Dart (missile): Difference between revisions

{{refimprovemore citations needed|date=October 2010}}

'''Darts''' are airborne ranged [[ranged weapon]]s. They are designed to fly such that a sharp, often weighted point will strike first. They can be distinguished from [[Javelin (weapon)|javelin]]s by the presence of [[fletching]] (feathers on the tail) and a shaft that is shorter and/or more flexible. Darts can be propelled by hand or with the aid of a hand-held implement, theysuch as a [[blowgun]]. They can be distinguished from [[arrow]]s because they are too short to benot used inwith a [[Bow (weapon)and arrow|bow]].

Darts have been used since pre-history. The [[plumbatae]] were lead-weighted darts thrown by infantrymen in Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Darts can be propelled by a number of means. The [[atlatl]] uses leverage to increase the velocity of the dart, the [[kestros (weapon)|kestros]] increases the range of propelled darts using a sling, and smallthe poisonedexhalation needlesof thata areperson's propelledbreath withthrough pneumatica forceblowgun frompropels thesmall exhalationstone ofpoints aor person'spoisoned breathneedles with apneumatic [[blowgun]]force.

In the modern era, darts have been used for recreation; in [[lawn darts]] and the game of [[darts]].

[[Image:Nativo do Novo Mundo lançando flecha com o propulsor ou estólica.pdf|thumb| A dart being propelled by an [[Atlatlatlatl]]]]

To maximize elastic energy storage and recovery, such darts should be held only by the nock and allowed to pivot as they are thrown. This requires a special tool called a [[spear-thrower]]. In Western culture these might be called ''[[atlatl]]'' borrowed from the [[Aztec]], or in Australia the Aboriginal word [[Woomera (spear-thrower)|''woomera'']] is used.

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Darts, [[plumbata]] and atlatls have been constructed by modern enthusiasts, either with ancient materials and methods or with high technology borrowed from modern archery. While some do this in the context of [[anthropology]] or [[mechanical engineering]], many view the practice as a [[sport]], and throw competitively for distance and/or for accuracy. Throws of almost {{convert|260|m|ft|abbr=on}} have been recorded.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.flight-toys.com/atlatl.html|title=atlatlAtlatl -– resource web page for a primitive hunting tool that predates the bow and arrow|website=www.flight-toys.com}}</ref>

It is quite reasonable to speculate the darts used with ''atlatl''s were adapted from hand-thrown darts{{speculation inline|date=April 2023}}, which in turn were derived from light javelins. In Europe, short but heavy-pointed darts were sometimes used in warfare. These had a length of about {{convert|30|toand|60|cm|ft|abbr=on}} and resembled an arrow with a long head and short shaft.

The Roman model, the ''[[plumbata]]'', was weighted with lead.<ref>For an image of a plumbata (without its wooden shaft, which did not survive the passage of time) and other projectiles see http://www.romancoins.info/MilitaryEquipment-spear.html</ref> In some legions, five of these were carried inside each soldier's shield; reconstructions show a range of {{convert|70|m|yd|abbr=on}} or more when thrown overhand in the fashion of a [[Stielhandgranate|German stick grenade]].

Feathered spears, often called darts or javelins, were used in medieval and Renaissance Europe, both as ceremonial objects and as weapons. It is possible no examples have survived, presumably due to their fragility or the deterioration of their [[fletching]] making them indistinguishable from spears, but they appear in multiple illustrations from the 15th and 16th century. As ceremonial items, they are shown held similar to scepters by military commanders and leaders such as [[Emperor Maximilian I]].<ref name=Nikel>{{Cite journal | title = Ceremonial Arrowheads from Bohemia | author = Nikel, Helmut | workjournal = Metropolitan Museum Journal | publisher = The Metropolitan Museum of Art | volume = 1 | pagepages = 78-8178–81 | date = 1968 | access-date = 2018-01-03 | url = https://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/ceremonial_arrowheads_from_bohemia_the_metropolitan_museum_journal_v_1_1968}}</ref><ref name="Waldman 2005">{{cite book | last=Waldman | first=John | title=Hafted weapons in medieval and Renaissance Europe the evolution of European staff weapons between 1200 and 1650 | publisher=Brill | location=Boston | year=2005 | isbn=90-04-14409-9 | pages=81–83}}</ref> Many other illustrations show large darts being wielded as weapons, either on the battlefield or in smaller engagements such as judicial battles.<ref name="Waldman 2005"/> Depictions show them as being four to seven feet long, with arrow-like feather [[fletching]], barbed points and thick shafts comparable to conventional [[polearms]], presumably able to serve for both throwing and hand-held striking. SomeOne latersuch artisticexample depictionshas suggesthistorically theybeen maydepicted haveon alsoFrench beenand usedEnglish forpattern hunting.<ref>[[Nicholasplaying Penny|Pennycards, Nicholas]],where Nationalthe Galleryjack Cataloguesof (newclubs series):is ''Thearmed Sixteenthwith Centuryone.<ref>{{cite Italianweb Paintings,| Volumeurl=https://i-p-c-s.org/faq/bad_copying.php II,| Venicetitle=The 1540–1600'',Decline p.of 278,English 2008,Court NationalCards Galleryover PublicationsTime Ltd, {{ISBN|1857099133}}.</ref><ref>{{cite web There| areurl=https://www.wopc.co.uk/cards/oldcards another| twotitle=Early suchEnglish weaponsPlaying inCards Titian's ''[[Diana and Callisto]]''}}</ref><ref>https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/015/825/109/484750445864ea8457fa2736263a9619_original.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.0.2&w=680&fit=max&v=1489232886&gif-q=50&q=92&s=6ecb096b647baad9557dc9b5a3cb78ac</ref>

An indoor game of [[darts]] has also been developed. For competitive purposes, a dart cannot weigh more than {{cvtconvert|50|g|oz|fracabbr=16on}} including the shaft and flight and cannot exceed a total length of {{cvt|300convert|mm30|incm|fracabbr=8on}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://triplebullseye.com/dart-weights-and-how-to-choose/|title=Dart Weights and How to Choose|publisher=triplebullseye|date=2019-12-10|access-date=2018-12-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181218193516/https://triplebullseye.com/dart-weights-and-how-to-choose/|archive-date=2018-12-18|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Harrows1">{{cite web|url=http://www.harrowsdarts.com/harrows-world/history-darts|title=History of Darts from Harrows, UK|publisher=Harrows|access-date=25 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402164424/http://www.harrowsdarts.com/harrows-world/history-darts/|archive-date=2 April 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> They are designed to penetrate [[dart board]]s.

A type of dart still finds use in military engagements, in the form of [[flechette]]s. These are all-metal projectiles, often resembling nails that have had fletching (rather than nail heads) forged into them. They were used by American forces during the wars in [[Korean warWar|Korea]] and [[Vietnam warWar|Vietnam]], but treaties have since been enacted to limit their use.