Wind Tunnel

A modern commercial aircraft is a marvel of engineering. Often the tools used to create and test such wonders, are incredibly interesting feats as well. Here is video from a NASA wind tunnel with a 80 x 120 foot test section able to simulate speeds up to 100 knots (115 mph).

Where does the speed measurement term "knots" come from? In the 17th century, mariners would use a rope with knots at regular intervals, attached to a piece of wood shaped like a slice of pie. They would lower the piece of wood into the water and allow it to float freely behind the ship for a specific amount of time. When the time was up, they would count the knots between the ship and the piece of wood, and that number estimated their speed.

In the video above, obviously, they are not running their blades at 100 knots. It only takes 60 knots to move a 175lb person. Wind is considered hurricane force at 64 knots.

iFly, the company that lets you experience sky-diving without jumping out of a plane, uses windspeeds of 150 knots to defeat gravity with a comforting bed of air.

I may have stolen the image above.

Sometimes when you need to escape the world, it can be entertaining to read the comments on YouTube videos. One commenter stated:

                        What do you do for a living?
                        Hold a magical smoke wand in a wind tunnel
                        Like what?!
                    

Sign me up, yo!

Another commenter longs to sleep in the wind tunnel.

No thanks!