An iconic wind tunnel once used to develop the Spitfire is now aiding 21st century efforts to help aircraft fly and ships sail more fuel-efficiently.
Located at the University of Southampton, the R.J. Mitchell Wind Tunnel is being harnessed by Professor Bharath Ganapathisubramani’s team on an EPSRC and Airbus-backed project to deliver fresh insights into aerodynamic ‘drag’, and on research revealing how to cut fuel use and emissions in the shipping sector.
The tunnel also forms part of the National Wind Tunnel Facility (NWTF) – an imaginative new equipment-sharing initiative launched by SES members Imperial College London, Cambridge, Oxford and Southampton with City, Cranfield and Glasgow universities.