A proposal to build the world's largest wind farm off Cape Cod is meeting opposition because residents don't want a horizon filled with wind turbines. If lights directed shoreward are fastened to the machinery out there and if these lights are adjusted so that their light is equal to the background light being blocked by the structure then the structure will blend with the background sky and not be seen. This technique was used in WW2 by anti-submarine aircraft and allowed them to get much closer to a surfaced submarine before being seen. This technique might someday be used off the California coast where offshore oil drilling has been halted partly because residents don't want their view spoiled and partly for fear of an oil spill.
-- hangingchad, Nov 15 2004

NY Times Article http://www.nytimes....onal/14cape.html?th
Not so sure this link will work [hangingchad, Nov 16 2004]

Dazzle painting http://www.gotourin...rticles/dazzle.html
Make big things disappear by making them more obvious [wagster, Nov 16 2004]

Popular Science Article http://jmrc.tripod....tealth/stealth2.htm
Hiding in Plane Sight - Describes use of lights to hide aircraft. [hangingchad, Nov 18 2004]

(?) Optical Camouflage http://projects.sta...ts/MEDIA/xv/oc.html
Just use a projector system and white blades. [Worldgineer, Nov 24 2004]

[Dang - just grounded this oil tanker on that thar windfarm...]
-- DrCurry, Nov 15 2004


cape cod wind-farm project leader to press conference- "the power our turbines generate, is just enough to keep the lights on, so that it appears the turbines aren't there"
-- benfrost, Nov 15 2004


"...except on windless days, when we use that nuclear power station over there to power the lights."
-- hippo, Nov 15 2004


"New Endangered Species Shock - Invisible Wind Farm Brings Cape Cod Seabirds To Brink Of Extinction"
-- thud, Nov 15 2004


Through what viewing angle would this trick be effective? Unless it's extremely high, would fiber optic camouflage do the same job with passive technology?

The proposed idea could also be used to make the windfarm visible in case people want to see it at night.
-- half, Nov 15 2004


I wonder if glass could be an appropriate material for windmills. Well, except for the generator and a few other parts.
-- Worldgineer, Nov 15 2004


[Half] I do not know what viewing angle this technique would be limited to. As I saw the anti-submarine use of this technique (on the History Channel) it was done with fairly small lamps mounted on the wings and front of the airplane and the airplane presumably spotted the sub first and then flew directly toward it. I am thinking that as long as the distant observer could see the light bulb that light would serve to make that area as bright as the background and thus the structure would not stand out against the lighter background. I don't think any passive camouflage would work because the background is so variable in brightness. Incidentally the closest wind turbine is 4.7 miles from the shore. The turbines are about 500 ft high. see link
-- hangingchad, Nov 16 2004


This would still spoil the view of the horizon for a lot of bats.
-- lyserge, Nov 16 2004


But there would be if the wind turbines were there. They'd lose the pleasurable sensation of staring vacantly into space.
-- lyserge, Nov 16 2004


Instead, spend the money bribing influential people to come forward and say wind turbines are aesthetically pleasing. Personally, I think they're rather elegant.
-- moomintroll, Nov 16 2004


Another WW2 trick was to paint crazy patterns on destroyers so that they no longer looked like destroyers. Apparently enemy subs would be so busy looking up their periscopes for something that looked a boat that they would completely fail to notice something that looked like a bad trip. (see link - note type 25 design!)
-- wagster, Nov 16 2004


[wagster], this camouflage concept also confused submarine periscope operators by giving the impression that the ship had many bows, thus causing doubt as to which was the true one (and hence, what the true direction of travel of the target was).
-- vigilante, Nov 17 2004


Or sky-clad.
-- angel, Nov 17 2004


It depends what colour the sky is.
-- hippo, Nov 17 2004


These wind turbines should be placed in the clouds. That way not many people would even see them.
-- gfundl, Nov 19 2004


I am leaving.

Bye, you all who have been so great to me!
-- DesertFox, Nov 21 2004


[tahuyahick] I saw this demonstrated on the history channel. They used a large armored car on a hillock and silhouetted against the sky. When the lights were on it was not visible from a distance. I don't recall if they gave the distance but it was at least half a mile.
-- hangingchad, Nov 24 2004


I have tried, but I fail. I have to mention all the fish that will be living under these structures. Tell me I will be allowed to hunt underneath it and I'll bun it.
-- normzone, Nov 26 2004


Hi [normzone] The wind turbines should be great places to fish. They would be located on a shoal where the water is too shallow for big ship navigation. Near the structures you would have no trouble seeing them. From a distance you don't see the structures themselves as much as you see the silhouette of the structures against a bright background. The lighting I propose removes the silhouette.
-- hangingchad, Nov 28 2004



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