The two wind indicators pictured below

make the use of a special Nickel/ Titanium alloy

developed by the Naval Ordinance Lab.

This metal alloy is super elastic and allows the windicators to be bent without

permanent distortion or damage. The first windicator is a prototype dingy

wind direction indicator consisting of preformed Nitinol wire and sewn fabric.

This is a very crude design and execution but the function is excellent. In the image below,

the windicator is bent out of shape by hand but immediately returns to its original shape.

The windicator pictured below is a Davis Instruments Windex 10 that has been modified

with a section of nitinol as well as a 3 element, potted LED light base for night time visibility.

Due to the location of the light, its intensity and the thin 1/16" nitinol shaft, the reflective tabs

on the bottom of the windex are highly reflective at any rotational location. The light draws 20

milliamps and can be fed by 22 gauge wire.

Light is on in photo above. The nitinol returns to its original shape when released. Nitinol

is a little lighter than steel, non magnetic and non corrosive.