BAE supersonic tunnel tests give Tempest project a second wind
Data from the models will be used to produce the final design for Tempest
www.telegraph.co.uk
"BAE Systems has begun supersonic wind tunnel tests of potential designs for the Tempest fighter hoped to be in service with the RAF in 2035.
Engineers at the defence giant’s base in Warton, Lancashire, are examining the aerodynamic performance of a
series of 3D-printed models of what the next-generation stealth jet might finally look like.
The wind tunnel can generate airflows of twice the speed of sound and consumes 15 tons of air in 20 seconds when running at full power.
Data from the models will be used to produce the final design for Tempest, but the work is proceeding faster than earlier aircraft development projects thanks to “digital twin” technology.
Designs have already been extensively tested in the digital world, meaning that concepts can be advanced or abandoned depending on how virtual versions perform before moving on to more time-consuming and costly real-world testing.
So far £2bn has been committed to Tempest by government and a consortium of leading aerospace and defence companies including BAE, Rolls-Royce, Leonardo and MBDA, which
together have almost 2,000 engineers working on it.
The aircraft is expected to operate with a pilot or autonomously and be equipped with “directed energy weapons” such as lasers. These will require immense amounts of power and cooling. The companies from outside the military world have been brought in for their expertise, as well as to speed up work to meet the programme’s
ambitious deadlines.
One of the most recent to come on board is Williams Advanced Engineering, the company spun off from the Williams Formula One team. Its knowledge from developing high-performance batteries used in the Formula E electric racing series will help provide power for Tempest. Britain is not working on Tempest alone. So far Italy and Sweden have signed up, with Japan also a candidate to join the project. "