I like all of them except number 1.
It wouldn’t go anywhere if it was on a treadmill.
The (dubious) record for throwing a cricket ball is 140 yards 2 feet (128.6 metres), according to this article from Cricinfo. The throw of 138 yards by the Essex player Keith Pont in 1983 sounds a bit more authentic.
A cricket ball weighs between 5 1/2 ounces (155.9g) and 5 3/4 ounces (163g) and measures between 8 13/16 inches (22.4cm) and 9 inches (22.9cm) in circumference.
David Engvall’s 477-meter record was not made with an atlatl, but with a sling shooting stubby, dart-like ammunition. The man does hold the World Record for atlatl throws, too, but this is a much lower distance, 258 meters. Neither of these are hand-thrown by the definition of the Guinness Books I have, or by any of the dozens of people I know involved in primitive throwing weapons and throwing records. But no matter, ol’ Dave has the World Record for the Longest Unassisted Throw, too (no boomerangs, Aerobies or other winged creatures allowed): 385 meters using a lead weight on a string and nothing but his bare hands.
If we’re going to allow atlatls, shouldn’t we also allow a golf ball propelled by a club? Both a club and an atlatl are basically just levers to increase the arm’s mechanical advantage, and the record golf drive is over 650 meters.
IMHO, we should use the OP’s question as a guide. The OP used the word “flight” which to me seems like winged type things (like gliders and discs) are OK. Then the OP used the term “hand thrown” which means something that is in the hand and then propelled out of the hand with a movement of their bodies. To me, that would not mean using devices to fling or hit other objects- atlatls and hitting a golf balls with a golf club would be out.
The OP also asks about the circumstances for each record. Most competitive sports that keep records have governing bodies which spell out the circumstances in which new records will be accepted. Accepted wind velocity and equipment is spelled out. What does the International Association of Aerobie Freaks (IAAF) have to say concerning official records?
Touché. (I could argue that the ball isn’t “thrown”, as in by a single arm, but that would be a pretty weak argument.)
Stranger
Although arguably a golf club is a way of storing energy (in the moving head) while an ideal atlatl would have no mass.
(Sorry if this post is slow to read but it’s hard to type fast when you can only use one finger due to the sleeping newborn on the other arm).
Re:** Jurph’**s #3 (Must be heavier than air). Right idea, but a better restriction would be ‘unassisted by wind’ (the flight path must be through still air or upwind). After all, kites and dust particles are heavier than air, but can go a good distance in a wind, and I don’t think they fit the OP. And without any wind, I really don’t think you’re going to propel a balloon very far, so you don’t need to worry about specifically disqualifying them. [And on the subject of his rules, #2 is just a special case of #4]
I believe that an atalatl, like a sling, golf club or traction trebuchet is a device that’s outside the spirit of what we’re looking for. (The lead weight on a string is OK, and what I imagined would be the preferred object).
Because I have a prejudice for flying discs, I like including aerobies, boomerangs, etc. In which case, by my calcs, the 1333 ft = 406m aerobie beats the 385m ball-on-a-string.
I also can’t come up with a clear practical rule for eliminating ‘flying wing’ devices, other than making the throws happen in a vacuum. After all, even a javelin is probably stabilized by (aerodynamic) fins. And I wonder if a surface texture on the lead ball could make a difference (the dimples matter for golf balls).
The vacuum test makes it clear there is a real difference between aerodynamic lift assisted objects and others, but I’m not sure how to draw a line in the real world, other than saying ‘Well it looks like a wing, so it’s out.’
[continuing tangent] I actually did this in high school. In one of my classes (health science, I believe), on the first day of class the teacher had us make paper airplanes as an ice-breaker exercise, and then see whose could hit the far wall of the classroom. I just crumpled my paper up into a ball, and it flew the required distance just fine. I don’t think anybody was very impressed with my airplane engineering skills, though.
Actually it’s not that hard, knuckleballers do it all the time. I’ve thrown and caught knuckleballs that had just about no visually detectable spin. Although you’re certainly not going to win a distance record with this method.
Ideally, this competition should be held in a vacuum, so there’s no aerodynamic effect. And the projectile would have to be moved directly by human contact, without any artifical levers.
Damn, we do need a lunar base!
I´m quite sure that some of my hand launched gliders have flown distances of up to 1.5 to 2 km on level ground and lift conditions; although not in a straight line.
Of course I don´t think that fits the spirit of the question.
No way! It leaves your hand and flies for 2K? If this is true, can you make me one?!
No, the gravity would be wrong. I’m thinking we need a thousand meter long vacuum tube.
Note carefully that Ale says “in lift conditions”.
Somewhere there is a ball bearing that is the proper weight to be thrown. I would think it could be thrown as far as any object without lift being a problem.