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When was the first full-scale wind tunnel for testing airplanes used?

A wind tunnel is a device used to test how air flow, at great speeds, will affect the motion of aircraft. It consists essentially of a closed tube, large enough to hold an airplane or other craft being tested, through which air is circulated by powerful fans. The first full-scale wind tunnel began operation on May 27, 1931, at the Langley Research Center of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, in Langley Field, Virginia. This tunnel, still in use, is 30 feet (9 meters) high and 60 feet (18 meters) wide.

Sources: Kane, Joseph N. Famous First Facts, 4th ed., p. 703; Nayler, Joseph L. Aviation: Its Technical Development, p. 268.

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