List of wind tunnels

Last updated

This is an alphabetical list of wind tunnels.

NameStatusSize (W x H x L)UseCountryComments
A2 Wind Tunnel [1] 4 m × 94 m × 18 m
(14 ft × 310 ft × 58 ft)
Full scale general purposeUnited States~$500/hr full scale race car, motorcycle, bicycle
ACE Climatic Wind Tunnel [2] 6 m × 5.55 m × 14 m
(20 ft × 18 ft × 46 ft)
Full scale: automotive, motorsport, cycling, skiing, architectural, transit, truck, product developmentCanadaAvailable and accessible for all industries requiring wind tunnel services or climatic services
Aerodium Sigulda [3] OperationalTesting, training, open to the publicLatviaFirst vertical wind tunnel in Eastern Europe
AeroDyn Wind Tunnel [4] Full scale NASCAR racecarsUnited States
Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit [5] OperationalHypersonicUnited StatesLocated at Arnold Air Force Base and operated by the United States Air Force
Aircraft Research Association [6] Operational2.74 m × 2.44 m × 3.66 m
(9 ft 0 in × 8 ft 0 in × 12 ft 0 in)
TransonicUnited KingdomTransonic closed circuit, continuous flow wind tunnel. Mach number 0 - 1.4. Reynolds Number 3.5 to 16.7 million/m [7]
Auto Research Center [8] 2.3 m × 2.1 m
(7 ft 7 in × 6 ft 11 in)
Subsonic research and development including: 50% scale model automotive rolling road, wind turbine design and optimization, and cyclingUnited StatesWind tunnel has a moving ground plane as well as primary and secondary boundary layer suction. Subsonic testing capabilities for motorsports, production cars, commercial semi-trucking, cycling, wind turbines, architecture, aerospace, academic research, and industrial research and development.
RUAG Automotive Wind Tunnel Emmen [9] Operational2.45 m × 1.55 m × 3.8 m
(8 ft 0 in × 5 ft 1 in × 12 ft 6 in)
Low speed automotive and general purposeSwitzerlandBelt system for rolling road simulation
Boeing Icing Wind Tunnel [10] Operational1 m × 2 m
(4 ft × 6 ft)
United States
Boeing Low-speed Aero-Acoustic Facility [11] OperationalUnited States
Boeing Polysonic (supersonic) Wind Tunnel [12] Operational1 m × 1 m
(4 ft × 4 ft)
United States
Boeing Propulsion Wind Tunnel [13] OperationalLow-speed, atmospheric, non-return, induction-type facility. Typical models include engine inlets, exhaust nozzles, small engines or powered vehicles, aerodynamic half or full models, as well as thrust reversers.United States
Boeing Subsonic (low-speed) Wind Tunnel [14] Operational6 m × 6 m
(20 ft × 20 ft)
United States
Boeing Transonic Wind Tunnel [15] Operational2 m × 4 m
(8 ft × 12 ft)
United States
Boundary Layer and Subsonic Wind Tunnel [16] Operational

Boundary Layer Test Section:
2.8 m × 2.1 m × 30 m
(9 ft 2 in × 6 ft 11 in × 98 ft 5 in)

Subsonic Test Section:
2.1 m × 2.1 m × 4 m
(6 ft 11 in × 6 ft 11 in × 13 ft 1 in)

