Autorotation Test

A dry winged maple seed lay wedged between two vertical deck balusters, its fibrous fin intact. I secured the pod and scaled the post to the flat cedar top rail. The lawn below offered an unobstructed descent corridor. Bracing against the textured wood, I held the pod by its weighted seed casing over the open drop. When a steady thermal draft brushed across my chestplate, I released it. The fin engaged the air immediately, locking into a rapid, disciplined autorotation that traced a sweeping spiral down to the grass. Passive aerodynamic stability confirmed.

1 Nauk