Built in 1968, the 9×15 Low-Speed Wind Tunnel (LSWT) is the most utilized low-speed propulsion acoustic facility in the world. It is the nation’s only research establishment that can simulate takeoff, approach and landing in a continuous, subsonic-flow, wind-tunnel environment. The 9×15 offers state-of-the-art acoustic capabilities, enabling studies of aerodynamic performance and acoustic characteristics of nozzles, inlets and propellers, as well as investigations of advanced short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing (STOVL) concepts.
The facility is equipped with microphones linked to a dynamic data system. A series of drive-rig systems are available to power engine fan models for performance and acoustic testing. A unique “rotor-alone nacelle” test capability allows isolation of fan noise through elimination of outlet guide vanes.
A new dynamic-actuation system has been developed for the 9×15 to provide realistic simulations of STOVL aircraft takeoff and rolling landings. The facility also features a conventional, fixed ground plane with a sliding door and a four-degree-of-freedom, model-integrated support system for hot gas re-ingestion studies.
Programs supported in the facility have included a wide variety of commercial aircraft propulsion systems, the High Speed Civil Transport, the Advanced Tactical Fighter, the Joint Strike Fighter and other military STOVL aircraft applications.
9- by 15-Foot Low-Speed Wind Tunnel
