The Beech Wind Tunnel at Wichita State University's National Institute for Aviation Research recently performed subsonic wind tunnel tests for a full-scale model of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems' ScanEagle Compressed Carriage, a long-endurance autonomous unmanned vehicle.

Boeing engineers, including Program Manager David Langness, spent two weeks in the tunnel facilities while the ScanEagle Compressed Carriage model underwent aerodynamic tests to determine the impact of thrust and drag. A portion of the test involved power-testing. The ScanEagle team provided an electric motor and propeller to replicate the actual heavy fuel propulsion system of the UAV. Langness said his group traditionally performs wind tunnel tests in Boeing Technology Services wind tunnel, or the wind tunnel at St. Louis University, but the former was too large and the latter was too small. Chris Tavares, an engineer for the ScanEagle Compressed Carriage program and 2004 graduate of WSU's College of Engineering, recommended the Beech Wind Tunnel for the tests because the tunnel was the perfect size for the ScanEagle's full-scale model. The Beech Wind Tunnel is a 7-foot by 10-foot by 12-foot subsonic wind tunnel capable of reaching speeds of 240 mph. The tunnel is equipped with external and internal balances, a sting mount system, real-time data acquisition and flow visualization.

(Source: Aero-News.net — Upper right photo of the Beech Wind Tunnel courtesy of National Institute for Aviation Research — lower left photo of ScanEagle UAV courtesy of the United States Marine Corps.)