| For release: Sept. 12, 1995
Olin Jarrett
(757) 864-6320
Keith Henry
(757) 864-6120
RELEASE NO. 95-089
NOTE TO EDITORS:
Closing Ceremony for NASA Langley's 30- by 60-Foot Tunnel
A ceremony will be held Oct. 27 at NASA Langley Research Center
to mark the closing of the 30- by 60-Foot Tunnel and to commemorate
the contributions of this remarkable 64-year research facility. The
cavernous wind tunnel is scheduled for closing at the end of
September. It is NASA's oldest operating wind tunnel.
Originally known as the Full Scale Tunnel (FST), it has been
operational since its dedication in 1931. It was the largest wind
tunnel in the world until 1945 and in 1985 was named a National
Historic Landmark.
The tunnel's 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.
The ceremony will formally mark the closing of the facility.
Joseph Chambers, chief of the Aeronautics Research Analysis
Division and former head of the 30- by 60-Foot Tunnel, will speak
on the history and accomplishments of the tunnel. Dr. Harry
Butowsky, historian for the National Park Service, will address the
contributions of the facility to the aerospace community. Other
program details are to be announced. The ceremony will conclude
with a "wine and cheese" social.
The ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. in the return air duct of
the 30- by 60-Foot Tunnel, Bldg. 643, 244 Hunting Ave, NASA Langley
East Area.
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