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Gilligan Gilligan is offline
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First recorded activity by BoatBanter: Aug 2006
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Default modern sails spun off mechanical flight technology?


"Scout" wrote in message
. ..
"Gilligan" wrote in message
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http://www.siege-engine.com/seuss/taunters.jpg

so you're saying a flying, diseased cow sparked the revolution if sail
design?
Scout


No thanks, we've already got one.

Actually the Chinese Junk sails are the first use of a airfoil shape for
sailing. The sails are battened. They can also sail into the wind. Aircraft
wings are rigid, the are not loose fitting. Parachutes and paragliders are
like that. Kites are rigid airfoils. The Chinese invented kites and human
size gliders over 2500 years ago. I would say that theChinese airfoil
designs may have influenced their sailboats.

Another innovation using a foil is the fin keel and the articulated rudder
of Antonius Flettner. These innovations happened about the time of modern
flight.

The notion that a diseased, rotted, flying cow ushered in any type of
sailing innovation is udder nonsense.