The Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control (LMMFC) High Speed Wind Tunnel (HSWT), has been in operation since 1958. Our experienced staff, capable of meeting all testing requirements, is well known in the wind tunnel industry. We can accommodate a wide variety of high-speed tests including aerodynamic force and moment measurements, jet interaction, flutter, store separation/captive trajectory, inlet performance evaluation, jet engine base-flow simulation, spin/roll damping and dynamic stability. In addition, we also offer in-house model and instrumentation design and support.
The HSWT is a tri-sonic, blow down tunnel with a Mach number range of 0.3 to 4.8. The test section measures 4’ X 4’ X 6’ for transonic testing and 4’ X 4’ X 5’ for supersonic testing. We are available to the commercial aircraft industry, educational institutions, military and other governmental agencies. Approximately 80 percent of our testing business is for outside customers. A tour of our facility can be arranged with advance notice.
As a military contractor, government-approved policies are in place for protecting proprietary and classified information. Wind tunnel customer data is handled with the utmost security. Tunnel access during a test is controlled in accordance with the customer’s instructions.
See our Facility Handbook for more detailed information about our capabilities.
Instrumentation
The HSWT has a wide range of instrumentation capabilities available for use in testing of various types of models. We design, build, and calibrate custom strain gage balances and other devices in house to offer the highest quality of service to our customers. These include six-component force and moment balances, five-component flow through balances, low-loads rolling moment balances, thrust and test stands, and instrumented fins and other control surfaces. We also offer repair and consultation service for strain gage balances and other devices. Additionally, there are many pressure transducers, pressure scanning modules, and dynamic pressure transducers available for inlet and propulsion testing.
Model Design
Model design engineers are available for consultation on models being tested at the HSWT. Additionally, these engineers can design entire models based on the testing requirements. Capabilities include force and moment models, pressure models, drop stores, powered models, pyrotechnics, and many others.
For directions to the HSWT, see the last section of the Facility Handbook.
