Focke's wind tunnel (Bremen, Germany)

The Focke- wind tunnel is a fully functional wind tunnel in the last private laboratory of aviation pioneer Henrich Focke (1890-1979), co-founder of Focke -Wulf and designer of the first fully controllable helicopter ( FW -61). Henrich Focke built this flight test in 1960 by hand at the age of 70 years in downtown Bremen.

Discovery

The lab was discovered in 1997 by Kai Steffen. The idea to look for the lost wind tunnel, was the former graduate students, after he had read the memoirs of Henrich Focke. He sat down with the family Focke connected and finally took place in Bremen city center near the main station in a backyard shed, the laboratory, which had been entered by anyone for about 20 years.

Until shortly before his death in 1979 Focke had operated here aerodynamic studies. He was interested in the slow flight characteristics and the stability problem of helicopters. The rediscovery of the aerodynamic laboratories together with its wind tunnel was regarded as a sensation for science.

The historical laboratory

The still fully functional wind tunnel, a closed recirculating wind tunnel in Göttingen design for the subsonic speed range, produced wind speeds of about 70 km / h The simplicity of the existing instrumentation amazed. Kitchen scales were used to measure the acting forces in the wind tunnel, stovepipes and drew curtains documents entwirbelten the airflow. Ingenuity and improvisation led without a computer to significant scientific results. Everything in this laboratory was still in place, as if the 85 -year-old Henrich Focke had left it only briefly. But the building was in a catastrophic state.

Restoration

After renovation of the building and the restoration of the wind tunnel, the laboratory is now once again prepared the way Henrich Focke used it until the mid- seventies for his research. Now you can do scientific experiments here schools and colleges. Today, the Friends Focke wind tunnel eV care of the estate. The laboratory with his wind tunnel has been recognized since 2004 as a cultural monument and a small museum, redesigned. Guided tours for small groups up to offered each about six people on every first Sunday of the month.

To obtain the flight laboratories of aviation pioneer the Focke- wind tunnel eV and its chairman Kai Steffen with the highest national award in the field of historic preservation, the German Prize for conservation in 2005 were excellent.

Historical laboratory as a modern research facility

After the museum opened in 2005, the aerodynamic system was wholly restored until the fall of 2008. In addition, modern measurement technology - for example, a positioning device, electronic load cells - procured. The control of the wind machine can be done either on old fashioned way using a 10 -stage cascade resistance or ultra-modern and continuously by a frequency inverter control. With an electrical output of 14 kW wind speeds / second can be generated up to 16 m.

The Foundation tries to cover the running costs to ensure the permanent preservation of the cultural monument by letting the pilot plant and by donations.

Meanwhile, new wind turbines were optimized in the historical conditioning and conducted experiments of students.