Design Basis for a New Transonic Wind Tunnel.
Abstract
The existing ARL Transonic Wind Tunnel, which is the largest such tunnel in Australia, has severely limited testing capabilities due to a low test Reynolds number and an inadequate test section size. These deficiencies are becoming more acute as military aircraft performance capabilities increase. For current fighter aircraft, the ratio of tunnel test to flight Reynolds number is about 1:100 and the extrapolation of tunnel data to flight carries a high risk of serious error and for some conditions is not possible at all. The small test section size limits the scale of the models which can be tested. The difficulty of machining small models to the required accuracy produces excessive manufacturing times. Moreover, it is not possible to incorporate remotely adjusted control surfaces. These two factors severely restrict tunnel productivity. Given adequate suport, it should be possible to build and commission a suitable new wind tunnel in about five years, at a cost substantially less than that of a single military fighter aircraft.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1982
- Accession Number
- ADA112899
Entities
People
- J. B. Willis
- N. Pollock