Imperial College London Patel Supersonic Wind Tunnel
Partially verified listing. NWTF’s current Patel Supersonic Wind Tunnel page identifies the London facility and publishes technical context, but its availability sentence says it “will be available in 2022”. The linked data sheet says the tunnel was “In construction, due for commissioning in March 2017”. The page also gives an introductory Mach range of 0.5–>5 and a performance-table range of 0.6–3. This partial guide retains the published context only and does not verify current operating status, availability or a current operating envelope.
Imperial College LondonLondon
NWTF’s current page identifies Imperial College London’s Patel Supersonic Wind Tunnel in London as an intermittent hybrid blow-down or suck-down arrangement with a stated 0.15 × 0.15 × up-to-2-metre test section and published instrumentation context. The page’s availability sentence is stale, stating that the tunnel “will be available in 2022”, while the linked data sheet says it was due for commissioning in March 2017. The current page also presents a 0.5–>5 introductory Mach range and a 0.6–3 performance-table range. This partial guide does not represent the tunnel as currently available or select a current operating range.
Reviewed by Arc · About this review
Key facts
The current NWTF page identifies the London facility but says it will be available in 2022, while the linked data sheet says it was due for commissioning in March 2017; neither establishes current operation.
- Published London facility with unresolved current status
- NWTF’s current page identifies Imperial’s Patel Supersonic Wind Tunnel in London, but the page says it “will be available in 2022”. Its linked data sheet says the tunnel was “In construction, due for commissioning in March 2017”. These statements do not verify current operation or availability.
- Published NWTF information route
- NWTF’s current contact page provides a facilities enquiry form and lists admin@nwtf.ac.uk at Imperial College’s Department of Aeronautics, CAGB, London, SW7 2AZ.
Testing capabilities
The current page and linked data sheet publish test-section and instrumentation context, but stale availability and construction wording do not establish current capability.
Published supersonic tunnel context, not current capability
NWTF’s current page describes a 0.15 × 0.15 × up-to-2-metre test section, a combined blow-down or suck-down arrangement, and published measurement and instrumentation context. Its availability sentence is stale and the linked data sheet describes an earlier construction state, so the sources do not verify a current configuration, operating capability or availability.
Equipment and published limits
| Specification | Published value | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Conflicting published Mach-range descriptions | NWTF’s current page introduction gives a test Mach-number range of 0.5–>5, while its current performance table and linked data sheet give 0.6–3. Each also states a 2–20 × 10⁶ m⁻¹ variable Reynolds-number range; the performance table and data sheet list a 10-second run time. | These are conflicting or dated published descriptions rather than a confirmed current operating envelope. Confirm the current Mach and Reynolds-number condition, pressure, temperature, run time, model dimensions, instrumentation and safety process directly with NWTF. |
Access and contact
NWTF’s current contact page provides a facilities enquiry form and lists admin@nwtf.ac.uk at Imperial College’s Department of Aeronautics, CAGB, London, SW7 2AZ. Treat these as information routes and confirm current operating status, facility fit, configuration, availability, price and lead time directly with NWTF.
Facility contact
- Address
- London
United Kingdom - admin@nwtf.ac.uk
- Website
- Official test house website
Standards and accreditation
Public information not available. Contact test facility provider for more information.
What to confirm with the facility
- NWTF’s current page says the Supersonic wind tunnel “will be available in 2022”, while its linked data sheet says “In construction, due for commissioning in March 2017”. The current page also gives a 0.5–>5 introductory Mach range and a 0.6–3 performance-table range. This guide does not treat those stale or conflicting statements as a current availability or operating-envelope claim.
- Confirm the current operational state, requested Mach and Reynolds-number condition, model dimensions, instrumentation, diagnostic availability, safety process, test support, reporting, schedule, price and lead time directly with NWTF.
Before requesting a test
Public information not available. Contact test facility provider for more information.
Frequently asked questions
Public information not available. Contact test facility provider for more information.
Related testing facilities
Public information not available. Contact test facility provider for more information.
Further reading
Public information not available. Contact test facility provider for more information.
Sources and review
Arc reviewed NWTF’s current Supersonic facility page and contact page, plus the linked TS4 data sheet, on 30 September 2026. The live page identifies the Patel Supersonic Wind Tunnel and publishes technical context, but its availability wording is stale. The linked data sheet describes an earlier construction stage, and the current page itself gives differing introductory and performance-table Mach ranges. This partial guide retains those boundaries and does not claim current operation, availability or a confirmed operating envelope. Confirm the exact current status and test configuration directly with NWTF.
Arc publishes this directory entry and does not operate the test facility. Suggest a correction to Arc with a supporting source.
Supersonic | National Wind Tunnel Facility
NWTF’s current facility page is used for the Patel Supersonic Wind Tunnel identity, London location, published test-section, performance and instrumentation context, and its stale 2022 availability wording. It does not establish current operation, availability, a confirmed configuration, booking, capacity, price, lead time or acceptance of a particular programme.
Contact | National Wind Tunnel Facility
NWTF’s current contact page is used for its facilities enquiry form, admin@nwtf.ac.uk and Department of Aeronautics contact route. It does not establish Patel-tunnel current operation, availability, configuration, booking, capacity, price, lead time or programme acceptance.
Imperial College Supersonic Wind Tunnel TS4 data sheet
The NWTF-linked TS4 data sheet provides published technical context but states that the facility was in construction and due for commissioning in March 2017. It is not evidence of current operational status, availability, configuration, booking, capacity, price, lead time or programme acceptance.