Gale force for coastal areas, between and . The definition is very non-standard. A common alternative definition of the maximum is . The most common way of measuring wind force is with the Beaufort scale which defines a gale as wind from to . It is an empirical measure for describing wind speed based mainly on observed sea conditions. On the original 1810 Beaufort wind force scale, there were four different "gale" designations whereas generally today there are two gale forces, 8 and 9, and a near gale 7: The word "gale" is derived from the older "gail", but its origin
Wind tunnel high Reynolds number, since it is not practical to obtain full scale Reynolds number by use of a full scale vehicle. V/STOL tunnels require large cross section area, but only small velocities. Since power varies with the cube of velocity, the power required for the operation is also less. An example of a V/STOL tunnel is the NASA Langley 14' x 22' tunnel. Aircraft have a tendency to go to spin when they stall. These tunnels are used to study that phenomenon. Automotive wind tunnels fall into two categories: Wunibald Kamm built the first full-scale wind tunnel for motor vehicles.