Boomerang: E-Rang
Manufacturer: Colorado Boomerangs
It is known among my friends that I am an avid fan of Colorado Boomerangs. So, among my Christmas gifts was a donation to my collection of booms from that great brand: the E-Rang. As I was eager to see whether the central stub produced the hovering center dot, I took the E-Rang out for a test drive earlier this week.
Overview & Physical Characteristics
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| From phnxhawk's Boomerang Collection |
An offering from the late Colorado Boomerang brand, the E-Rang is advertised as a beginner-intermediate 'rang with a range of about 30 yards. I expect that it is made from the Finnish birch plywood from which other Colorado 'rangs are said to have been made. I weighed it in at 72 grams, the same weight as my Phoenix.
It is a bit of a bell-omega hybrid in planform shape. (Please do let me know if you have a better or more official descriptor). In fact, it is strikingly similar to my Adirondack. Note in the photo below how well they seem to match with one laid atop the other. There are, of course, differences between the two, but other than the central arm and the extra area to fair it in, the deviations are subtle.
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| From phnxhawk's Boomerang Collection |
The Throw & Flight
Owing to their similarity, I throw the E-Rang in similar fashion to how I throw the Adirondack. I tend to throw about 60 to 80 degrees off the wind. I also give it a light to medium toss with a good amount of spin. So far, I tend to throw it a bit above eye level (say, 10-15 degrees) and with a little layover (5 to 10 degrees). This is a little higher than I throw the Adirondack (which I try to release at eye level or just a hair above it), but I prefer the higher release to attain a more level flight path as it whips around and back. In terms of preferred wind strength, I would say a breeze to a light wind would be quite welcome, but a medium wind is still manageable without resorting to extravagant field modifications.
Overall, I found it easy to adjust to throwing this 'rang. That is, I did not have to make any exaggerated changes to my established technique to achieve some great returns. So, I expect that the novice to intermediate thrower will adapt quickly.
I was throwing on a pretty windy day (maybe 10 to 12 mph), so I did not need to apply as much power as I normally might. I did need to ensure that I was giving it enough spin, however.
I found that the E-Rang likes to fly a little higher than the Adirondack. If I attempt to give the E-Rang a level release, it makes a steep climb as it starts to turn back. I also found that its flight path is more teardrop/elliptical in shape, in contrast to the level and round flight I like to see with my Adirondack. As for flight range, I would estimate it goes out between 30 and 35 yards (based purely on experience with other 'rangs in my collection). If Manny and I obtain some data for this 'rang in the future, I will try to make an update to include it.
As for the stationary "center dot," it is quite visible in person; I don't think the video really represents it very well. It appears as a yellow-orange blur about which the rest of the boomerang seems to spin. It's distinctive, but it doesn't jump out at me. So, I am as prone to losing sight of the 'rang as I might be with many others in my collection. Still, I do enjoy throwing this 'rang to make use of this fun feature.
In the flight, the E-Rang climbs high, but drops in on the return. Given the wind in which I was testing it, it was difficult to discern a pronounced hover. I wouldn't describe my Adirondack as having a long hover, so I suspect that the E-Rang is not much different, with a brief hover at the very end. So, do be wary of going for a catch while the 'rang still has some speed on it, but it shouldn't be too difficult to have the 'rang dropping at one's feet, either. I did find that the central arm provided some extra area to grab when making catches. I had initially worried that the little arm would be the cause of some painful missed attempts at the catch, but I don't recall that being the case.
Summary
The E-Rang makes for a fun sports boomerang to add to one's collection. Acquiring a consistent throw is not difficult. The "center dot" does appear in flight, giving the sense that the spinning disc of the 'rang is stationary in the center as it whips back to the thrower. I would estimate this 'rang has a range between 30 and 35 yards. A breeze or light wind is preferable, but a medium wind (~12 mph) is still manageable. Overall, the E-Rang is a welcome addition to my boomerang bag!
"Putting my spin on boomerangs..."
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