Not many people have seen a wooden windmill. In the late 1800's that was the most common type used on farms. Because the wood was not the sturdiest of materials the engineers had to figure out a way to protect the windmill from going too fast and tearing itself apart. They came up with a system that as the speed of the fan increased the blades would actually turn in and make a tube shape. This meant the the full force of the wind would be diverted. Volkening has one of these early wooden mills. The video clip is really short but it shows how the blades can "furl" and change the shape of the fan.
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