Page:Aerial Flight - Volume 1 - Aerodynamics - Frederick Lanchester - 1906.djvu/62

§ 30 tree top being cut away as though it might have been sheared off by a stroke of a mighty scythe.

An interesting example of an indirect effect of discontinuity is to be found in the effect of "cut" or "side" on the flight of a ball. Let a ball (Fig. 22) moving in the direction of the arrow A have a spin in the direction of the arrow B. Now where the



direction of motion of the surface of the ball is the same as the relative motion of the fluid, as at D, the surface will assist the stream in ejecting the dead water, so that the discontinuity will be delayed, and will only make its appearance at a point some distance further aft than usual. On the other hand, on the side that is opposing the stream the surface of the ball will pump air in, and so assist the discontinuity, which will make its appearance prematurely. The net result of this is that the