Collins Aerospace and Calspan Aero Test Lab recently collaborated to design, build and commission two new wind tunnels that exceeded previous flow quality specifications by a factor of 10. These two new wind tunnels are used to calibrate and test angle of attack (AOA) vanes.
Reliable AOA measurement is needed to ensure a safe operating margin above stall speed for aircraft takeoff and landing. New military specifications drove the flow angularity to be 10 times more precise than previous industry standards. As well, the turbulence intensity or distortion had to be better than 0.5% at a velocity of 200 knots. Because Collins Aerospace had invested significantly in instrumentation over 8 different measurement transducers had to be forward compatible.
To meet these specifications Calspan utilized all of its advanced analytics and aerodynamic engineering resources. Computational fluid dynamic modeling and a host of propriety analytic tools were deployed to accurately predict performance. After utilizing these tools, it was decided to take a fresh technical approach which ultimately proved to be successful.
Contact Calspan for the latest technology to meet your wind tunnel testing requirements.
Date Posted
3/17/20Topic
Flight & Wind Tunnel
