Montana WindJammer IV Infomercial

By Paul Gipe

In another blast from the past, Vaughn Nelson has tracked down a promotional film (now on youtube) from August 1985 of the Windjammer IV sail wing wind turbine. Patterned after Cretan sail windmills, the Windjammer uses sails or “soft airfoils” to drive a large diameter rotor in California’s Altamont Pass.

It was long ago–in a land far away–and I don’t remember how many versions of this design were installed. I do remember there was more than one.

In the film, see WindJammer IV Infomercial, it sounds like the narration is by Corky (Gordon) Brittan of Livingston Montana. Corky was a professor of philosophy at Montana State University in nearby Bozeman. He was also a co-author on our book Wind Power in View: Energy Landscapes in a Crowded World. Corky was one of wind energy’s pioneers and particularly in Montana where he operated a Windmatic 15s on his ranch for many decades.