ARADYNE WINDSOCKS
Windsock maker for over 40 years
Windsocks.com
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- I noticed some of the Bakeries (Sara Lee, etc) have windsocks on their buildings and wondered why? I understand the purpose of a windsock,but why Bakeries? Thanks, Christy
- Christy,
While I can't give you a definite answer regarding any particular bakery, some bakeries have on-site freezing capabilities, and the refrigeration system utilizes a chemical, that when released, is highly toxic.
If you will give me a name and location for the bakery, I will track it down and give you a definitive answer.
- More interesting facts about windsocks I found this at www.florilegium.org Colin Savannah, GA Knights and Kites by Lady Ella du Soleil
- It is generally accepted that the kite was invented in China long before written history. Commonly, 1000 BC is thrown out as a round figure of a date for kite invention. After all, the Chinese had silk in 2600 BC and bamboo was everywhere. But evidence has surfaced that a number of cultures developed the kite independently, or independently developed variations on the Chinese kite.
Dutch, Portuguese and English merchants began routine voyages to the Far East in the late 16th century. These journeys afforded an opportunity for sailors to learn construction for Chinese plane kites. But this is not the first introduction of the kite to Europe.
Windsocks, whose structures consist of a hoop with a hollow tube of fabric sewn to it fixed to the top of a pole, have been flown in Europe since about 105 AD. When in use, the windsock was held up into the wind or above the head of a horseman. They were usually of animal shapes with gaping mouths. These windsocks came into Europe during the time of the Mongol invasions. The slithering and undulating windsocks had a number of military uses including signaling, helping archers judge the strength and direction of wind, and serving as a standard for ceremonial purposes. Illustrations in the Psalterium Aureum (9th Century), and the Bayeux tapestry show the windsock in use as a large dragon, or Draco. With a smoking torch in the mouth of the windsock (some say placed there for effect, others say placed there for lift), one can see how a fire breathing war Draco worked its way into the myth and popular literature of the period.
Windsocks themselves have no lift, i.e. they don't really fly, and they are, therefore, not true kites. At the beginning of the 14th Century, someone figured out it takes wings to fly. But, the windsock was still so well liked that instead of scrapping it and starting a fresh idea, wings were added.
Walter de Milemete's De nobilitatibus (1326) manuscript shows a winged windsock being used to drop a fireball into a besieged city. Figures illustrate that the kite was rather large; it took three men to control the winch that moored the kite. It is possible for large kites to actually lift people off the ground, so a bomb carrying kite could have worked. But, I suspect the controllers were as likely to set themselves on fire as they were to catch an enemy because of variations to the wind's direction and strength.
The Winged wind sock continued to be experimented with in Europe for the next hundred years or so, then interest in it fell. The Europeans seemed to discover just how inefficient the design was by the end of the 14th Century. The winged windsock was replaced by the Pennon Kite in the beginning of the 15th Century.
The first recorded description of the Pennon Kite appears as a captioned illustration in Conrad Kyeser's Bellifortis, (1405), a study on military technology. Manuscripts of this century describe the same basic parchment kite design with a cloth tail and three different bridling techniques. Considerations are also made for wind conditions.
In 1558, a young man named Giovanni della Porta was experimenting with kites. His sophisticated design was similar to the Chinese models. His kite models were an evolution of the Pennon kite, but with a unique and efficient tail. He writes of it in his Magiae naturalis. Della Porta suggested that kites be used for lifting lanterns and fireworks at night. He also lifted kittens and puppies, in an attempt to spur interest in human flight. Kite evolution continued up to the modern age and della Porta's dream of winged human flight went unrealized until the early 20th Century. Still, kite enthusiasts search for the perfect breeze. - Who invented windsocks? Ryan Dallas, Texas
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Although decorative windsocks originated in Japan and China centuries ago, their purpose and design took a new direction with the advent of aviation.
Planes take off into the wind - with the wind blowing into the front of the plane - to give the wings greater lift. Pilots also land into the wind for greater control of the aircraft. Pilots must know the direction of the wind and be able to gage wind speed in order to take off and land safely. In the early days of aviation, a simple flag or streamer may have been the beginning of the practical windsock, a tapered cone open at each end to allow wind to blow through and thus indicate wind direction and velocity.
The larger opening of the sock, the "throat", catches the wind. The taper of the windsock funnels the wind toward the small end of the sock, the "tail", which blows "with the wind" and indicates wind direction. Along with design, visibility is important. Windsocks used in aviation are usually vivid safety orange, a color that provides good contrast to the blue color of the sky. Safety orange is also known as blaze orange and international orange.
High visibility windsocks also have an important industrial application. They are often seen at chemical plants and other types of industrial plants to indicate wind direction in case of an accident in which potentially hazardous chemicals are released.
Through the centuries since their creation, windsocks have been considered a symbol of longevity and good luck. Considering the importance of windsocks from a safety point of view, the symbolism certainly applies in the areas of aviation and industrial manufacturing.
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