Fletching is the fin-shaped aerodynamic stabilizing device attached to arrows or crossbow bolts and is typically made of lightweight, semi-flexible materials such as feathers.
The word is related to the French word flèche, meaning "arrow," and the Old Frankish "fliukka."
Traditionally, fletching consists of three matched half-feathers, attached near the back of the arrow or shaft and evenly spaced around its circumference. Historically, four feathers were also used.
In English archery, a rooster feather is used on the outside of the arrow, while the other two stabilizing feathers come from a hen. Traditional archery lore regarding feather curvature states that a right-handed archer should shoot a right-wing feather and a right-handed helix, and a left-handed archer should use the opposite. Slow-motion cameras show that the arrow only begins to spin when it is well past the riser. The most important point is consistency in fletching.
Today, modern synthetics are used. Fletches were traditionally attached with glue and silk thread, but with modern glue/thread/tape, this is no longer necessary unless the arrow is a reproduction of a historical arrow. Fletching serves to aerodynamically stabilize the arrow. The vanes must be placed at a slight angle (called offset fletching) or set in a twist (called helical fletching) to achieve the same effect. However, all serve to provide stability to the projectile.
Most of the fletching techniques were likely inherited from earlier manufacturing techniques. The fins used to stabilize rockets function in a similar way.
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