during their development these aircraft
were tested at NASA Ames Research
Center's full-scale aerodynamic complex
in Mountain View California
the largest wind tunnel in the world the
newly renovated facility actually houses
two test sections
just about any full-scale airplane
the first which measures 40 by 80 feet
has been used to test most of the
nations important aircraft since 1944 it
even played a major role in testing the
aerodynamic qualities of the steps at
the second wind tunnel test section
measures 80 by 120 feet in every way
this test section is large the air
intake side of the building is larger
than a football field there are
tremendous turning vanes in the shaft of
the wind tunnel designed to straighten
air flow they are 12 stories high and
160 feet wide
both wind tunnels are powered by the
same Bank of six electric twenty-two
thousand five hundred horsepower motors
that were upgraded to provide a maximum
airspeed of 345 miles per hour in the
forty by eighty boil test section and
115 miles per hour in the larger tongue
that it takes for persons to rotate one
set of blaze during an inspection before
any aircraft can be tested in the 80 by
120 foot tunnel a special calibration
boom must be installed the delicate
instrumented 90 foot Pro determines the
quality of the airflow and helps
engineers compensate for effects caused
by the wind tunnel itself one of the
facility's greatest
and airplay it's twin prop rotors can
effortlessly move the claim in virtually
kamilla days as a test day and is now
being adapted for practical Africa
NASA's national full-scale aerodynamics
complex the largest wind tunnel in the
world providing accurate full-scale
testing for industry and government