Well, we finally did it! A windsock.

I've been meaning for the past year to put up a decent windsock at the park/field we do most of our casual flying. When HK (Hobby King) finally got in their new inventory of very affordable windsocks, I ordered 3 of them. They had been backordered for months!

They are quite nice: The sock is a decent size, with a 10" opening, on a 12" aluminum 3/8" tube, with about a 30" length. Only $2.99/ea. We used a 1/2" SS pipe (surplus) that was ~32" long, sandwiched between two hardwood blocks with a "U" clamp on a backstop pole to mount the unit ~22 feet up. It was tricky using the 18' ladder to attach the pole, but we did it!

I used a 5/16 washer with a piece of plastic coat hanger inserted into the sock's tube (using graphite epoxy to adhere it) to extend the sock about 9". It slipped into the pipe perfectly!

We had a hoot with several folks flying after we installed the sock. It was great to have some local help, and the kids can use this to determine whether the wind is enough for kite flying! The sock's stripes are about 2 km/h (or 1mph) per stripe, so when fully inflated, the wind is pretty much 10-12 km/h (or higher). Good to know in that field! The nearby church has a large flag that we used to use, but it did not always indicate wind well. This is WAYYY better!

See pics below...

Sky Cadet

I just replaced mine at our local field. It lasted about 10 months in the Georgia sun. Not bad for $3.

That's not bad!

Yeah, it's a nice offering, and highly affordable. How did it hold up against WIND?

Darren/SkyCadet

Originally Posted by SkyCadet

That's not bad!

Yeah, it's a nice offering, and highly affordable. How did it hold up against WIND?

Darren/SkyCadet

Wind didn't seem to be a problem. The fabric simply deteriorated from sun exposure.

I figured so. Thanks.

Did you guys there ever figure out the striping vs wind speed of the sock? it looks to be around 1mph/stripe or so as far as I can tell...

Have a great day!

Darren/SkyCadet

Originally Posted by SkyCadet

I figured so. Thanks.

Did you guys there ever figure out the striping vs wind speed of the sock? it looks to be around 1mph/stripe or so as far as I can tell...

Have a great day!

Darren/SkyCadet

Wow, I never even considered it like that. The only issue I see there is that the stiffness of the material changes over time. I wouldn't rely on that.

I guess youre right, Jeff!

Over time, as the material "softens" and degrades, it might be less accurate. It's good enough as a guestimate - if the things striaght out, it's probably too wind, anyway!

SC