Quote:
Originally Posted by fox46
The issue is that the ball is rarely moving through the airstream long enough for it to have any appreciable effect on it. One of my teams did some extensive testing on this concept and deemed it ineffective. We used a ducted fan housing for a radio controlled jet powered by an 0673 FisherPrice motor to no avail.
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That isn't a large enough airstream. The ideal blower would be a large fan, nearly 28 inches, housed in a duct with minimum blade tip clearances and powered by something like a "V-6" (118 style) with 2 cims, 2 0673s, and 2 RS550s. For extra velocity a nozzle with a hoop sized opening could be added. If less turbulence is desired, a grid of drinking straws covering the opening would give you more laminar flow (more directional and uniform). It could me mounted on gimbals and aimed at shooters or (more likely) fixed and angled such that one could park against the fender and defend the 3-point basket. Conveniently, backspin on the balls would create a lift force away from the hoop as a result of the Magnus effect.