AAE 520: Experimental Aerodynamics
Purdue University, School of Aeronautics and
Astronautics
(Note:
Prof. B. Chynoweth will begin teaching this course in Spring 2026.)
Current
Introduction and Logistics Materials
Click for General Information / Syllabus
Click for Spring 2026 Lab Schedule
for Preplanned Labs
Click for Outline of Schedule for First
Eight Weeks Click for map of
labs at Aerospace Sciences Lab
AAE520 Technical
Report Rubric (introduced 2024 & updated in 2026) is available for download here.
Background
Information from Previous Years
Authored
by Prof. Sullivan; much is taken from various websites. Some of this material
will be covered in lectures.
Uncertainty and System Response
Wind Tunnels
Wind Tunnel Balance
Pressure Measurements
Hot Wires
Useful
Information About Oscilloscopes
You will need some
of the MATLAB files below to read the proprietary file formats from the
oscilloscopes.
Click for scope info Click
for MDO3014 scope manual Click for
new Tek 3014 digital scope quick reference info
Click for tekread.m Click for Tekread pdf Click for
quick reference info for new Tektronix scope
Click for
Tektronix oscilloscope primer Click
for Tektronix primer on computing power spectra with scope
Click for isfread.m for Matlab to read data
from MDO3014 scope, similar to tekread.m
Preplanned Lab Materials
1: Turbulence and Wakes
Click for Lab 1 Introductory Slides Click for lab
handout Click for hot-wire info
Click for Omega differential manometer datasheet
Click for
multimeter manual
Click for Bruhn
anemometer manual Click for
Power Spectra Info (Updated 2026)
Click for drawings of new shapes for
testing (New for 2026!) Best
report 2004
2: Forebodies at High Angle of
Attack with Laser Doppler Velocimeter (LDV) in Water Tunnel
Click for Introductory Slides Click
for Image of LDV Probe Volume
Click for LDV
introduction Click for
water tunnel manual Click
for instrumentation drawings
Click for
Prof. Sullivan's notes re LDV Click
for Circular Cylinder Model, Alternate to Cone
Click for
sketch of LDV apparatus Best
report 2004 Sample report
2004 Click
for F-18 flow viz Best
report 2018
3: Shock/Boundary-Layer
Interaction at Mach 2.0, 2.5 or 3.6
Click
for introductory info Best
student report from 2004 Best student
report from 2005 Best student
report from 2022
NEW
for 2024 and on: pulsed light source information
Click
for 37MB NACA report, to be used for comparisons Click
for Batcho paper
Click for
Batcho color graphic Click for wind
tunnel and instrumentation info
Click
for some operational details for supersonic tunnel
Click
for a description of schlieren systems (copyrighted, need password)
Projects
(the 8 week project will follow the preplanned labs)
Files are now updated
by Prof. Chynoweth (16 Feb. 2026)
Schedule and Info for Projects
Collicott's
suggested topics (2005)
Click
for Rules for Use of Laboratory
Click
for AIAA 92-4018 with Wind Tunnel Descriptions (passwd needed)
List
for 2004 Note: The Boeing 4x6 ft subsonic tunnel is again
operational.
List for 2005
It is very useful for projects. See below for manual and MS thesis
documentation.
List for 2007 Note: The
12-inch Ludwieg tube is no longer available.
List for 2008
In
2016 it was sold to the University of Arizona. It had not been
List for 2009 used for several
years and the space was needed for other purposes.
List for 2020
How to
find the existing literature
Click
for design report on possible future free piston shock tunnel
Click
for 20MB report, transonic Schlieren images in cookie-cutter test section of
shock tube
For a classical and introductory approach to the analysis of experimental
uncertainty, see
Describing
Uncertainties in Single-Sample Experiments, by Kline and McClintock,
in the ASME journal Mechanical
Engineering, vol. 75, Jan. 1953, pp. 3-8.
Laboratory Report Format
Labview Manuals
Conversion Table
Information
on the Boeing Subsonic Wind Tunnel
Claire
Diffey MS Thesis (Purdue 2019) password protected
Boeing Subsonic
Wind Tunnel Manual password protected
Link to High Quality Films teaching
Fluid Mechanics, from 1960's (check also the Purdue library)
Flow Calculators
NACA 1135 Compressible Flow Calculator (Excel
Program)
NACA 1135 Report ( PDF) Equations, Tables and
Charts for Compressible Flow
|
Brandon
Chynoweth, Ph.D. West
Lafayette IN 47907 |
Lab
Office: Aerospace Sciences Lab Room 2 |
Last modified: 22 December 2025