Re: .Bernoulli and curve balls.

[palmer@sfu.ca (Leigh Palmer)]

> There exists empirical data on this problem taken in wind tunnel
> tests which I believe is reported in the Briggs article previously
> cited. It confirms a curve opposite to the direction expected from
> the Magnus effect and the wind velocity at which this occurs does
> correspond to the transition from laminar to turbulent flow.
> Evidently, then, there must be some error in the calculation (though
> I must confess I didn't catch it).

It might confirm a force reversing direction in a steady flow for a
mounted spinning ball. We were talking about a curve, however, and
my analysis dealt with a pitch, arguing that a reversal of the curve
could not occur because the ball does not move with constant speed.
I should have made it clearer that the myth I complained about was
the suggestion that the ball might actually be made to curve in the
opposite direction if the spin and speed were adjusted just right,
which is what I thought you were suggesting.

Leigh