Winex Nanofly Synthetic shuttlecock Review "kind of"

This Nano fly "review" will continue to be updated during the development process
until we reach the goal and a final commercially version is available so keep this in
mind when you are reading about this product and its different development phases.

Well while we are still waiting for the breakthrough of the carbon fibre feather shuttle
that to 100% mimics the flight of a perfect goose feather shuttle at a fraction of the
price and with a lifespan of 10 goose shuttles we have to se what's going on in the
nylon polymer shuttle development :0)

Years ago Dr Alison Cooke wrote a Thesis on Shuttlecock Aerodynamics & Mechanics
that was a stage in the right direction of the understanding of the complex function
of a badminton shuttle aerodynamics and flight characteristics.

In March 1994 The New Scientist wrote a report that stated:"More than forty years
since the invention of the synthetic shuttlecock, players at next week's All England
Open Badminton Championship in Birmingham will still be using goose feather designs
dating from the early part of the century. Top players and coaches say manufacturers
have yet to produce a synthetic shuttle that's as good as the real thing. But now
manufacturers are hitting back. They're beginning to work out why feathered flight is
so difficult to copy and claim that within 18 mt a new generation of shuttlecocks with
carbon fibre 'feathers' will transform players' attitudes."

We are still waiting by 2011!

• Yonex mavis 350 blue/medium 5,13g A previous favorite.
  
  
• Yonex mavis 2000 blue/medium 5,43g My #1 choice for synthetics right now.
  
  
• Winex nanofly (my first version suppose to be speed 77) 5,64g
  
  
• Winex nanofly (2nd version I tried suppose to be speed 77) 5,58g
  
  
• Winex nanofly (3rd version synthetic cork, "white" suppose to be speed 77) 5,34g Best version so far, in fact a joy to play but there are still some issues (look further down the page)
  
  
• Winex nanofly (3rd version real cork, "white" suppose to be speed 76) 4,99g way to slow for our use and conditions

The newest synthetic cork Nanofly arrived in a red tube and the real cork
version in a signal green colored tube.

They both came in speed rating 77 (Marked on the tubes)

test of the V3-4 has ben performed this week and I would like to add some
comments about that.

The above shuttle was played for two complete games of double (21-17, 21-15).
Arrows and numbers show the weak points of the design in regards of life length.

1. The skirt "Feather part"
2. The upper steam support ring (as mentioned above)
3. The mid support ring brakes where it meets the steams.

After a few games with the Nanofly we reverted back to the good old Yonex Mavis 350.
I was surprised over the difference, the 350's had a much different way to fly and I
experienced that when I smashed the Mavis 350 it went like a rocket compared to the
Nanofly that slowed down faster and allowed the defending team to return quite a few more smashes.

The short serve also behave quite differently in regards of Nanofly vs Mavis 350
the 350 was traveling in a longer arc compared to the Nanofly which dived in a way
much closer to the real thing (read feather) than the 350's.

Then Nanofly in my version #3 with synthetic cork is the best version I tried so far
It still have some issues that has to be solved before it reach the shelves however
I was happy to see that they now last longer than before, I'm also pleased to see that
even if they brake a little here and there they still behave nice and play almost as if
they were new!!

The biggest problem right now is the sudden stops propelling issue which in fact is
mostly a psychological problem since the shuttle appear to be stable with or without
propelling it also appears to travel at the same speed in both propelling and static
mode.

 

Still many minuses, however they are fewer then before.
For the next version I hope for a redesign of the aft part of the skirt (feathers)
to solve the stability and mechanical rigidity plus the propelling issue.

/Stefan

I also hope to get some samples of the Version #3 that might be the final production quality version, I have been informed that they then will be
equipped with a natural cork instead of the Alpha and Beta synthetic "cork"

My first impression of the new version (By looking at them and holding them in my hand).
Is that they probably will last longer, the polymer in the "feathers" are now
a bit softer than the V2 but still stiffer than the Mavis 350 and 2000.
Otherwise they look the same as the V1, I played them on Friday 27 May 2010.

I can confirm that there have been some development done on this second
version that I have had the opportunity to try out the durability has increased
and I didn't experienced any steams broken close to the "cork" like they did
in the first edition.

When they brake it is mainly in the aft part of the skirt and the brake in a
way that looks pretty much like the first edition.
However I got a feeling that it took quite a bit longer until they started to
to crack down and become unplayable.

This is how it looks after about 1 1/2 game. Not much to say in regards of durability any longer since this is about the life span we have learned to accept from any quality plastic shuttlecock.

How do they play then?
Well the impression from the MK1 are still valid and the MK2 fly and behave
exactly the same, sounds the same and they still stops to spin now and then
and still feels a bit heavy to hit.