Boundary Layer Development / Low-Speed / Subsonic / General PurposeUnited States
Building Research Establishment [17] OperationalUnited KingdomTwo atmospheric boundary layer tunnels
Cal Poly's Low Speed Wind Tunnel [18] 1 m × 1 m × 5 m
(4 ft × 3 ft × 18 ft)
Low speed: Scale model testing, Aerospace, Automotive, IR industryUnited StatesStartups, major Aerospace corporations and other scientific equipment tested here. Rolling road implementation in progress.
Calspan Wind Tunnel [19] Operational2 m × 2 m
(8 ft × 8 ft)
Subsonic / TransonicUnited StatesThe only independently owned and operated wind tunnel in the United States.
Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute: T-1Diameter 3 m (10 ft)
by 6 m (20 ft)
Russia
Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute: T-2Diameter 6 m (20 ft)
by 14 m (46 ft)
Russia
Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute: T-5Diameter 2.25 m (7 ft 5 in)
by 3.15 m (10 ft)
Russia
Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute: T-101 [20] 24 m × 14 m × 24 m
(79 ft × 46 ft × 79 ft)
Russia
Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute: T-1024 m × 2.33 m × 4 m
(13 ft × 8 ft × 13 ft)
Russia
Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute: T-1034 m × 2.33 m × 3.8 m
(13 ft × 8 ft × 12 ft) (elliptical)
Russia
Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute: T-104Diameter 7 m (23 ft)Russia
Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute: T-105 [21] Diameter 4.5 m (15 ft)
by 7.5 m (25 ft)
Vertical wind tunnel Russia
Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute: T-106Diameter 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in)
by 3.5 m (11 ft)
Russia
Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute: T-107Diameter 2.48 m (8 ft 2 in)
by 4.85 m (16 ft)
Russia
Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute: T-1092.5 m × 2.5 m × 5.5 m
(8 ft 2 in × 8 ft 2 in × 18 ft 1 in)
Russia
Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute: T-112.6 m × .6 m × 2.55 m
(2 ft 0 in × 2 ft 0 in × 8 ft 4 in)
Russia
Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute: T-113.6 m × .6 m × 1.9 m
(2 ft 0 in × 2 ft 0 in × 6 ft 3 in)
Russia
Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute: T-113.6 m × .6 m × 1.9 m
(2 ft 0 in × 2 ft 0 in × 6 ft 3 in)
Russia
Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute: T-1161 m × 1 m × 2.35 m
(3 ft 3 in × 3 ft 3 in × 7 ft 9 in)
Russia
Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute: T-1172.5 m × 2.4 m × 1.9 m
(8 ft 2 in × 7 ft 10 in × 6 ft 3 in)
Russia
Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute: T-1241 m × 1 m × 4 m
(3 ft 3 in × 3 ft 3 in × 13 ft 1 in)
Russia
Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute: T-1282.75 m × 2.75 m × 12 m
(9 ft 0 in × 9 ft 0 in × 39 ft 4 in)
Russia
City, University of London Transonic Wind Tunnel [22] Operational0.91 m (3 ft 0 in) by 0.91 m (3 ft 0 in) by 3 m (9.8 ft); return: 5.7 m (19 ft) by 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in) by 18 m (59 ft)United KingdomMach 0.4 – 2.0; return max speed 12 m/s. Part of the UK National Wind Tunnel Facility
Cranfield University 8x4 Atmospheric Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel [17] Operational2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) by 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)United Kingdom
Cranfield University 8'x6' Low Speen Wind Tunnel [17] [23] Operational2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) by 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)United KingdomPart of the UK National Wind Tunnel Facility
Cranfield University Weybridge Wind Tunnel [17] Operational1.067 m (3 ft 6.0 in) diameter jetUnited Kingdom
Cranfield University Icing Tunnel [17] [24] Operational0.76 m (2 ft 6 in) by 0.76 m (2 ft 6 in); 0.81 m (2 ft 8 in) octagonal; 0.4 m (1 ft 4 in) by 0.4 m (1 ft 4 in)United KingdomThree test sections. Part of the UK National Wind Tunnel Facility
CRIACIV Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel - University of Florence [25] Operational2.44 m × 1.6 m × 10 m
(8 ft 0 in × 5 ft 3 in × 32 ft 10 in)
Building, bridges, general purposeItalyClosed circuit wind tunnel, T-shaped diffuser, one atmospheric test section (max speed 31 m/s [100 ft/s]).
Durham University 2m tunnel [17] [26] Operational2 m2 (22 sq ft)United KingdomSubsonic; turbulence generation system; moving or fixed ground
Durham University 1m recirculating wind tunnel [17] [26] Operational0.3 m2 (3.2 sq ft): 0.55 m (1 ft 10 in) by 0.56 m (1 ft 10 in) by 2.44 m (8 ft 0 in)United Kingdom10 mph (4.5 m/s)100 mph (45 m/s)
Durham University – smaller tunnels [17] Operational0.2 m2 (2.2 sq ft)United KingdomThree tunnels; max speed 20 m/s
EDITH supersonic wind tunnel [27] OperationalDiameter 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)
by 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in)
Long shot time running (20 minutes).FranceFundamental research on shock waves. Aerodynamic and aerothermal behaviour of probes and models. Fluidic thrust vectoring of supersonic nozzle
Energy Technology Centre [17] OperationalWorking section 3.2 m (10 ft) by 3.2 m (10 ft)Wind blade testingUnited Kingdom
European Transonic Wind Tunnel [28] 2.4 m × 2 m × 9 m
(7 ft 10 in × 6 ft 7 in × 29 ft 6 in)
TransonicGermany
Ferrari wind tunnel [29] Operational70 m (230 ft) wide
by 80 m (260 ft) long
Italy
Focke's wind tunnel [30] OperationalGermanyPrivate laboratory of Henrich Focke, not discovered until 1977
Glenn L. Martin Wind Tunnel [31] 3 m × 236 m
(11.04 ft × 775 ft)
Low speed: scale model testing, automotive, aerospaceUnited States
GVPM [32] Operational14 m × 3.8 m × 36 m
(46 ft × 12 ft × 118 ft)

