Transonic Wind Tunnel Testing
Since 1956 ARA has provided wind tunnel data of the highest quality by developing and utilising highly efficient, world-class techniques for our global civil and military aerospace customer base.
The ARA Transonic Wind Tunnel (TWT) is a closed circuit, continuous flow tunnel with the following operational features;
| Test section | 2.74m wide x 2.44m high x 3.66m long (9ft x 8ft x 12ft). |
|---|---|
| Four porous walls | 22% maximum porosity. |
| Mach number | 0 to 1.4 |
| Stagnation pressure | 0.8 to 1.2 atmospheres (standard operation is 1 atmosphere) |
| Reynolds number | 3.5 to 16.7 million/m (dependent upon Mach number) |
The TWT has several support systems for a wide range of test types;
- Rear single sting support, basic incidence range -10° to +40°, ±180° roll range
- High incidence offset roll system, up to 70° incidence
- Twin Sting Rig for rear fuselage testing
- Underfloor balance support for semi-span model testing
- 2-dimensional wing testing support (±180° incidence range)
- High-pressure air-feed system for full-span and semi-span testing
- Captive Trajectory System for full 6-degree of freedom store release trajectory testing
ARA provides full model force and moment and pressure measurements using strain-gauge balances, electronic pressure scanners, advanced optical measurement systems, and data reduction methods tailored to suit individual customers’ needs.
