Booma-Copter (oz14984)

 

Do you have a photo you'd like to submit for this page? Then email admin@outerzone.co.uk

User comments

When I was a child in the early 70’s, I saw on tv a 60’s b/w film about a diamond steal on a museum. The theft was inspired for the robbery method while he was seeing in park a booma-copter seller and the children playing with these. He remained closed in the museum at night with the infrared alarm enabled around the central crystal cabinet containing the diamond. Then from it’s hidden position launched and recovered the booma-copter several time circling around the cabinet and making the alarm rings. Every time the guardians checked the situation whithout any result. At the third time they disabled the alarm thinking on a electronics defect…the rest is clear. But I asked to my father about this flying object and he remembered for this MAN issue we had so I built my booma-copter with great pleasure. I searched for years this film that was quite similar or inspired by “Topkapi” with Peter Ustinov and Melina Mercuri. Surely not an Italian film considering booma-copter was unknown in Italy still today. It is possible it was an American film inspired by this article. Does any bells rings to someone? Pit
Pit - 13/12/2023
It was known as cross-boomerang, just for example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OObiOwfBf4
Pit - 13/12/2023
Film: How to Steal a Million, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kxB_X0qJZU
Muvi - 13/12/2023
thanks, thanks, thanks Muvi. I was in doubt my child memory invented the episode. It has a good cast too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vR2q1oPLFa0
pit - 13/12/2023
Once again you have brought back forgotten memories as a kid. I made bunches of these things but don't remember where the design came from. I had never heard of Model Airplane News, so it may have been published somewhere else. Balsa was unavailable to me, but the thin sides of apple and grape crates served just as well, available down the street at the Jitney Jungle dumpster. I remember making the blades wider than those shown, cut with my only saw, a worn out coping saw, nailed together with nails salvaged from the crates. Yes, they were heavy but the added weight just made it go further. If you bent the ends up a little, it would do a half loop, then rotor down vertically. Different bevels carved into the blades gave other flight characteristics. Lots of fun for no money.
doug smith - 13/12/2023
in the book "Primitive and pioneer sports for recreation today" B.S. Mason-1937 there is a complete description for making several "cross stick boomerangs like this. See and scroll the book at: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.$b515680&seq=1
Pit
Pit - 13/12/2023
As 12 year olds, we had a brief spell at school making these contraptions from two relatively heavy wooden school rulers held together by a doubled or trebled elastic band. Even slid to make an 'L' they would circle lazily and not self destruct on landing. Some complicated mathematics here if you want it.
john bridle - 25/07/2024
Add a comment