The 4-Foot Supersonic Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel (UPWT) is a closed-circuit, continuous-flow, variable-density supersonic tunnel with two 4- by 4- by 7-foot test sections. The tunnel is instrumented for force and moment studies, surface-pressure measurements, and flow visualization of on-and-off-surface flow patterns. Tests involving jet effects, dynamic stability, model deformation, global-surface and off-body flow measurements, and heat transfer can also be conducted.
The low and high Mach number test sections are formed by the downstream contours of each nozzle.
The UPWT has made crucial contributions to the development, assessment, and optimization of advanced aerospace vehicle concepts. UPWT services have included database development during the configuration-design screening process; the initial phase in mission-specific configuration selection; and benchmarking aerodynamic and aerothermodynamic configurations for selected mission concepts.
