Wind Tunnel Testing for Military Aircraft & Weapons
MILITARY AIRCRAFT & WEAPONS
The mission requirements for Military Aircraft and Weapons, such as range goals, weapons load-outs, top speed, maneuverability, and stealth, drive much of these air vehicles’ design. To achieve these demanding objectives, aerodynamicists must develop unique elements that change the air vehicle’s shape or outer-lines. To evaluate their effectiveness, aerodynamicists seek out Calspan’s expertise in conducting wind tunnel tests, in order to gather the necessary data to evaluate a configuration’s effectiveness.
Calspan’s expertise in this area is routinely utilized in support of the latest Military Aircraft & Weapons developments, both manned and unmanned (UAV). Since our beginning, our wind tunnel capabilities and expertise have been called upon to support a wide range of military aircraft and weapons. These include:
U.S. Programs:
- Northrop Grumman X-47B unmanned combat vehicle (UCAV)
- Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II
- Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor
- Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit
- Boeing F-18 Hornet
- General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon
- Grumman EA-6 Prowler
- North American B-70 Valkyrie
- Convair B-58 Hustler
- Boeing Stratofortress
- North American F-100 Super Sabre
- Northrop F-89 Scorpion
- Grumman XF9F-2 Panther
International Programs:
- EF2000 Eurofighter Typhoon
- KAI T-50 Golden Eagle
- India’s Light Combat Aircraft Tejas
Calspan's Transonic Wind Tunnel services have been used to test the various weapons these aircraft platforms can carry, such as:
- Tomahawk Missile
- Harpoon Missile
- Naval Strike Missile (NSM)
- Standoff Land Attack Missile-Expanded Response Missile (SLAM-ER)
- Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW)
- Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM)
- Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM)
- Small Diameter Bomb (SDB)
- Joint Common Missile (JCM)
CAPABILITIES / FEATURES & BENEFITS
In conjunction with our transonic wind tunnel facility, Calspan provides the following test techniques to assist the aerodynamicist in understanding and evaluating their air vehicle configuration against mission requirements:Calspan’s goal is one of exceeding customer expectations and consistently delivering excellence across all elements of a test project, from project and program management through model development and configuration to data collection and analysis.