4 m × 3.8 m × 4 m
(13 ft × 12 ft × 13 ft)

Building, bridges, rail, aeronautical, general purposeItalyVertically arranged closed circuit wind tunnel with two test sections: one atmospheric (max speed 16 m/s [52 ft/s]), one aeronautical (max speed 55 m/s [180 ft/s]) with possibility to test with open / closed jet.
Hypervelocity Wind Tunnel 9 [33] Diameter 1.5 m (5 ft)United StatesLocated at Arnold Air Force Base and operated by the United States Air Force
Imperial College London [17] OperationalLow speed tunnels: 0.4 m2 (4.3 sq ft) to 4.5 m2 (48 sq ft)United KingdomFive low speed tunnels and other tunnels up to mach 9
Jules Verne climatic wind tunnel [34] [35] Operational6 m × 5 m × 12 m
(20 ft × 16 ft × 39 ft)

10 m × 7 m × 20 m
(33 ft × 23 ft × 66 ft)

4 m × 2.5 m × 20 m
(13 ft × 8 ft × 66 ft)

Automotive, Rail, Full scale general purposeFranceThree test sections with wind speeds up to 280 km/h (170 mph)
Klebanoff–Saric Wind Tunnel [36] Operational1.4 m × 14 m × 4.9 m
(4 ft 7 in × 45 ft 11 in × 16 ft 1 in)
United States
Large Amplitude Multi-Purpose (LAMP) Vertical Wind Tunnel Bihrle Applied Research [37] OperationalDiameter 3 m (10 ft)Vertical, Subsonic, High AOA, Static or body-axis oscillatoryGermanyPrivately owned wind tunnel. +- 180 degree AOA and +-90 degree sideslip. Diverse testing capability: static, wind body axis dynamic, Multi-body axis dynamic, simultaneous force moment and pressure data acquisition.
RUAG Large Wind Tunnel Emmen [38] Operational7.0 m × 5.0 m × 15.0 m
(23 ft × 16 ft × 49 ft)
Low speed aerospace, full scale automotive and general purposeSwitzerland
Lockheed Martin Low Speed Wind Tunnel [39] Operational8 m × 9 m × 19 m
(26 ft × 30 ft × 63 ft)

7.0 m × 4.9 m
(23 ft × 16 ft)

Aeronautics, Full Scale Automotive, V/STOL Aircraft, General PurposeUnited StatesLarger test section was designed for use of V/STOL aircraft but is not limited to such. Max speed of ~320 km/h (200 mph) in smaller test section and ~160 km/h (100 mph) in the larger test section.
Loughborough University Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering Low Turbulence Windtunnel [17] OperationalUnited KingdomAAE Large Windtunnel
Loughborough University Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering Large Windtunnel [17] OperationalUnited Kingdom
Loughborough University Automotive Wind Tunnel [40] Operational1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) by 1.32 m (4 ft 4 in) by 3.6 m (12 ft)United Kingdom'Rolling road' moving ground plane. Part of the UK National Wind Tunnel Facility
MARHy wind Tunnel [41] OperationalDiameter 5 m (16 ft)
by 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)
Hypersonic/supersonic rarefied wind tunnel. No limit running time. Reynolds number /cm: 26.3 < Re < 7522;Mach number: 0.8 < Mach < 20FranceFundamental and applied research of fluid dynamic phenomena in rarefied compressible flows. Aerodynamic and aerothermal behaviour of probes and models; Plasma flow control in rarefied and super/hypersonic flows.
Modine Wind Tunnels [42] 2.7 m × 3.3 m × 12.2 m
(8 ft 10 in × 10 ft 10 in × 40 ft 0 in)

4.2 m × 4.1 m × 14 m
(14 ft × 13 ft × 46 ft)

United StatesClimatic wind tunnel testing, large truck and automotive
NASA Ames 7-by 10 Foot Wind Tunnel [43] 2 m × 3 m
(7 ft × 10 ft)
United States
NASA Ames Hypersonic Propulsion Integration 16 Inch ShockDiameter 406 mm (16 in)Hypersonic propulsionUnited States
NASA Ames Hypersonic Propulsion Integration Direct-ConnectHypersonic propulsionUnited States
NASA Ames National Full Scale Aerodynamic Complex [44] 12 m × 24 m
(40 ft × 80 ft)

