The Archers Word
Fletching - item
The stabilizing fins or vanes of an arrow. (Each individual fin is a fletch.)
 Different fletchingsDifferent fletchings for different performances. |
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 Flu-flu arrowA modern carbon flu-flu arrow. |
 Fletching typeDifferent set up of the fletching for reaching specific optimums such as range, stability or ease of recovery. |
 Feathers vs VanesFeathers outperform vanes in performance, but vanes are cheaper and easier to mass-produce. |
 Feather fletchingTraditional wooden arrow with only double fletching. |
The fletchings come in very different sizes and shapes, often dependent on the arrow properties and what they are intended for. War arrows for example used to have rather big fins, so that even in the hectic of a war, the arrow would fly stable through the air once shot. Sometimes they would use even helical fins to make sure the arrow flies stable through the air by inducing a gyroscopic effect on it.
Other arrows, such as the flu-flu arrow have a fluffy fletchings, that make the arrow slow done very fast, making sure it doesnt fly away as easily.
Other factors for the type of fletching can be the weight of the arrow and arrow tip, whether its shot from a center shot bow or not, its speed and distance requirements or simply the taste of decoration.
The main function though is to stabilize the arrow through the flight by pushing the center of pressure behind the center of gravity. The image below shows a rocket, but it uses its fins exactly the same way an arrow does.
There are generally two types of fletching, plastic sheets and feather fletchings. Even though plastic sheets are easier to manufacture and cheaper, therefore also used a lot widely, feather fletchings outperform them in most cases.
Feather fletchings outperform plastic fletchings in performance by a great factor, especially due to their aerodynamic properties or lightweightness. Additionally they are great against damage caused by others arrows, since the arrow can fly right through them.
A clear advantage of plastic fletchings that actually does outperform feather fletchings is durability, especially because they are much more shock resistent than feathers.
Friendly notes:
- Interested in calculating the position of the center of pressure on your arrow? Click here on finding out how to.
- Why are feather fletchings better than vanes? Read further here on True-flight-feathers.
Useful sources:
True-flight-feathers on why feather fletchings are better: http://www.trueflightfeathers.com/facts.htm