Condor Tri Flights

 Condor Tri Flights

Every once in a while the darts industry wheels out a tri-fin flight.  This is the newest generation.

What do they fly like? They have a characteristic of their own. I'd say it's kind of like the difference between the kite flight and teardrop flight. They are similar in surface area, but the kite has width. I'd love to know the science. These have the width of a standard flight, but with much reduced surface area with just 3 fins. 

One Hundred Eighty

Less Fins that are wider, or more fins with narrower fins? 

I think it's 6 / half dozen. 

One criticism of the tri fin is; you can't put them in a case. 

Well Cosmo makes the Case-X case. 

Cosmo Fights (Air and Regular)

 Cosmo Fights (Air and Regular)
(revisited)

Cosmo Air flights ...Clear like glass

See look at that. 

The spinning shafts are identical to the fixed, only the spinning is rounded at the top, and polished instead or rough.

Regular flights on the left, AIR flights on the left

I had been using the old school folding poly flights and nylon shafts because I think they fly better than molded flights. I felt like molded flights were slow so to speak. I had the same length shaft and flight, but something was different. Most of the top pros still use folding flights. so I went back to them a couple months ago. in my opinion they seem slow because of the thickness of the flight. I also like to keep the fins at 90 degrees so I use flight protectors ...that fall off after a while. Not pictured are the stem rings that will also fall off. If there was something better, which brings me back to molded flights. Oy Vey!

So I tried the Cosmo Air Flights. They are thin and fly a lot like poly flights. So what's bad about them? MAKE NOT MISTAKE, FLIGHTS AND SHAFTE ARE CONSUMABLES. 

They don't last forever. You have to be careful with how you store AIR flights. If you lay them down, they will bend and lose their 90 degrees. the regular flights are a bit thicker and you don't have be as vigilant. Also the simplicity of the system, they just slide on the shaft and lock on. That will loosen up after time and they with start popping off. 

No system is perfect, and like always I imagine I'll change again, but for now. 

https://www.horizondarts.com/catalog/flights/cosmo-fit-flight/

https://www.horizondarts.com/catalog/shafts/flight-shaft-system/cosmo-shafts/

A Custom Point Protector Idea

I've been having some point protector ideas going through my head. Most the ones I see are those blocks of wood, with the strip of Velcro in the dart holes to keep the darts from falling out. It's simple, it's functional, and it kinda cleans the darts every time the dart goes in and out of the holes. I always thought the Velcro strip took away from the  looks. If there was only a way to hide the dart locking mechanism.  

I started with a block of aluminum. Marked the holes so when all 3 darts with standard flights are in, they miss each other by 1mm.

Double checking the drill press. Must have the darts going in perpendicular and parallel. Can't have any leaning darts. to the left I have my angle cube on the table to check if it's level. the picture to the right I chucked in a socket extension. Making sure the chuck is perpendicular to the table. The "Angle Cube" is a digital compass. It's correct to 1/10th degree. I've had it 10 year and found it very reliable for many different things. They are about $40 and I highly recommend them.

Drilled the holes, everything fits. I started with 3/32" holes, then worked out to 5/16".

Now drill 1 hole in-between the dart holes. Tap to 5.0 x 0.8mm. 

I used button head style allen bolts, It's what I had on hand. 

Ok now cut off the top. A band saw would have been handy. I didn't exactly walk it straight down the block. You know me, "Mr. Patience". But it's ok, as you will see later

My dart locking devices are O-rings.

I counter sunk the holes, so the O-rings will float inside. If the O-rings wear out, you can replace them.

All bolted together, with some sculpting to the body. It could be polished to a mirror finish. However once you get that mirror finish, you have to maintain it. Some parts are still rough from the file. I'mgoing to leave it that way ("Seasoned"). Plus is masks my impatience with the hack saw.