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Hypersonic Test Facilities at the Royal Aircraft Establishment*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2016

J. M. Shaw
J. M. Shaw*
Affiliation:
Royal Aircraft Establishment
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Summary

The existing hypersonic test facilities at the Royal Aircraft Establishment are described. In particular the Hypersonic Tunnel and the Shock Tunnel are considered in some detail from the aspects of design, performance and use, with a view to seeing what lessons can be learned from their construction and operation. The reasons which led to the building of the present facilities are compared with modern ideas for tackling hypersonic research. Consideration of the problems which will require experimental investigation in the future suggest that additional tunnels will be required which, like the Hypersonic Tunnel, will run steadily for periods of seconds rather than for much shorter times. The air supply and power requirements of such tunnels are given and the recent developments in heater design which make their realisation possible are reviewed.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 68 , Issue 639 , March 1964, pp. 179 - 188
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 1964

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