Flatline Theories...

1. farther shots

2. harded shots.

Just like a baseball."

"Thanks to the laws of Physics - When you put a backspin on a ball (just like the flatline does) the result is acceleration and distance; increasing the Maximum Effective Range of my A-5 and anyone else using a flatline."

Personally, I find this to be garbage.  Everything I have seen in websites,  discussions on the topic, High School, and College level physics (granted only 100 level) leads me to believe that the backspin on a paintball gives the paintball lift which temporarily reduces the effect of gravity, allowing it to fly further down range before it hits the earth.  I've even found two calculators that show the effect of backspin on a ball.  The first here, and another through a link he even replied with, here.
 Everything I have seen through the use of my flatline (and being shot by a flatline) tends to agree with the first calculator (the second isn't designed specifically for a paintball but, explains the same theory).  The shots fired from a flatline fly farther but do not hit with more force than a non-backspinning ball.

What do you all think?  I would prefer to keep this intelligent, and it would help if you could site your sources.  Feel free to include your personal observations just be sure to identify them as such.

UV Halo...You observations and research are correct.  There is no velocity change on a ball once a gun is chronoed.  If you chrono a flatline and a stock barrel and both are set at 285fps, then they are both at 285fps...exact same velocity.  There is no way the velocity will increase unless you reset the velocity screw or have "hot" CO2 issues.  (As a side, most field chronos are nothing more than a radar gun, which detects doppler shift, so generally the ball speed is measured after about 10 feet from the barrel.)  You are also right about the backspin creating lift to keep the ball up longer.  The backspin basically creates a low pressure (might be high pressure, I forget), that allows the ball to stay up longer.  Much like the vortex effect from an airplane wing....As far as it hurting more, or making the ball break easier, I can only guess that this too has to do with the backspin.  If the ball hits with a spin, it is more likely that the shell will "rip" and break, versus a "knuckle ball" with no spin.  Try to throw a water balloon at a sheet hanging from a clothesline.  If you are successful enough to get a spin on the balloon, I guaruntee it'll break on the sheet.  If you knuckle ball the balloon, it might very well just hit the sheet and fall to the ground.  Now as far as what "You Won't See Me" said.  That's correct too.  The backspin will allow gravity to be defeated a bit longer, thus at a given distance, the velocity might be maintained longer.  However, it is impossible to "gain" velocity from a backspin.

SO, your thoughts and opinions are absolutely correct.

When I am not hanging out here I participate in a homebuilt aircraft group. Knowing a little bit about air flow over a high lift wing (blunt and rounded)  I am going to postulate that the back spin, while generating lift from the low pressure generated on the top side of the ball and the deflection of air downward, also reduces the drag on the ball allowing it to retain a higher velocity down range.

That is to say that a non-spinning ball has the air wrapping around all side equally causing a low pressure area directly behind the ball. With back-spin, I see the low pressure area being pushed to one side effecting less of the surface area of the ball. While at the same time causing the low pressure area to be smaller.

Now I am going to have to pull out my old firearm chronograph to check down range velocity. Hope it will actually go as low as the paintball velocity.

UV Halo wrote: Over in the Markers Gallery, KillerOne made the following statements: "Tried multiple barrels - preferred A-5 Flatline due to ruggedness and increase range, shots hit harder." "...expecially the way i've got it - it put a spin on the ball which does two things: 1. farther shots 2. harded shots. Just like a baseball." "Thanks to the laws of Physics - When you put a backspin on a ball (just like the flatline does) the result is acceleration and distance; increasing the Maximum Effective Range of my A-5 and anyone else using a flatline." Personally, I find this to be garbage.  Everything I have seen in websites,  discussions on the topic, High School, and College level physics (granted only 100 level) leads me to believe that the backspin on a paintball gives the paintball lift which temporarily reduces the effect of gravity, allowing it to fly further down range before it hits the earth.  I've even found two calculators that show the effect of backspin on a ball.  The first here, and another through a link he even replied with, here.  Everything I have seen through the use of my flatline (and being shot by a flatline) tends to agree with the first calculator (the second isn't designed specifically for a paintball but, explains the same theory).  The shots fired from a flatline fly farther but do not hit with more force than a non-backspinning ball. What do you all think?  I would prefer to keep this intelligent, and it would help if you could site your sources.  Feel free to include your personal observations just be sure to identify them as such.

Yep...wow, you guys should come to work for the gubmint...you know more physics than some of the guys I work with and we're all electrical engineers......BTW, Bruce, I imagine your old firearm chrono should go down to paintball speeds.  My buddy's chrony goes down to something like 100fps.  If you have the diffuser type, it should work.  It just measures the time the ballistic takes to go between a fixed distance.  I'm sure you know that though.  I'm actually making my own with a PIC as a timer, and some photocells for detectors.

BTW, Bruce, thanks for all the great insight you give on this forum.  I've learned alot about paintball from your posts.