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Altitude Wind Tunnel

The Altitude Wind Tunnel (AWT), the nation’s first wind tunnel capable of studying full-scale engines under realistic flight conditions, played a significant role in the development of early U.S. jet engines. In the 1960s, the tunnel was converted into one of the country’s first large vacuum tanks, named the Space Power Chambers (SPC), to support the Centaur rocket program.

History

 
Half-built tunnel shell.
Design and Construction
The NACA designed its unique Altitude Wind Tunnel (AWT) during World War II specifically to study the performance of aircraft engines in realistic ...
Wright R-3350 Engine for B-29 in Altitude Wind Tunnel test section.
AWT’s World War II Efforts
The AWT began operation in 1944 and contributed to the World War II effort by resolving the B-29 bomber’s engine cooling problems and testing the ...
Mechanics work on TG-190 engine in AWT test section
Post-war Engines
The AWT’s post-war testing and improvement of axial-flow turbojet engines was the facility’s most enduring contribution to the aerospace field.
Allison J71 Turbojet in the Altitude Wind Tunnel Shop
Jet Engines Mature
By the 1950s, jet engines were significantly outperforming their predecessors. Yet, the onset of the Cold War increased the urgency for further advances. ...
Engineers on platform work on capsule mounted on tunnel wall
AWT Enters the Space Age
In the early 1960s, NASA modified the AWT to address the needs of the burgeoning space program. The facility first supported Project Mercury, then was ...
View from below as Centaur is lowered into chamber.
SPC Centaur Testing
In the early 1960s, NASA decided to use it new SPC test chambers for a variety of tests of the Centaur upper stage rocket. These included tests of its ...
Rusting exterior of the tunnel.
Final Years
NASA’s use of the SPC diminished in the 1970s, and a proposed restoration of the tunnel in the 1980s did not come to fruition. After years of under-use, ...

Facility

 
Illustration of the AWT complex.
AWT Facility Description
The AWT employed sophisticated design features to overcome the difficulties associated with operating engines in simulated altitude conditions. These ...
Isometric drawing of SPC No. 1
SPC Facility Description
In the early 1960s, NASA converted the AWT into two large altitude test tanks known as the Space Power Chambers (SPC).
Isometric drawing of the Refrigeration Building and its equipment
Support Buildings
The AWT relied upon equipment in several external buildings to create the facility’s altitude environment.
Drawing of AWT/SPC.
How AWT and SPC Worked
This page describes how the AWT and SPC No. 1 operated, gives overview of the development of wind tunnels and vacuum chambers, and defines terms related to ...

Research

 
Cover of AWT interactive history.
Publications
The historic mitigation effort yielded several types of publications that document the history of the Altitude Wind Tunnel (AWT) and the Space Power ...
Centaur rig inside large chamber.
Altitude Wind Tunnel Timelines
This page contains several timelines that trace events that impacted the AWT and SPC, tests conducted at the facility, and the development of wind tunnels ...
Altitude Wind Tunnel Historical Documents
This page contains digital versions of various historical documents and resources related to the Altitude Wind Tunnel (AWT). These include technical ...
Revolutionary Atmosphere cover.
Revolutionary Atmosphere: The Story of the AWT and SPC

About the History Office

 
SPC bulkhead.
Historic Preservation
NASA Glenn Research Center has a number of historic facilities, some of which have been demolished in recent years. Many of these sites had not been fully ...
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