24 m × 37 m
(80 ft × 120 ft)

SubsonicUnited StatesLargest wind tunnel in the world
NASA Ames Subsonic 12 Foot High-Rn Pressure [45] Diameter 4 m (12 ft)SubsonicUnited States
NASA Ames 9-by 7-foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel [46] 3 m × 2 m
(9 ft × 7 ft)
SupersonicUnited States
NASA Ames 11-by 11-foot Transonic Wind Tunnel [47] 3 m × 3 m
(11 ft × 11 ft)
TransonicUnited States
NASA Ames Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel [48] Transonic/supersonicUnited States
NASA Glenn 10- by 10-Foot Abe Silverstein Supersonic Wind Tunnel [49] 3 m × 3 m
(10 ft × 10 ft)
SupersonicUnited States
NASA Glenn 8- by 6-Foot Wind Tunnel [50] 2 m × 2 m
(8 ft × 6 ft)
TransonicUnited States
NASA Glenn 9- by 15-Foot Low-Speed Wind Tunnel [51] 3 m × 5 m
(9 ft × 15 ft)
SubsonicUnited States
NASA Glenn Aero-Acoustic Propulsion Laboratory Nozzle Acoustic Test Rig [52] Diameter 1,346 mm (53 in)Acoustic testing of exhaust nozzles, subsonicUnited StatesFree-jet
NASA Glenn Engine Components Research Lab [53] United States
NASA Glenn Hypersonic Test Facility [54] HypersonicUnited States
NASA Glenn Icing Research Tunnel [51] 3 m × 2 m × 6 m
(9 ft × 6 ft × 20 ft)
Subsonic IcingUnited States
NASA Glenn Propulsion Systems Laboratory [55] ActiveDiameter 7 m (24 ft)
by 12 m (38 ft) long
Full-Scale Engine TestingUnited StatesFour test cells: 1 & 2 demolished; 3 & 4 active. Cell 3 has icing capabilities
NASA Langley 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel [51] 4 m × 7 m
(14 ft × 22 ft)
Subsonic atmosphericUnited States
NASA Langley 20-Foot Vertical Spin Tunnel [51] Diameter 6 m (20 ft)Subsonic vertical spinUnited States
NASA Langley Eight-Foot High Speed Tunnel [56] -Diameter 2 m (8 ft)High speedUnited States
NASA Langley Full-Scale Wind Tunnel [57] Demolished9 m × 18 m
(30 ft × 60 ft)
Full-scale aircraftUnited StatesNASA's oldest operating wind tunnel until its closing in October 1995
NASA Langley High-Rn Transonic Dynamics Tunnel [58] Operational5 m × 5 m
(16 ft × 16 ft)
Aeroelasticity, high-risk testing, active controls, rotorcraft performance and stability, transonic aerodynamics.United StatesUnique capability to manipulate fluid-structure scaling parameters with use of Heavy-Gas (R-134a) or air as a test medium and variable pressure. [59] Good flow quality for large transonic tunnel (Mach 0–1.2) [60]
NASA Langley Hypersonic 20 Inch Mach 6 Air [61] Diameter 508 mm (20 in)HypersonicUnited States
NASA Langley Hypersonic 20 Inch Mach 6 Tetrafluoromethane [62] Demolished in 2016 [63] Diameter 508 mm (20 in)HypersonicUnited States
NASA Langley Hypersonic 31 Inch Mach 10 Air [61] Diameter 787 mm (31 in)HypersonicUnited States
NASA Langley Hypersonic Propulsion Integration 15 Inch Mach 6 High-Temperature Tunnel [64] Diameter 381 mm (15 in)HypersonicUnited States
NASA Langley Hypersonic Propulsion Integration 8 Foot High-Temperature Tunnel [65] Diameter 2 m (8 ft)Hypersonic, high-temperatureUnited States
NASA Langley Hypersonic Propulsion Integration Arc-Heated Scramjet [66] HypersonicUnited States
NASA Langley Hypersonic Propulsion Integration Combustion Scramjet [67] HypersonicUnited States
NASA Langley Hypersonic Propulsion Integration Supersonic Combustion [67] HypersonicUnited States
NASA Langley NASA / GASL HYPULSE Propulsion Integration [68] United States
NASA Langley National Transonic Facility [69] 2 m × 2 m
(8.2 ft × 8.2 ft)
TransonicUnited States
NASA Langley Propeller Research Tunnel [70] Diameter 6 m (20 ft)Full-scale aircraft used primarily in reducing drag caused by propellers and exposed enginesUnited States
NASA Langley Subsonic 12 Foot Atmospheric Lab [71] Diameter 4 m (12 ft)Subsonic atmosphericUnited States
NASA Langley Subsonic Low-Turbulence Pressure Tunnel [72] Subsonic low-turbulenceUnited States
NASA Langley Supersonic High-RnSupersonicUnited States
NASA Langley Transonic 16 Foot Atmospheric [73] 5 m
(16 ft)
Transonic atmosphericUnited States
NASA Langley Variable Density Tunnel [70] Diameter 5 m (15 ft)
by 11 m (34.5 ft) long
Measuring aerodynamic qualities of airfoilsUnited StatesWorld's first variable density wind tunnel
National Wind Tunnel Facility [74] OperationalUnited KingdomTwenty-two wind tunnels at twelve universities allowing open access
ODTÜ-RÜZGEM [75] Operational

