newbie Flying disc autorotation

[Jef7]

Hi All,
I'm trying an idea for a flying disc. Basically I want forward motion to cause the disc to rotate, like a flying anenometer. I figure it needs to rotate for stability. I built a foam disc...

http://www.synthedit.com/UFO.jpg

But it just dosn't want to rotate at all. ( I tried throwing it, and also holding it in front of a fan on an axel ).

Is my prototype too rough?, too angular?, am I approaching this the correct way? any tips appreciated!

Jeff

[Jef7]

After further shaping and testing it does rotate in a breeze, very slowly. There's no way it's going to rotate on it's own at frisbe-like speed is it?, the fastest a scoop can go is the same speed as the incident airflow caused by forward motion?
Mayby the spin needs to be powered by a electric turbine or something.

[macboffin]

Frisbee gets lift because it's spinning, air above is entrained and thrown out along the surface from the centre by centrifugal action, and curved finally downwards and inwards under the disc to enhance higher pressure there.
The spin gives gyroscopic stability as well as utilising the Magnus effect for lift. If you had a pair of discs side by side, powered; and a suitable front engine and tailplane rudders you would have rather slow plane which could hover very well ; pretty much like a twin rotor autogyro in fact!
So, thinking as we go ; a pair of frisbees mounted on a regular twin autogyro but with the addition of gyro type blades mounted on the edges of the frisbees.That would get the autorotation to spin the frisbees, and generate a bit more lift also. The whole thing would be pretty draggy though, and it's doubtful if the frisbees would spin fast enough for Magnus effect lift. I suspect that the whole concept has probably been tried already!

[Jef7]

Thanks for the info!

I suspect that the whole concept has probably been tried already!

Yeah, But I'm mystified...I've seached google, youtube, here...nothing!