rim has a spoiler designed to impart stability.[4]

In the 1970s, Alan Adler began attempting to improve the flying disc, considering its design characteristics. He tried streamlining the shape to reduce drag, but this resulted in a disc that was more unstable in flight. Eventually, inspired by British accounts of deadly Indian weaponry and martial arts, he turned his attention to the ring shape of the chakram, a formidable Punjabi weapon used by the Sikh of India. This led to the development of the predecessor of the Aerobie, which was called the "Skyro".[5] About a million of this model were sold. In 1980, it was used to set a Guinness World Record throw of 261 metres (856 ft). It lacked the spoiler rim of the Aerobie. It had low drag but was stable at only a certain speed. The later introduction of the spoiler, which balanced the lift, made the ring stable "over a wide range of speeds".[6] After testing several models, the ideal shape was found, and the Aerobie was produced. Adler founded Superflight, Inc. (later known as Aerobie, Inc.) in 1984.

In 2017, the rights to the Aerobie flying ring and other Aerobie assets were sold to Swimways, a subsidiary of Spin Master, and the company was renamed to AeroPress, Inc. [7]

Currently, the top sport using the Aerobie Pro Ring, is KinFlow, founded by Zach Fisher, based in Los Angeles, CA and played in over 40 LAUSD schools as of June, 2023. 21

  1. ^ "The Science of Aerobie Sport Toys", #1 Archived October 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, accessed June 26, 2008
  2. ^ Schuurmans, Mace "Flight of the Frisbee", New Scientist, accessed June 26, 2008
  3. ^ "Aerobie Pro and Sprint ring FAQs", #2 Archived September 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, accessed June 26, 2008
  4. ^ aerobie.com image Archived November 9, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, accessed June 26, 2008
  5. ^ Cassidy, John (1989). The Aerobie Book: An investigation into the Ultimate flying mini-machine. Klutz Press. pp. 28–31, 44. ISBN 0-932592-30-9.
  6. ^ Adler, Alan "The Evolution & Aerodynamics of the Aerobie Flying Ring" Archived May 23, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, accessed June 26, 2008
  7. ^ "About AeroPress, Inc. And Alan Adler". AeroPress. 2018-01-04. Retrieved 2021-02-26.