The 77 speed samples that I have tried are faster and fly longer than the
350 and 2000 Mavises in Medium "Blue" speed that I normally use when I
play plastic and they also go further and faster than a 77 feather shuttle.
However this is not a big problem since the Nanofly comes in several slower
speeds than 77 which is the 2nd fastest so it should be easy to find a
suitable speed for every situation.

I still feel that Winex still have some work to do on this shuttle un till they
are ready for shipping but they are on the right way, maybe the real cork
head will change the behavior in a way that make it perfect we just have to
wait and see, I would also like to have the aerodynamics changed a bit to
solve the behavior of the shuttle suddenly stop spinning, since I found that
a bit disturbing and strange.

However I'm already looking forward to the third edition real cork head samples and the possible step forward in feel and sound that might be
the benefit of a real cork head.

Stay tuned / Stefan

Fingers and eyes says this is a cheep synthetic toy shuttle and i must say most of the
synthetics I have held in my hand has been better looking.

Anyhow the looks isn't the most important thing so lets hope my worst thoughts will
fall down in shame

The synthetic cork in a fighting view, there are some irregularity's in the surface
but nothing that will have impact on the precision of the strokes but but....

 

The secret key according to Winex is the fixing point of the skirt that is closer to the
edge than the competition (Yonex?) Winex also state that they use NanoNylon for the skirt/feathers [Read more about NanoNylon Here!]

Compared to the Yonex 350 the Nanofly skirt is fitted much closer to the edge.
It is also attached in a more "Feather like" way.

The competitor Mavis 2000 has the same skirt to cork interface as the 350 and 370 from the same company so there is something unique with the Winex Nanofly after all!

How the feathers are attached on the real thing (RSL Classic Tourney)

Another view of the skirt to cork interface.

A even closer look at the synthetic cork, not as smooth as I would have wished for.
But again, it is the way it feels when you play it that counts.

 

   Winex nanofly vs Yonex Mavis 350 vs RSL Classic

Click images to download sound files or click arrow > to play direct (almost)

Make sure to crank up the volume and use proper speakers or headphones.
Your built in computer speakers will not reveal anything at all!

Flight characteristics in accordance with Winex Nanofly Europe web site.

This was suppose to be the evening we first played the Holy grail of synthetic
shuttle cocks the one that was claimed to have the "Winex Nanofly Impact sounds like 80% real feather" as stated in there catalogue.

And a flight much closer to the real thing (Feather) than any previous synthetic.

General:
I got a mixed feeling and experience of those new shuttles, they played quite well.
They felt a bit heavy when you hit them but light in your hand!?
the sound was sharper and harder than the Mavis 350 that have a very damp sound
but It didn't sound like the real thing, I don't know what 40 or 60% of real feather sounds like so it could have been 80% but no no no not like the real thing :0}

Smash:
Closer to feather in fact than the Mavis 350 it has a more constant speed, not like
the Mavis 350 that goes rely fast (to fast) when you hit it hard.
This is probably due to the stiffer skirt of the Winex Nanofly and maybe also due
to the different geometry it gets by fitting the skirt closer to the edge of the cork.
But again you probably wouldn't ditch feather after trying the Nanofly.

Clear:
When I hit the Nanofly for a clear it feels a bit heavy it also sometimes stops
spinning, this looks weird because it sometimes spins just fine and sometimes
after a virtually exactly the same stroke flies without rotation!
My sample was delivered at speed 77, however the traveled quite a bit longer
than the RSL Classic at same speed that I used for reference.

Built Quality:
All of my samples was traveling straight and was very close to each other in flight
so the quality seams to be even and high in regards of consistency.

Durability (Not the same thing as quality)
Compared to the Mavis 350 the Nanofly seams to last about half as long until
the shuttle was "unplayable" however I also felt that it kept it's initial characteristics
for a longer time than the Mavis 350.

Compared to feather (RSL Classic) the Nanofly of course lasted longer but still I
expected higher durability from a synthetic shuttle than I got with the Nanofly.
This is probably a result of using a stiffer polymer in the skirt to obtain the advantage
of having a smash speed curve being closer to the feathers than the Mavis 350.

I have also played the new Yonex Mavis 2000 and my experience of them are
that they share some of the things with both the good old 350 and the Winex Nanofly
and mix it in to what I consider to be the best of two worlds.
The playing and change characteristics of the Mavis 2000 is close to the Winex Nanofly
than the 350 and the durability closer to the 350 than the Winex.

Conclusion&final verdict:
I was tempted to become the Scandinavian General Agent for the Winex Nanofly
in fact I was asked to, however I feel that Winex is on the right way in some respect
but still not there, so I pass this time.
I still hope they keep up their work and development and maybe in the future we will
play plastic even in the Olympics (Either by highly developed synthetic shuttles or by international boycott of feathers due to the birds benefit!)

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