A video about whips. Relevant to Andalite fans!

[Semeir-Cooraf-Armaheen]

Since Andalite tails seem to behave like whips, I encountered a video demonstrating many ways to crack a whip. You can really see the capabilities and speed and get an idea of how an Andalite tail might behave when swung by a warrior. You can hear the FWAPP sound. All you need to imagine is the blade at the end and the whip being thicker since Andalite tails are thicker.

Btw, whips crack because the tip breaks the sound barrier. Andalite tails have that fluff at the end, so it's that fluff that makes the cracking FWAPP sound, NOT the blade itself. But imagine the SPEED of that blade. Yow.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNKPIOelTgA[/youtube]

[RAFrukh]

Sweet, thanks for posting!!!

[Semeir-Cooraf-Armaheen]

You're welcome.

It's insane what their tails can do!

[anijen21]

that's really interesting! thanks for posting it

although I think I have to *slightly* disagree.

I think the main thing we need to remember is that the only force applied to a whip is the rotational force of the guy's shoulder (who, btw, I am in love with). It's that whole rotational velocity thing--moving even slow at the center of a circle will cause something at the outside of a circle to go very fast. Hence the tip breaking the sound barrier, even with minimal force.

HOWEVER

this would only apply to Andalites if their tails were entirely flaccid and limp. We know that's not the case--even at rest, an Andalite's tail is held in an arc shape over their head (they don't let them drag on the ground or anything), and I think it's book 30 where Ax's tail is described as being "wrapped in muscle." They don't just use the base of their tail to carefully fling it around like a whip--it seems like they have a much more acute degree of control and power.

but idk. the full capacity of that situation never seemed sketched out for us.

[Semeir-Cooraf-Armaheen]

Maybe they use their muscles to fire their tail and then relax it just enough that it acts like a whip. Their tailblades probably have weight to them and with enough momentum caused by a quick firing of the muscles, it could clobber somebody.

Tailblades can't be TOO heavy, as they can be whipped faster than the eye can see.

But it's an interesting theory to speculate about.

[Myitt]

I feel like....some bones or tendons would break if the Andalite tail blade literally moved faster than sound...

[Semeir-Cooraf-Armaheen]

They could have tails like shark skeletons, made of cartilage and muscle.

Until we get movies that show how it works, there's only speculation. 


I did find this on DA, which is interesting: http://osandstorrm.deviantart.com/art/Andalite-Profile-4229634 It implies more of a thrusting action.

Still, the FWAPP is a whip-cracking sound...so it's hard to figure out without picking KA's brain for her visual idea of it. Anybody got a Yeerk?

[Myitt]

Very nice artwork, Semeir!  Yeah, I can see more of a thrusting action as being more realistic; I'd say perhaps the tails could have been cartilaginous, but with all that muscle mass and the tail blade cartilage alone probably wouldn't be able to support the tail like bone would.  Then again, it could be...alien...cartil age... who know?   Great ideas!

[Semeir-Cooraf-Armaheen]

I didn't draw that, just so you know. Credits to the original artist.

It could be the blade is surprisingly light and just very, VERY sharp. I also can't see it starting to develop until AFTER birth, or a fetal Andalite would destroy its mother's insides.


ETA: I just remembered: In the book where Tobias morphs Ax, there's a part where Ax is moving his tail in figure eights(presumably above his head, I think) and that makes me think of that figure eight whip trick in the video.

Andalite muscles might be different than ours. Their blood is blue-black. For all we know their muscles might have more elasticity than ours. And the blade itself probably works like a katana blade. So it IS going to be very light and it's the experience of the warrior who owns it that determines how well it'll cut. Tailblades might break in battle. (Morph/demorph can fix it unless you're allergic like Mertil.)

Samurai and ronin warriors learned how to draw their katana in a way that would do damage. I saw a show about it where a swordsman demonstrated, and it was done so fast that an inexperienced person wouldn't even recognize the blade moved until their guts spilled out.

Andalite tails might work on the same principle.


I love this speculation! 
Post Merged: November 10, 2010, 06:00:46 PMBumping to add more video of interest.

A scorpion striking rodents.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQUwjAtU-Fk[/youtube]

If the Andalite tail works THAT way, then the battle position for their tail would be similar to a scorpion, with the curved part of the "scythe" like blade pointed up and the point facing forward.


It could very well be that some tail motions are like a whip, and others are more of a direct scorpion-style stabbing thrust and they all have the effect of a Samurai performing a cutting draw.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdcrK7i5GLw[/youtube]

Tobias morphed Ax and got his tailblade stuck in a tree, which suggests to me he thrust with the point of the blade first.

[tobiasthehawk]

I love this topic! I have never really given much thought to the Andalite tail blade and now I am sitting here thinking of how it could of evolved into what it is today. I remember in the Ellimist Chronicles the species having short, stubby blades that they used to turn around and stab with. It really makes me wonder what the earliest incarnation of this personal self defense weapon might of looked like.

[Semeir-Cooraf-Armaheen]

A barb, maybe, like a small horn that could stun a predator long enough for the Andalite to get away.

[11:11]

If anything this video is reminding me more of Drake's tentacle whip arm than an Andalite's tail...

[MissAbiPoppet]

omg!!!

u can actually imagine an andalite's tail doin that x if i randomly watched that on youtube it would remind me of an andalite!

It sounds like fireworks exploding!!