A wind tunnel is a facility where thanks to the latest technology and 4 to 8 high-power turbines continuous adjustable vertical air flow is generated. This allows anyone to recreate the feeling of freefall in a safe space and supervised at all times by highly qualified instructors.
HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY
Wind tunnels were born to aviation and the need to design and test new forms and elements before being mounted on real aircraft. The first wind tunnel was built and operated in 1871 by Francis H. Wenham in the UK. Thanks to this wind tunnel Wenham and colaboradoreslograron great advances in aerodynamics, being the inventors of almost all mathematical concepts that define for example the shape of the wings, even today.
Gustave Eiffel built and perfected his own wind tunnel laying the groundwork for what are today these facilities dedicated to aerodynamic study.
In the Second World War aerodynamic wind tunnels they gained enormous strategic importance being one of the reasons for the initial air dominance of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe). At the end of the war there were in Germany 3 supersonic wind tunnels different, one capable of reaching Mach 4.4
VERTICAL WIND TUNNEL
The tunnels for scientific or research in aerodynamics were horizontal use, however the wind tunnel is a vertical windoor. What is the difference?
While horizontal tunnels have been used to aerodynamics and automotive, vertical invented for improving the design of the bombs drop, aerodynamics investigation of certain aspects of flight (dive bombers) to improve aircraft conditions loss (stall) and finally, as in our case, for parachute training.
In a vertical wind tunnel air flow it is generated and directed so as to pass through the chamber vertically and upwards, so that any object in the camera compensate gravity with the upward velocity of air flow, remaining static in it. Thus, the camera is called “flying chamber”.
Vertical tunnels for freefall simulation began his career in the US in the 80s and have been spreading around the world as the sport of skydiving required more training facilities. The first tunnel in Europe was Bodyflight Bedford, taking advantage of an old military installation, which with its 16.4 feet is still the largest installed in the old continent.
Words by Windoor