Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mechanical . . . . . . . . . . Specific Construction Funding . This project provides funding for modernization of the Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel Complex to improve productivity, reliability, and the quality of test results. However, the facility's productivity is limited by the 1950's era control systems and the increasing frequency of equipment breakdowns due to age and heavy use.
Modernization is needed now to improve productivity, data quality, and reliability.
Tunnel downtime resulting from equipment and control failures has caused major delays to important aircraft projects. Tunnel backlog of testing exceeds two years. Lack of modern data acquisition equipment results in over half of tunnel tests being concluded before all needed data is acquired. Comparable foreign facilities have shown two to three times the productivity achieved in this wind tunnel complex. Since it was placed in service in 1956, the UPWT Complex has contributed to the development of almost every U.S. developed military and civil aircraft flying or nearing service in its speed regime of Mach 0.3 to 3.5, as well as every U.S. manned spacecraft.