High Speed Test Section:
2.5 m × 2.5 m × 10 m
(8 ft 2 in × 8 ft 2 in × 32 ft 10 in)

Boundary Layer Test Section:
7 m × 3 m × 20 m
(23 ft × 10 ft × 66 ft)

Open Jet:
3 m (10 ft)
equivalent diameter octagonal jet

Wind energy, aeronautics, civil engineeringTurkey

High Speed Test Section: Max speed 100 m/s [330 ft/s], TI<0.25%

Boundary Layer Test Section: Max speed 30 m/s [98 ft/s] with spires and roughness elements

Open Jet: Max speed 75 m/s (250 ft/s)

Interchangeable modular test sections, 6x400 kW axial fan array, 750 kW heat exchanger

ONERA Modane S1MA wind tunnel [76] OperationalDiameter 8 m (26 ft)
by 14 m (46 ft)
Subsonic atmosphericFranceLargest continuous blow-down wind tunnel in the world, Mach 0.05 to 1.
ONERA Modane S2MA wind tunnel [77] OperationalSupersonicFranceContinuous-flow wind tunnel, Variable pressure, Mach 0.1 to Mach 3.0.
PHEDRA (Arc-jet) high enthalpy wind tunnel [78] OperationalDiameter 4.5 m (15 ft)
by 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in)
Supersonic high enthalpy rarefied wind tunnel. No limit running time . Averaged enthalpy, Mj/kg: few < Ho < 50; Mach number: 2 < Mach < 8;Working gas: N2, Air, CO2, CH4, Ar and extensive mixturesFranceFundamental research of high enthalpy fluid dynamic phenomena in non-equilibrium flows. Aerodynamic and aerothermal behaviour of probes and models; Atmospheric entry research.
Poul la Cour Tunnel [79] Operational3.0 m × 2.0 m
(10 ft × 7 ft)
Airfoil aerodynamics and aeroacoustics, 10 to 105 m/s, Re~7MDenmarkNamed for Poul la Cour
Propulsion Wind Tunnel Facility [80] OperationalTransonic: 4.9 m (16 ft)
Supersonic: 4.9 m (16 ft)
Aerodynamic trasonic: 1.2 m (4 ft)
United StatesPart of the Arnold Engineering Development Complex located at Arnold Air Force Base and operated by the United States Air Force
Rail Tec Arsenal Climatic Wind Tunnel [81] Operational4.9 m × 5.9 m × 100 m
(16 ft × 19 ft × 328 ft)
Full scale: transit, locomotive, automotive, propeller and turbines, airfoils and aircraft

Icing- , solar-, precipitatoin tests

all subsonic

AustriaRTA operates the longest climatic wind channel in the world. Whole trains up 100 m (330 ft) can be tested under real world conditions from −45 to 60 °C (−49 to 140 °F) and variable climatic conditions.
R J Mitchell Wind Tunnel [82] Operational3.5 m × 2.4 m × 10.5 m
(11 ft × 8 ft × 34 ft)
United KingdomLargest university owned wind tunnel in the United Kingdom, named for R. J. Mitchell
RWDI Wind Tunnels [83] Operational7.32 m
(24 ft)

3.66 m
(12 ft)

