| Every airsoft player should know about hop-up, | | | | apply to airsoft? Well, if you read the definition, |
| and most players do. However, if you do not | | | | pressure is inversely proportional to velocity, in |
| know, here is a simple definition. Hop-up is basically | | | | that lower pressure equals higher velocity. A |
| the trajectory of an airsoft pellet, and when an | | | | spinless pellet will have equal pressure all around it, |
| airsoft gun has adjustable hop-up, that means you | | | | so the only thing determining its distance is the |
| can adjust the trajectory. Hop-up is also the | | | | FPS. The next part is quite complicated, but |
| theory of backspin, in which spin, usually up-spin, is | | | | simply, backspin creates a difference in pressure |
| placed on the pellet as it grinds along the top of | | | | on opposite sides of the BB, and this difference |
| the inside of the barrel. So, the friction creates | | | | makes the pellet go further. Another interesting |
| the spin, and then that spin offsets things such as | | | | thing is the Magnus effect. Pellets have thin layers |
| gravity and air resistance, allowing the BB to | | | | of non-moving air on top of them, and when spin |
| travel further. However, changing the hop-up to | | | | is applied, the air pushes off the pellet at a |
| increase accuracy only increases the vertical | | | | downward angle, and by Newton’s law, then |
| accuracy, but not the horizontal accuracy. | | | | pushes the pellet up, giving it lift. In a non-spinning |
| Hop-up devices are used on airsoft devices to | | | | ball, the air would all go off at the same angle, so |
| apply more backspin to pellets. As stated, the | | | | there would be no difference in trajectory due to |
| backspin allows pellets to fly farther and fall less. | | | | that. |
| Since the pellets are light and wind ultimately | | | | As you can see, by adding spin to pellets, the |
| affects the trajectory, pellets can still fly off to | | | | accuracy of an airsoft gun can be greatly |
| the left or right. Hop-up can be adjusted to fit the | | | | increased. That is why it is wise to purchase an |
| weight of the BB, or just to do anything the user | | | | airsoft gun with an adjustable hop-up, so you |
| wishes. | | | | have greater control over where your pellets end |
| A main principle that relates to hop-up is | | | | up. Knowing how things function (in this case, |
| Bernoulli’s Principle. Bernoulli’s Principle | | | | hop-up) can give you greater confidence, since |
| states that “in an ideal fluid (includes air), with | | | | you understand how the hop-up device and |
| no work being performed on the fluid, an increase | | | | hop-up in general works. Of course, you can also |
| in velocity occurs simultaneously with decrease in | | | | impress people with your intelligence, which is |
| pressure or a change in the fluid’s | | | | always an added bonus of knowledge. |
| gravitational potential energy.” How does this | | | | |