Aerodynamic Drag: A Lab Pack for STEM Wind Tunnels

Included are 5 simple wind tunnel test articles for the Modular STEM Wind Tunnel, intended for use with smoke visualization to concisely demonstrate the concept of streamlining and show how the wakes behind different geometries can vary widely.

These 5 objects (airfoil, flat plate, bullet, cylinder, and prism) all have equivalent projected frontal area – or blockage area – but have very different flow characteristics.

This page from NASA's Glenn Research Center concisely explains the effects these 5 shapes have on their drag coefficients and the character of the flow over them. Have a read, and then see it in action for yourself!

Print the test articles in the following orientation. You will need just a bit of supports inside the  airfoil's support hole as shown ("Snug" works great). The pictured brim is likely not required, but may be helpful for the cylinder and bullet shapes depending on your bed adhesion.

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Also provided is an organizer base that holds this entire experimental set (5 models plus a base and strut) in a 3x1 Gridfinity pattern. See the optional Gridfinity accessory kit for the Modular Wind Tunnel for a complete parts organization solution for the project.