29 May 2020

China's large-scale transonic wind tunnel fully operational

China’s FL-62 large-scale transonic wind tunnel has completed all its proving trials and commenced operations to generate data from test models, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) announced on 26 May.

The wind tunnel, which had been under development and construction since 2012, is regarded as a strategic facility and has been a major state investment.

AVIC announced on 26 May that its FL-62 large-scale transonic wind tunnel has commenced operations.

It is configured as a continuous loop with a 2.4 m chamber for the structure undergoing tests, with previous reports indicating that it is expected to give more accurate and consistently reliable test results than facilities previously available to Chinese aircraft designers.

The facility has been built at AVIC’s Aerodynamic Research Institute in Shenyang, which is also the city in which one of China’s two primary combat aircraft manufacturers, the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC), is located.

SAC makes China’s ‘Flanker’ derivatives and is currently developing the FC-31 low-observable combat aircraft, which persistent rumours suggest is the leading candidate for next carrier-borne aircraft for the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).

The successful completion of the wind tunnel project was also reported by the state-owned Global Times newspaper, which noted that the first operational use of the facility was to conduct a test for “an undisclosed new aircraft”.

It also referred to a statement made in 2019 by Wang Haifeng, who was involved in the design of the J-10 and J-20 aircraft built by China’s other major combat aircraft producer – the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation –, in which he said that “China is eyeing to develop a next-generation fighter jet by 2035 or earlier”.

Global Times

China’s FL-62 large-scale transonic wind tunnel has completed all its proving trials and commenced o...

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