DART FLIGHTS
Dart flights relate mainly to players in pub darts, league play and professional competitive darts, but hobby players who want to improve their accuracy will also benefit from understanding how they work. At a high level, almost all competitive players use carefully selected flights to achieve consistent throwing behaviour, often in combination with specific shaft lengths and dart weights.
Equipment often seen in professional contexts includes flights and systems from well-known brands such as Target, Winmau, Red Dragon, Condor, Cuesoul, Shot, L-Style, Fit Flight, 8 Flight and Harrows. These are usually offered in sets of three flights, adapted for steel-tipped or soft-tipped arrows that usually weigh around 18-26 grams, with product descriptions indicating shape (e.g. standard or slim), thickness in microns and recommended use.
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OVERVIEW OF COMMON FLIGHT BRANDS
| Brand | Type of system | Common forms | Typical arrow weights (examples) | Short description of the product |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Target | Separate & moulded flights | Standard, Shape, Slim | About 20-26 g | Wide range, including moulded flight-shaft systems for stability. |
| Ivory Gull | Classic foldable flights | Standard, Slim, Special | About 22-26 g | Traditional flights with many designs and thicknesses. |
| Red Dragon | Foldable & special series | Standard, Kite, Slim | About 20-24 g | Signature ranges for top players, focus on design and consistent flight. |
| Condor | Moulded 1-piece system | Standard, Small, Slim | About 18-24 g | One-piece flight shaft, flexible material for smaller pop-offs. |
| Cuesoul | Moulded & classic flights | Standard, Slim, Teardrop | About 18-24 g | Popular sets for both beginners and advanced with fixed systems. |
| Shot | Moulded 1- and 2-part systems | Standard, Shape | About 20-26 g | Integrated systems with reinforced core for stability. |
| L-Style | Moulded flights + locking system | Standard, Shape, Slim | About 18-24 g | Thicker plastic flights with a locking ring, often adapted for plastic/nylon shafts. |
| Fit Flight | 2-part system (proprietary) | Several standard and slime moulds | About 18-24 g | Snap-on system with different material ranges (Original, Air, Pro). |
| 8 Flight | 2-piece system (screw-tight) | Fewer, selected forms | About 18-24 g | Medium-soft plastic material, focusing on the non-detachment of flights. |
| Harrows | Classic & Clic moulded | Standard, Slim | About 20-26 g | Both classic flights and Clic moulded system with flexible flight. |
MARKET OVERVIEW: PRICES AND MATERIALS OF DART FLIGHTS
| Segment | Typical price (set of 3 flights) | Dominant materials | Approximate market share | Common brands in the segment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget / entry level | about 10-25 kr | Thin plastic / polyester (about 75 μm) | ca 25% | Winmau, Harrows, Bull's, generic store brands |
| Standard / mid-range | about 25-45 kr | Polyester / nylon (approx. 100 μm) | ca 45% | Target, Winmau, Red Dragon, Harrows |
| Premium foldable flights | about 45-70 kr | Reinforced plastic/nylon (100-150 μm) | ca 10% | L-Style (foldable), Shot, Cuesoul |
| Integrated 1-part systems | about 75-150 kr | Rigid composite or plastic material | ca 10% | Condor, Harrows Clic, some Shot models |
| Integrated 2-part systems | about 65-130 kr | Rigid plastic (proprietary systems) | ca 10% | Fit Flight, 8 Flight, L-Style system |
DEFINITION, FORM AND FUNCTION
A dart flight is the rear 'wing' that attaches to the shaft at the back of the dart and serves to stabilise the dart's trajectory through the air. Without flights, the dart would easily start to tip or rotate so that the tip does not hit the target first, resulting in unstable throws and poorer accuracy.
Flights come in several shapes, with standard, slim, kite and pear shapes being the most common. Larger flights provide more drag and therefore more lift and stability, while smaller and more streamlined flights provide more speed but require more accuracy from the player.
Materials range from thin plastic and polyester to more flexible nylon or moulded plastic systems, where thicker and stiffer flights retain their shape better but can also affect how the arrows bounce off each other in the board. There are also integrated solutions where the flight and shaft are one unit, which reduces the risk of flights coming loose but means the whole part is replaced when worn.
Dart flights facts
GAME CONTEXTS AND ENVIRONMENTS
Dart flights are used in all varieties of taveldart, from informal play at home or in the pub to organised leagues and major championships. In competitive environments, the characteristics of the flight become particularly important, as small differences in angle of incidence can determine how tightly the darts can be grouped in high scoring fields.
Clubs and dart cafés often use simple standard flights on loaner darts, while more experienced players have their own sets where the shape, thickness and surface are carefully selected according to personal throwing style. Specialised shops and online stores now offer a very wide range of flights, arranged by brand, shape, theme and material, making it easy to try out different combinations.
DART FLIGHTS TECHNICAL IMPORTANCE AND GAME EXPERIENCE
Dart flights are interesting because they are a relatively inexpensive component that nevertheless has a major technical impact on accuracy, throwing feel and results. By changing the size, shape and stiffness of the flight, the player can influence how quickly the dart stabilises, how steeply it enters the board and how sensitive it is to small throwing errors.
Larger flights effectively act as a small "brake" or parachute that increases drag, provides more lift and means that the arrow tends to land more stably tip first. Smaller flights provide lower drag, slightly higher speed and a flatter angle of attack, which can be advantageous for players who want to be able to stack arrows tightly in the same segment.
From a gameplay point of view, the right flights can help beginners to quickly get a more controllable pitching trajectory, while experienced players use them to fine-tune small differences in hitting patterns and grouping. Furthermore, the combination of function and personal style means that many people choose flights based on both gameplay and design, such as country flags, logos or player signatures.
DART FLIGHTS USE IN PRACTICE
In practice, working with dart flights is a matter of testing, observing and adjusting. A player who notices that the darts are landing with the back end too far down can try larger or thicker flights to increase the lift and get a more upright approach to the board.
A beginner starting with a basic set of standard flights may find that the arrow "swings" in the air; switching to a slightly stiffer flight or a smaller shape can make the throw feel straighter and more predictable. More advanced players with a fast, straight throwing style sometimes choose slim or kite flights to get more speed and more room to stack darts close together.
In a competitive context, it is common for players to have several sets of flights available and to change them according to the day's condition, the light and air conditions of the course or how safe the throw feels during the warm-up. For serious enthusiast players, the choice of dart flights therefore becomes a strategic part of the game, comparable to adjusting the weight or shaft length of the dart to optimise accuracy and comfort.
