My goal for the 2011 season is to have 2 sheaves of arrows. 2/3 will be war arrows (poplar and ash, both bobtailed and parallelsided profiles) and 1/3 will be flights. According to Sir John Smythe 8 arrows of each sheaf should be flights, which is confirmed by the arrow profiles brought up from the Mary Rose.
A flight arrow is basically an arrow with lesser weight than a war arrow thus able to travel further. If the shaft is chested and the fletchings are smaller in comparison with a EWBS Standard Arrow, the arrow will cover a greater distance. Flight arrows are not meant to pierce plate armour, but would probably harass and do terrible damage to lightly armed men and horses.
I will use poplar for my flight arrows, as the strength and weight would make a light but strong shaft and thus, in my mind, would be the prefered wood for flight arrows.
I am really looking forward to do this project, as I have spent all my time increasing the weight of my war arrows. Now I have to turn the table and descrease the weight, which will prove to be a different task altogether.
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