Wind engineering, scale buildingsCanadaTwo wind tunnels
San Diego Wind Tunnel [84] 4 m × 2 m × 5 m
(12 ft × 8 ft × 15 ft)
United StatesMajor airframers, bicycle manufacturers and professional athletes
T3 Hypersonic wind tunnel [85] Brazil
Texas A&M Oran W. Nicks Low Speed Wind Tunnel [86] 3 m × 2 m × 4 m
(10 ft × 7 ft × 12 ft)
Scale aircraft, UAV, rocket, missile, academic research, automotive, motorsport, cycling, skiing, architectural, transit, truck, product development 0-200MPHUnited States
TitanX Jamestown Vehicle Climatic Wind Tunnel [87] 3.0 m × 3.5 m
(10 ft × 11 ft)
Climatic testing of vehicle systems and entire trucksUnited StatesOpen for external clients
Trisonic Wind Tunnel [88] 3,912 mm × 356 mm
(154 in × 14 in)
United States
Trudelturm [89] Height 20 m (66 ft)Germany
University of Bristol [17] OperationalLarge Low Speed Wind Tunnel 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) by 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in)
Low Turbulence Wind Tunnel 0.8 m (2 ft 7 in) by 0.6 m (2 ft 0 in)
Open Jet Wind Tunnel 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in) diameter
United Kingdom
University of British Columbia Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel [90] 2.5 m × 1.6 m × 23.6 m
(8 ft 2 in × 5 ft 3 in × 77 ft 5 in)
Boundary layer, architectural, and wind-engineering studiesCanadaSpeed range: 3 to 20 m/s (9.8 to 65.6 ft/s)
University of British Columbia Parkinson Wind Tunnel [91] 1.0 m × 0.7 m × 2.6 m
(3 ft 3 in × 2 ft 4 in × 8 ft 6 in)
Aeronautical research, studies of flow-induced oscillations, studies of wind tunnel blockage effectsCanadaSpeed range: 5 to 35 m/s (16 to 115 ft/s)
University of Glasgow [17] OperationalDe-Havilland Wind Tunnel 2.65 m (8 ft 8 in) by 2.04 m (6 ft 8 in)
Handley-Page Wind Tunnel 2.13 m (7 ft 0 in) by 1.61 m (5 ft 3 in)
Low Speed Wind Tunnel 1.15 m (3 ft 9 in) by 0.95 m (3 ft 1 in)
Flow Visualisation Wind Tunnel 0.90 m (2 ft 11 in) by 0.90 m (2 ft 11 in)
United Kingdom
University of Manchester [17] OperationalHypersonic wind tunnel 6 in (150 mm) diameter
Trisonic wind tunnel 0.15 m (5.9 in) by 0.3 m (1 ft 0 in)
Open-circuit boundary layer tunnel 0.9 m (2 ft 11 in) by 0.9 m (2 ft 11 in) by 5 m (16 ft)
Open-circuit wind tunnel 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) by 0.9 m (2 ft 11 in) by 2 m (6 ft 7 in)
Open-circuit wind tunnel 0.5 m (1 ft 8 in) by 0.5 m (1 ft 8 in) by 1 m (3 ft 3 in)
Closed-circuit water tunnel 0.5 m (1 ft 8 in) by 0.5 m (1 ft 8 in) by 2 m (6 ft 7 in)
Tilting flume 0.5 m (1 ft 8 in) by 0.3 m (1 ft 0 in) by 5 m (16 ft)
United KingdomHypersonic wind tunnel: Mach 4, 5, 6; trisonic wind tunnel: Mach 0 to 0.8, 1.8
University of Southampton [17] Operational3' x 2' tunnel 0.9 m (2 ft 11 in) by 0.6 m (2 ft 0 in) by 4.5 m (15 ft)
7' x 5' tunnel 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) by 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in)
R J Mitchell Wind Tunnel 3.5 m (11 ft) by 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in)
United Kingdom
University of Surrey [17] OperationalEnFlo Laboratory meteorological wind tunnel 3.5 m (11 ft) by 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) by 20 m (66 ft)United Kingdom
University of Washington Aeronautical Laboratory, Kirsten Wind Tunnel [92] 2 m × 4 m × 3 m
(8 ft × 12 ft × 10 ft)
SubsonicUnited States
University of Washington Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics 3x3 [93] 1 m × 1 m × 2 m
(3 ft × 3 ft × 8 ft)
Velocity range approx. 32 to 217 km/h (20 to 135 mph)United StatesThe original "Boeing Aerodynamical Chamber", built in 1918 with an Eiffel 1.2 by 1.2 m (4 by 4 ft) and updated in the early 1990s with new power systems and a higher velocity EDL 0.91 by 0.91 m (3 by 3 ft)
Virginia Tech Stability Wind Tunnel [94] 2 m × 2 m
(6 ft × 6 ft)
United States
Von Karman Gas Dynamics Facility [95] OperationalUnited StatesThree tunnels at the Arnold Engineering Development Complex
Williams F1 Wind Tunnel 2 [96] Operational4.4 m × 2.5 m × 12 m
(14 ft × 8 ft × 39 ft)
Motorsport / AutomotiveUnited Kingdom
WindShear Full Scale, Rolling Road, Automotive Wind Tunnel [97] Wind shearUnited States
Windtech Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel [98] Operational3 m × 2 m × 23 m
(10 ft × 7 ft × 75 ft)
Low-Speed / Boundary Layer Wind TunnelAustraliaWindtech owns and operates one of the largest boundary layer wind tunnel labs in the world with a total of 3 wind tunnels under one roof. Each wind tunnel is 3 m × 2 m × 23 m (9.8 ft × 6.6 ft × 75.5 ft)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Area rule</span> Aerodynamic concept

