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A comment on Everything you need to know about windsocks.

Re:Everything you need to know about windsocks by megapatch on Sunday November 01, 2020 @01:41AM (#24957637)
This is the first time I felt that the title "Everything you need to know about..." actually was correct. I learned something and the text contained everything I ever might ever need to know about windsocks.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Everything you need to know about windsocks by sokoloff on Sunday November 01, 2020 @02:32AM (#24957816)
> A metal basket (or so called swivel frame) is placed on top of the mast, which can rotate 180 degrees horizontally.

Is there some reading of this that makes sense with the figure being 180° instead of 360°?

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Everything you need to know about windsocks by ganafagol on Sunday November 01, 2020 @03:36AM (#24958067)
Even 360 degrees would be incorrect. That's how you would describe a construction that allows to do one full rotation and then stop. For example, tarsiers or owls can rotate their heads about 360 degrees.

But a windsock needs to be able to rotate over and over and over without bound. That's distinctly different from 360 degrees.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Everything you need to know about windsocks by KineticLensman on Sunday November 01, 2020 @08:14AM (#24959282)
> owls can rotate their heads about 360 degrees

No, some of them can rotate their heads > 200 degrees in either direction. This gives them a full 360 field of view but they cannot rotate their vertebrae all the way round.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Everything you need to know about windsocks by zrobotics on Sunday November 01, 2020 @12:32PM (#24961012)
That gives them total rotation angle of slightly over 360 degrees.

For a mechanical example, consider a common rc servo. They are specced as 180 degree, but from their normal center they can only rotate 90 degrees in either direction. Doesn't matter, they are still capable of 180 degrees of revolution.

So, your parent comment was correct, owls can rotate their heads through 1 full revolution. If they could rotate their heads one revolution either direction, then they could rotate their heads 720 degrees.

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Re:Everything you need to know about windsocks by telesilla on Sunday November 01, 2020 @03:34AM (#24958057)
15 minutes on a web search and I can't figure it out either. Any flight experts here?
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Re:Everything you need to know about windsocks by ganafagol on Sunday November 01, 2020 @03:40AM (#24958089)
https://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/Windsock

"Windsocks must rotate freely around a vertical shaft"

10 seconds google for "windsock rotation". Second result right after the original article here on HN. And arguably more informative

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Everything you need to know about windsocks by telesilla on Sunday November 01, 2020 @04:34AM (#24958315)
Yes thanks, it makes sense the posted article has an error in that regard and the link you posted is indeed more informative! Though on my search I learned that they probably originated in China or Japan, made of paper, to celebrate the birth of a child.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Everything you need to know about windsocks by chrischattin on Sunday November 01, 2020 @09:20AM (#24959632)
If you want to dive deeper, here's way more than you ever wanted to know about windsocks:

https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/...

[ Parent | on HN ]