Actively involved in research testing for over 60 years, the 8 X 6 is NASA’s only transonic-propulsion wind tunnel, serving industry, academia and NASA’s own community of aerospace researchers. Aircraft such as the Advanced Turboprop, the National Aerospace Plane, the Advanced Tactical Fighter, the Joint Strike Fighter, and the High-Speed Civil Transport have been tested in this facility.
The flexible wall nozzle located upstream of the test section is constructed entirely of stainless steel and is used to create a supersonic free-stream airflow when flexed. To create tunnel airflow able to reach speeds up to Mach 2, a seven-stage, motor-driven compressor located inside the tunnel is used. A balance chamber provides boundary-layer control of the natural airflow with a series of regular perforations made in the test-section walls.
The facility operates either in an aerodynamic closed-loop cycle, testing aerodynamic performance models, or in a propulsion open-loop cycle that tests live fuel-burning engines and models. In the propulsion cycle, the tunnel operates by continuously drawing outside air through a dryer and exhausting it back into the outside environment. This cycle is critical for models that introduce contaminants into the air or use potentially explosive gas mixtures. No exhaust scoop is required in this cycle.
In the propulsion cycle, the tunnel operates by continuously drawing outside air through a very large dryer to remove moisture and expel it externally into the ambient atmosphere. This mode is used for models that introduce contaminants into the air stream; or use potentially explosive gas mixtures; or when the air heater is used to simulate flight temperatures. During the aerodynamic cycle, the tunnel runs as a variable-density facility that can simulate a variety of pressures at altitudes ranging from 50,000 to 154,000 feet. Dry air is added as needed to maintain test conditions.
8’x6′ Supersonic Wind Tunnel (8×6) Fact Sheet
GRC Research Facilities
Find out more about the research facilities at NASA’s Glenn Research Center
