Keith Henry
(757) 864-6120

RELEASE NO. 95-101

SPECIAL TO NTV:
HISTORIC NASA WIND TUNNEL IS RETIRED

NASA's oldest operating wind tunnel, which has tested everything from biplanes to a Mercury space capsule to far-out airplanes of the future, has blown its last breath, a victim of budgetary belt-tightening.

The unique facility had been modified several times over its 64 years to keep up with the growing size of aircraft and with improvements in test techniques. But this time, it's shutting down, and its work will be done in other NASA wind tunnels.

The cavernous wind tunnel was completed in 1931 to test the aerodynamic characteristics of full-scale models and actual airplanes at operational flight speeds. It was originally called the Full Scale Tunnel (FST). Located at NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va., it was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1985.

Full scale testing eliminated the uncertainties of model testing and provided basic information prior to and during flight testing. Contemporary studies in the renamed 30- by 60-Foot Tunnel often focused on stability and control characteristics for military aircraft, and high-lift capability for both civil and military aircraft.

Throughout its history, the 30- by 60-Foot Tunnel has been used for the testing of innumerable aircraft configurations. It was the largest wind tunnel in the world until 1945.

The 30- by 60-Foot Tunnel has contributed to military, commercial and general aviation aircraft designs. Its many contributions include fundamental aerodynamic testing of full-scale aircraft during the 1930s; drag reduction or"clean up" studies of full-scale military aircraft during World War II; free-flight testing of models of vertical takeoff and landing aircraft; testing of the Albacore, the fastest submarine in the world in 1950; testing of the nation's first spacecraft, the Mercury space capsule; testing of full-scale general aviation aircraft; and testing of lifting body, supersonic transport and present-day military aircraft configurations.

Designs for the tunnel were begun in 1929, with $900,000 of funding appropriated before the Depression. Because the tunnel was designed and built during the Depression, the design team, led by Smith J. DeFrance, was able to take advantage of cheap materials and a large pool of unemployed engineers. Construction began in the spring of 1930 and the completed 30- by 60-Foot Tunnel was dedicated on May 27, 1931.

The overall tunnel is 434 feet long and 222 feet wide with a maximum height of 97 feet. The actual test section is an open-jet 30 feet high, 60 feet wide and 56 feet long. Two four-bladed wooden propellers, each 35.5 feet in diameter and powered by a 4,000-horsepower motor, generate the air stream. The tunnel is a closed-loop design, with two return passages that allow for continuous air flow at speeds up to 120 mph.

Over the years the test section of the tunnel has been modified several times to adapt to changing needs. During renovations in the 1960s and 1970s, the tunnel was equipped for free-flight dynamic model testing. In recent years, the tunnel was extensively used for such free-flight tests. This test technique, unique to this facility, involved flying 10- to 20-percent scaled models controlled by remotely-positioned pilots.

The future of the 30- by 60-Foot Tunnel is uncertain, but there are no plans to tear it down or to change its external appearance. Possible adaptive uses are under study and certain components may be made available to the National Air and Space Museum (Smithsonian) or other museums. NASA Langley is a federal custodian of historic properties, in conformance with the provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act.

NOTE: A video clip and the following photographs are available to illustrate this release.

(LMAL 30652) F4U-1 Airplane Tested in the 30- by 60-Foot Tunnel

(L 59-336) Mercury Capsule in the 30- by 60-Foot Tunnel

(NACA 5553) Vought Corsair Airplane Test in the 30- by 60-Foot Tunnel

(L 87-08104) Free Flight Testing F-18 in the 30- by 60-Foot Tunnel

(L 95-04049) Waverider LoFlyte Model in NASA Langley's 30- by 60-Foot Tunnel

(NACA 4655) Construction of the 30- by 60-Foot Tunnel

(L 89-07075) Aerial View of the 30- by 60-Foot Tunnel

(L 75-00734) Supersonic Model in NASA Langley's 30- by 60-Foot Tunnel

(L 81-07333) VariEze Full Scale Model Tested in the 30- by 60-Foot Tunnel

(L 90-09207) Free Flight Testing in the 30- by 60-Foot Tunnel

(Graphic) The 30- by 60-Foot Tunnel Plan View

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