Wind Tunnel

The department comprises a comprehensive suite of specialist aerodynamic test facilities with supporting design, manufacture and calibration functions.

The test capability covers a wide range of air vehicle flight envelopes and encompasses such aspects as performance, stability and control, store carriage and release, propulsion integration and ground environment.

Specialist test activities

• Model Design and Manufacture
• Low Speed Testing
• High Speed  Testing
• Ground Erosion studies
• Hot Gas Ingestion
• High temperature nozzle flow investigation

Major facilities

• 5.5m Low Speed Wind Tunnel
• 4.0m Low Speed Wind Tunnel. Up to Mach 0.3
• 1.2m High Speed Wind Tunnel. Mach 0.4 to 3.8
• 0.45m Guided Weapons Wind Tunnel. Mach 1.7 to 6.0 Inc. High Speed Blower Facility Up to Mach 1.8
• Hot Gas Laboratory, with large scale models at full scale pressures and temperatures, primarily for Ground Erosion  studies but also for structural environmental and signature testing
• Ground Effects Rig, with dynamic simulation and hot jet flows, for hot gas reingestion and jet induced effects
• Reaction Control System Development Cell, primarily for nozzle & valve performance testing

Engineering Integrated Solutions