Researchers at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, have conducted a first-of-its-kind wind tunnel test using unsteady Pressure Sensitive Paint applied to a model wing.
The trial took place inside NASA Langley's Transonic Dynamics Tunnel using the Benchmark Supercritical Wing. According to NASA, this test marked the first time the unsteady pressure sensitive paint technique has been applied to a large-scale, freely moving model inside a low-oxygen environment.
The coating reveals aerodynamic forces by shifting in luminosity depending on how much air pressure is exerted against the surface. When illuminated by special ultraviolet lights during the run, the paint glowed pink-purple as high-speed cameras captured the changes.
The test in the Transonic Dynamics Tunnel follows years of work by NASA researchers at both Langley and Ames Research Center to integrate the paint into wind tunnel tests for aircraft and rockets.
