Abstract: A hot air pulse generator, particularly for use as a hair dryer, includes a housing enclosing an electric heater and air blower for generating a continuous flow of heated air through a passageway leading to a nozzle. A gently curved baffle arranged across the passageway upstream of the nozzle cuts off 50-75% of the cross section of the passageway and converges the heated air as a high speed air stream toward one side of the passageway. A butterfly valve freely rotatable through 360.degree. on a spindle disposed at an acute angle is located between the baffle and nozzle in the path of the air stream and is continuously rotated by the air flow to effect an intermittent pulsed air output flow through the nozzle.