Machines · Study 064
Split-Flap Board
A split-flap departure board that riffles through letters to spell out new flights. Click a row to send it flapping to a new destination.
What you're looking at
Each cell holds a stack of flaps printed with the alphabet, digits and a few symbols. To show a new character the cell cannot jump. It has to flip through every flap in between, in order, which is why changing one row sends a wave of flicker across it and why cells settle at different moments.
The idea behind it
Boards like this hung in stations and airports from the 1950s onward, many built by the Italian firm Solari. Travellers came to rely on the sound: a rustle from the board meant news. Several stations that replaced them with screens later added a recorded clatter.
Try this
Click or tap any row to replace it with a new departure. A random row changes every few seconds.
