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NASA Pathfinder II model mounted on the Free To Roll rig at the NTF.
5.2% 777 semi-span model in the National Transonic Facility at NASA Langley.
NASA’s award-winning Common Research Model about to be put to the test in a NASA wind tunnel.

National Transonic Facility (NTF)

The National Transonic Facility is a high-pressure, cryogenic, closed-circuit wind tunnel that uses supercold nitrogen gas at high pressure to duplicate true flight aerodynamics. The NTF can accommodate models as small as one-fiftieth the size of an actual aircraft.

Learn More about National Transonic Facility (NTF)

Focus Areas and Capabilities

Learn more about the specifications and capabilities of this facility.

Image of Dennis Fuller inside the National Transonic Facility below the liquid nitrogen injection nozzles.

Characteristics

The National Transonic Facility, or NTF, is the world’s largest pressurized cryogenic wind tunnel.

Four NASA employees loading a model into the test section.

Quick Facts

The NTF provides the largest range of Reynolds number testing in the world.

Two NASA employees working on the National Transonic Facility Shut-Down reinstallation.

Data Acquisition

Support is provided for both full-span and semi-span testing with a wide range of instrumentation and measurement techniques.

Virtual Tour

Explore the National Transonic Facility virtually.

Learn More about Virtual Tour
A delta wing model inside the National Transonic Facility.

Contact Information

National Transonic Facility
Facility Manager: Kevin Harrell
(757) 864-8408

NASA Langley Research Center
Hampton, VA 23681
(757) 864-1000

Fact Sheet

The National Transonic Facility, or NTF, is the world’s largest pressurized cryogenic wind tunnel.

Its unique capabilities enable testing of scaled models at flight Reynolds numbers in support of advanced aerodynamic concept development and assessment, advanced computational fluid dynamics tool validation, and risk reduction for vehicle development.

Read More About the NTF Fact Sheet
A model of the space shuttle inside the National Transonic Facility.
Space shuttle model in the National Transonic Facility. L85-2794 Susan Williams with model.
NASA