New Type of Model Suspension in Wind Tunnel for Airbus Development

In a research programme funded by the Federal German Ministry of Research and Technology, Messerschmitt‐Bölkow‐Blohn (MBB) has developed and tested a new low‐interference type of suspension for large wind tunnel models in cooperation with the national French research agency ONERA (Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales). First trial measurements with the new type of suspension were taken in the French wind tunnel at Modane. The new system has been developed to reduce suspension interference, especially in the fuselage tail and empennage area. A notable advance in wind tunnel technology has thus been achieved for the combination of “large models with new type suspension”.