CONSTRUCTION OF THE 16FT HIGH SPEED WIND TUNNEL.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE 16FT (HIGH SPEED) WIND TUNNEL. OF THE ORIGINAL TUNNELS PLANNED FOR AMES THE 16FT HAD PERHAPS THE HIGHEST PRIORITY. ASSIGNED THIS PRECEDENCE BECAUSE IT WAS TO HAVE A HIGHER SPPED THAN ANY OTHER MAJOR WIND TUNNEL IN THE NACA AND WOULD PROVIDE AERODYNAMIC DATA AT SPEEDS AT WHICH FUTURE MILITARY AIRPLANES WERE EXPECTED T FLY. IT OPERATED AT SPEEDS UP TO 680 MPH, ABOUT 0.9 OF THE SPEED OF SOUND AND 4 TIMES THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF THE LANGLEY 8FT TUNNEL. ITS COST WAS NEARLY $2 MILLION. THE HUGE 27,000 HORSEPOWER DRIVE MOTORS GENERATED SO MUCH HEAT THAT IT REQUIRED AN AIR-EXCHANGE TOWER THAT REPLACED THE HEATED AIR FROM THE TUNNEL WITH THE COOL AIR FROM OUTDOORS.