"COLIN LAMB" wrote:
If a wing is replaced by a rotating cylinder, with the forward surface
rotating upward, lift will be produced. The local air velocity is high on
top and low on the bottom. This upward force is known as magnus effect.

Has anyone every produced an airplane using the magnus effect? If the
cylinder is rotating faster, I would expect that lift would be increased.
Does anyone know if there have been any writings and/or test aircraft? Not
much use with a glider, for obvious reasons - but the answer would make me a
bit smarter. I was not able to find much on the internet.

Thanks, Colin N12HS

Well, not so much "produced" as "used". No writings about it (until
now), but it will easily fly across the living room.

Take the thin walled cardboard tube from inside a roll of gift
wrapping paper. Hold it so it is sticking straight out from your
body, with your right hand below the tube, and your left hand above
the tube, palms to the tube. I know this sounds a bit perverted, but
stick with me. Now spin the tube by pulling your hands away from each
other and give the tube a toss away from you and to the right.
Careful ot to crush the tube! It may take some time to get a good
launch technique, but the tube will fly.

Gyroscopic effects and an unbalanced tube can make the flight path a
bit erratic. Tried end plates, as the basic tube has no directional
or lateral stability. That was a disaster! And it made launching
much more difficult. Good for minutes of fun. Terrorize the dog or
cat. Great for removing ornaments from Christmas Trees. Paper towel
rolls and toilet paper rolls don't work so well. Not enough aspect
ratio.

Tried to get Wham-O to package and sell them as a 21st Century
Frisbee. Eventually put the whole idea in the same place as the Slim
Whittman wrist watches that yodel every hour. ;-)

Steve Leonard