AIAA Recommended Practice for Wind Tunnel Testing — Part 1 (R-092-1-2003e)

Wind tunnel testing is a critical component in the development of aerodynamic vehicles and associated technologies. While the time and expense of wind tunnel testing is significant, it is an essential risk reduction tool before progressing air vehicles and technologies to the more expensive, technically risky flight tests.

Decisions made during the evolution and execution of wind tunnel test programs can have farreaching performance, financial, and schedule implications throughout the life cycle of an air vehicle.

Efforts are being made across all air vehicle development activities to reduce technical risk, cost, and cycle time. Since wind tunnel test programs are critical to those development activities, any successful reductions in wind tunnel risk, cost, or cycle time can have significant positive impacts on the overall air vehicle program.

To accomplish a successful program, managers of wind tunnel test programs must carefully balance the testing needs (objectives), schedules, and cost of the test program. Activities such as developing test requirements, test articles, test preparation, testing, and analysis require significant resource investments and must be carefully managed to accomplish technical goals with minimum resource expenditure.

This volume describes the broader aspects of test program development, implementation, and management. It provides managers with a set of tools (key activities) to help navigate and develop a balanced, successful test program.