The NASA Ames 40x80 Foot Wind Tunnel

As tall as a 10 story building, this towering bank of vanes turns the air smoothly around one of the four corners of the world's largest wind tunnel. This tunnel which has a test section 40 feet high and 80 feet wide, is operated by the NACA's Ames Aeronautical Laboratory at Moffett Field, California. With a maxium air speed of 250 miles per hour, the 40 by 80 foot tunnel is proving very valuable in studying the low speed problems arising from new aircraft wing shapes designed for flight near or above the speed of sound. The tunnel structure covers eight acres and at the point shown in this photo is 172 feet wide and 123 feet high.