This thread was forgotten and without finishing, and also I remember I´ve promised some pictures about, so I return to it after having been practicing something with the cestro these holidays. I have reproduced faithfully the design of the dart according to the clasic authors, but I´ve found it a little heavy and it does not work very well, requiring much ability to send it and that it flies right. I have made some modern darts, lighter and more stable in flight, and then everything works perfectly. I have used the type of sling that I described previously in the thread and that I suppose is the most likely interpretation of clasic texts. The images clarifies the subject by themselves.




The dart of the image, even been modern, approach the classic design as far as the relative dimensions, the positioning of the fins in half of the shaft, etc. Nevertheless, the dart is shorter, about a foot, and the weight is about 200 grs.The iron is a tube to insert the shaft, and one end is squashed and sharpened to make the point. Also it has been partially filled up with melted lead to give the suitable weight that would have a massive iron point. The fins are the conventional ones of the arrows. The image of the dart is from some months ago and is the only image I keep up, although the last darts I´ve made and experiment with are lighter, of about 100 grs, with the iron point shortened to the half and the fins placed more towards the end to give more stability to the flight. With this last design the flight is very straight and the range is surprising, as much as to lose all darts I´ve made  .

I could probably find a copy or two of that magazine somewhere.  I'll have a look.