Transonic industrial wind tunnel testing in the 2020s

Wind tunnels remain an essential element in the design and development of flight vehicles. However, graduates in aerospace engineering tend to have had little exposure to the demands of industrial experimental work, particularly at high speed, a situation exacerbated by a lack of up-to-date reference material. In an attempt to fill this gap, this paper presents an overview of the current and near-term status and usage of transonic industrial wind tunnels. The review is aimed at recent entrants to the field, with the aim of helping them make the step from research projects in small university facilities to commercial projects in large industrial facilities. In addition, a picture has emerged from the review that contradicts received wisdom that the wind tunnel is in decline. Globally, the industrial transonic wind tunnel is undergoing somewhat of a renaissance. Numbers are increasing, investment levels are rising, capabilities are being enhanced, and facilities are busy.

Wind Tunnel Testing of ONERA-M, AGARD-B and HB-2 Standard Models at Off-Design Conditions

Published results for standard wind tunnel models at non-standard test conditions are quite rare and/or may not be available. It has been found that those results are a useful aid in preparations for a number of wind tunnel tests in the Military Technical Institute (VTI) in Belgrade. Test campaigns of standard models at non-standard conditions are performed to serve as an internal database for future wind tunnel tests in such environments. Those tests, that partially overlap the referenced Mach number and/or angle of attack ranges, are conducted in different VTI’s test facilities; different model sizes and support stings were used. The standard models used in static measurements in VTI, ranging from simple missile shapes and re-entry bodies to complicated airplanes, are briefly described and sample non-standard test results are given. The correlation of the test results among models and facilities has been done with references in the available ranges, and, after confirming a good agreement, it is assumed that the results are also valid in the extended ranges of conditions. These results may be useful for researchers in other wind tunnel facilities and for those who handle CFD tools.