The Whitcomb area rule, named after NACA engineer Richard Whitcomb and also called the transonic area rule, is a design procedure used to reduce an aircraft's drag at transonic speeds which occur between about Mach 0.75 and 1.2. For supersonic speeds a different procedure called the supersonic area rule, developed by NACA aerodynamicist Robert Jones, is used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wind tunnel</span> Machine used for studying the effects of air moving around objects

Wind tunnels are machines in which objects are held stationary inside a tube, and air is blown around it to study the interaction between the object and the moving air. They are used to test the aerodynamic effects of aircraft, rockets, cars, and buildings. Different wind tunnels range in size from less than a foot across, to over 100 feet (30 m), and can have air that moves at speeds from a light breeze to hypersonic velocities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics</span> U.S. federal agency; predecessor to NASA

The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was a United States federal agency that was founded on March 3, 1915, to undertake, promote, and institutionalize aeronautical research. On October 1, 1958, the agency was dissolved and its assets and personnel were transferred to the newly created National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). NACA is an initialism, i.e., pronounced as individual letters, rather than as a whole word.

Compressible flow is the branch of fluid mechanics that deals with flows having significant changes in fluid density. While all flows are compressible, flows are usually treated as being incompressible when the Mach number is smaller than 0.3. The study of compressible flow is relevant to high-speed aircraft, jet engines, rocket motors, high-speed entry into a planetary atmosphere, gas pipelines, commercial applications such as abrasive blasting, and many other fields.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transonic</span> Flight condition in which airflow speeds are concurrently above and below the speed of sound

Transonic flow is air flowing around an object at a speed that generates regions of both subsonic and supersonic airflow around that object. The exact range of speeds depends on the object's critical Mach number, but transonic flow is seen at flight speeds close to the speed of sound, typically between Mach 0.8 and 1.2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard T. Whitcomb</span> American aeronautical engineer (1921–2009)

Richard Travis Whitcomb was an American aeronautical engineer who was noted for his contributions to the science of aerodynamics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Langley Research Center</span> NASA field center

The Langley Research Center, located in Hampton, Virginia near the Chesapeake Bay front of Langley Air Force Base, is the oldest of NASA's field centers. LaRC has focused primarily on aeronautical research but has also tested space hardware such as the Apollo Lunar Module. In addition, many of the earliest high-profile space missions were planned and designed on-site. Langley was also considered a potential site for NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center prior to the eventual selection of Houston, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ONERA</span> French national aerospace research centre

The Office national d'études et de recherches aérospatiales (ONERA) is the French national aerospace research centre. It is a public establishment with industrial and commercial operations, and carries out research to enhance innovation and competitiveness in the aerospace and defense sectors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Thomas Jones (engineer)</span> American engineer

Robert T. Jones,, was an American aerodynamicist and aeronautical engineer for NACA and later NASA. He was known at NASA as "one of the premier aeronautical engineers of the twentieth century".

Subsonic wind tunnels are used for operations at low Mach numbers, with speeds in the test section up to 480 km/h. They may be of open-return type or closed-return flow. These tunnels use large axial fans to move air and increase dynamic pressure, overcoming viscous losses. The design principles of subsonic wind tunnels are based on the continuity equation and Bernoulli's principle, which allow for the calculation of important parameters such as the tunnel's contraction ratio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hypersonic wind tunnel</span>

