cocik 0 #1 March 24, 2013 Guys, I have good news and bad news... The good news is that the wind tunnel (or I should rather say wind tunnels, since they have both indoor & outdoor one) in Shanghai, right next to the F1 circuit, is finally open to public. End of good news The bad news is that the place is really strange. The wind speed cannot get over 40-42 m/s, which means you need to wear a wingsuit (I tried max speed with my standard RW4 suit and I could not lift myself from the net, even though I am a skinny guy). Also the wind tunnel technology is rather strange - it appears that they have rigged a non-recirculating tunnel to a recirculating building design, which means the air inside gets incredibly hot after 10-15 minutes of operation and the tunnel needs to be shut down for a few minutes (and I mean really hot, I even had first degree burns on my hands when I got a slot at the end of 15 minute interval). The last bad news is that even though the staff is super friendly, their flying skills are very limited (they can stand & walk, but they are not very stable on belly and they have never tried backfly). So here's the deal. If you want to have fun and try a different breed of wind tunnel (and you can speak at least some reasonable Chinese), this place can serve its purpose. But if you're looking for some serious flying and you happen to be in China, you need to go to Mianyang or get on a plane to Singapore, Dubai or Moscow. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuckakers 369 #2 March 24, 2013 QuoteThe wind speed cannot get over 40-42 m/s, which means you need to wear a wingsuit (I tried max speed with my standard RW4 suit and I could not lift myself from the net, even though I am a skinny guy). So it's really more of a breeze tunnel.Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zerospinskier 1 #3 March 25, 2013 At least it can serve as a nice drying room for wet jumpsuits... That is odd that they would spend so much money on something that is so outdated. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cocik 0 #4 March 25, 2013 I've attached a few pictures from our recent teambuilding so that you guys can get the idea. The interesting thing is that they have two flying chambers above each other. The lower one has larger diameter and thus slower speed, so we all flew in the upper chamber. It's a bit strange feeling to look down through the net and see the other chamber below you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
piisfish 135 #5 March 25, 2013 tunnel wingsuiting made public finally scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stayhigh 2 #6 March 26, 2013 Not to be racist but Chinese does things kinda half assed way no??? I hate MADE IN CHINA stuff.Bernie Sanders for President 2016 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cocik 0 #7 March 26, 2013 You have to understand that extreme sports are not big in mainland China (if we do not count riding a bike through congested lanes as an extreme sport), so it's a bit unfair to judge the Chinese by the same standards. It would be the same as if we looked at the other side of the pond and made some general statements about US food & tea culture (or primary & secondary education system). The reason I have decided to move over to China was because in my industry (high-tech gaming industry and operations) Asia, and most importantly China, is about 3-5 years ahead of the rest of the world. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stayhigh 2 #8 March 27, 2013 Yeah, they are sooooo advanced that their pollution level is off the chart. If you live there you know damn well that you don't want to drink water straight off the tap.Bernie Sanders for President 2016 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Squeak 17 #9 March 27, 2013 QuoteYeah, they are sooooo advanced that their pollution level is off the chart. If you live there you know damn well that you don't want to drink water straight off the tap. You're being obtuse and or racist for no reason. this thread is about the Shanghai wind tunnels not your bigoted POVYou are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky) My Life ROCKS! How's yours doing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trafficdiver 8 #10 March 27, 2013 Quote It would be the same as if we looked at the other side of the pond and made some general statements about US food & tea culture (or primary & secondary education system). This is the wind tunnel forum. I can't see any reason why you would not criticize a wind tunnel here. Especially if it sucks, instead of blows.Now, I think we should have a discussion of America's weak tea culture (which I 100% agree with you about) in the bonfire forum, where you would talk about things that have nothing to do with shitty Chinese wind tunnels. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
potatoman 0 #11 March 27, 2013 Would you buy a rig that has a tag "Made in China"?You have the right to your opinion, and I have the right to tell you how Fu***** stupid it is. Davelepka - "This isn't an x-box, or a Chevy truck forum" Whatever you do, don't listen to ChrisD. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
adamUK 3 #12 March 27, 2013 Wow. No diffuser, no settling chamber. Turning vanes at the top just basically a duct. Surely Chinese engineering students do some basic fluid mechanics? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cocik 0 #13 March 28, 2013 Adam, you definitely have a point. Next time I visit that place, I will try to get more information about the construction itself. But my impression is that it's more like a DIY project... Anyway, to get the thread back on topic, I have attached few more pictures. This time they are from the other Chinese wind tunnel in the science park of Mianyang (photos were taken two years ago). Totally different tunnel design, but again - speed is quite slow (55 m/s maximum, barely enough to backfly) and some scary features like the ropes inside flying chamber or just a regular door that you enter through (no transition area either). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BigBUG 0 #14 March 28, 2013 Quote This is the wind tunnel forum. I can't see any reason why you would not criticize a wind tunnel here. Especially if it sucks, instead of blows. well actually all the good tunnels sucks, not blows :) motors are up there. looking at the pictures, it is quite like the small tunnels we have here and there in Russia. The motors are just weak for the tunnel this size - serious mistake in calculations. Maybe it could be fixed - we have guys in Samara who managed to squeeze a 260 kph wind from their 500 hp diezel drive and you could fly on your head in this tunnel, and the other tunnels with the very same engine couldn't just lift you off the net in a sunny day. But they had an aircraft design bureau nearby working on the upgrades, so correct calculations and experiments weren't a big problem. Hopefuly it could be fixed. We need more tunnels and more flyers around the world. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
