Where is the new wind tunnel being built?
GM: “On site here in Brackley. We have demolished an existing unit to make way for the new three-storey building that will house the wind tunnel.” Q: When did work start on the project, is it still on schedule and when will it be fully functional? GM: “Construction began on site exactly a year ago, in December 2004, by starting to dismantle the existing factory unit to make way for our new facility. The programme is absolutely on schedule and we plan to be productively testing in July 2006.” Q: What does a wind tunnel cost and do you need a specialist company to build it? GM: “A full scale facility such as ours costs in the region of £30m. The wind tunnel itself is a specialist piece of kit, as is the ‘rolling road’ system on which the test vehicles sit, so it is a very technical and complex construction project in which the building constructor needs to work concurrently with the airline manufacturer and rolling road provider. Excellent teamwork and communication is essential in getti
