The World's Largest Wind Tunnel

The World's Largest Wind Tunnel


Mountain View, California

Wind tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center Oleg Alexandrov/Wikimedia (Wikimedia)

The largest wind tunnel in the world is big enough to test a 737 airplane, and is part of NASA Ames Research Center’s state-of-the-art aerodynamics complex.

Testing a parachute for Mars in the Ames Research Center wind tunnel NASA/Wikimedia (Wikimedia)

The wind tunnel, which is 80 feet by 120 feet, is actually one of two giant wind tunnels at NASA Ames National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex at Moffett Field.

Wind tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center Wikimedia (Wikimedia)

The “smaller” wind tunnel is a still-massive 40 feet by 80 feet, making it the second-largest wind tunnel in the world.

mate (Atlas Obscura User)

The two wind tunnels were dedicated in 1987.

James Ricci (Atlas Obscura User)

As it’s able to accommodate planes with wing spans of up to 100 feet, nearly all commercial aircraft made in the United States since 1987 have been tested in the subsonic tunnel.

mate (Atlas Obscura User)

The tunnel can replicate the wind conditions of flight via six 22,500-horsepower motors with blades as tall as four-story buildings.

James Ricci (Atlas Obscura User)

It’s also used to test flight technology for space, such as parachutes for Mars missions. The wind tunnel was also used in an episode of MythBusters, where the test is if you can actually fold a piece of paper in half more than seven times.

Address: Moffett Field, Mountain View, California, 94035, United States

I want to visit it!

Report Page