A hypersonic wind tunnel is designed to generate a hypersonic flow field in the working section, thus simulating the typical flow features of this flow regime - including compression shocks and pronounced boundary layer effects, entropy layer and viscous interaction zones and most importantly high total temperatures of the flow. The speed of these tunnels vary from Mach 5 to 15. The power requirement of a wind tunnel increases linearly with its cross section and flow density, but cubically with the test velocity required. Hence installation of a continuous, closed circuit wind tunnel remains a costly affair. The first continuous Mach 7-10 wind tunnel with 1x1 m test section was planned at Kochel am See, Germany during WW II and finally put into operation as 'Tunnel A' in the late 1950s at AEDC Tullahoma, TN, USA for an installed power of 57 MW. In view of these high facility demands, also intermittently operated experimental facilities like blow-down wind tunnels are designed and installed to simulate the hypersonic flow. A hypersonic wind tunnel comprises in flow direction the main components: heater/cooler arrangements, dryer, convergent/divergent nozzle, test section, second throat and diffuser. A blow-down wind tunnel has a low vacuum reservoir at the back end, while a continuously operated, closed circuit wind tunnel has a high power compressor installation instead. Since the temperature drops with the expanding flow, the air inside the test section has the chance of becoming liquefied. For that reason, preheating is particularly critical.

Scramjet programs refers to research and testing programs for the development of supersonic combustion ramjets, known as scramjets. This list provides a short overview of national and international collaborations, and civilian and military programs. The USA, Russia, India, and China (2014), have succeeded at developing scramjet technologies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel (Mountain View, California)</span> United States historic place

The Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel, located at the NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Federal Airfield, Mountain View, California, United States, is a research facility used extensively to design and test new generations of aircraft, both commercial and military, as well as NASA space vehicles, including the Space Shuttle. The facility was completed in 1955 and is one of five facilities created after the 1949 Unitary Plan Act supporting aeronautics research.

The University of Texas at Arlington Aerodynamics Research Center (ARC) is a facility located in the southeast portion of the campus operated under the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. It was established in 1986 as part of an expansion of UTA's College of Engineering. The ARC contributes to the vision of UTA and the University of Texas System to transform the university into a full-fledged research institution. It showcases the aerodynamics research activities at UTA and, in its history, has established itself as a unique facility at a university level. The wind tunnels and equipment in the facility were mainly built by scouting for and upgrading decommissioned equipment from the government and industry. Currently, Masters and Ph.D. students perform research in the fields of high-speed gas dynamics, propulsion, and Computational fluid dynamics among other projects related to aerodynamics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eight-Foot High Speed Tunnel</span> United States historic place

The Eight-Foot High Speed Tunnel, also known as Eight-Foot Transonic Tunnel, was a wind tunnel located in Building 641 of NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. It was a National Historic Landmark.

As the coalition of Bay Areas counties predicted when it lobbied for the creation of Moffett Federal Airfield in the late 1920s, the base's research program and facilities catalyzed the development of numerous private technology and aerospace corporations, among them Lockheed Martin and the Hiller Aircraft Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Propulsion Wind Tunnel Facility</span> Military unit

The Propulsion Wind Tunnel Facility, located at Arnold Engineering Development Complex, Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee, holds three wind tunnels: the 16-foot transonic (16T), 16-foot supersonic (16S), and the aerodynamic 4-foot transonic (4T) tunnels. The facility is devoted to aerodynamic and propulsion integration testing of large-scale aircraft models. The tunnels are powered by a large compressor plant which allows the wind tunnels to run for extended periods of time. The test unit is owned by the United States Air Force and operated by Aerospace Testing Alliance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Standard wind tunnel models</span>

Standard wind tunnel models, also known as reference models, calibration models or test check-standards are objects of relatively simple and precisely defined shapes, having known aerodynamic characteristics, that are tested in wind tunnels. Standard models are used in order to verify, by comparison of wind tunnel test results with previously published results, the complete measurement chain in a wind tunnel, including wind tunnel structure, quality of the airstream, model positioning, transducers and force balances, data acquisition system and data reduction software.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed Martin X-59 Quesst</span> Experimental supersonic aircraft for NASA

The Lockheed Martin X-59 Quesst, sometimes styled QueSST, is an American experimental supersonic aircraft under development by Skunk Works for NASA's Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator project. Preliminary design started in February 2016, with the X-59 planned to begin flight testing in 2021. After delays, as of January 2024, it is planned to be delivered to NASA for flight testing in 2024. It is expected to cruise at Mach 1.42 at an altitude of 55,000 ft (16,800 m), creating a low 75 effective perceived noise level (EPNdB) thump to evaluate supersonic transport acceptability.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Jackson (engineer)</span> American aerospace engineer (1921–2005)

Mary Jackson was an American mathematician and aerospace engineer at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), which in 1958 was succeeded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). She worked at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, for most of her career. She started as a computer at the segregated West Area Computing division in 1951. In 1958, after taking engineering classes, she became NASA's first black female engineer.

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