While the hangar included some shop space for model construction and test preparation, its dominant features were two wind tunnels, one with a one-meter-diameter test section, and a larger one with a test section measuring two meters in diameter. These tunnels shared a common experimental chamber. The first test was performed in March 1912, almost 100 years ago.
Eiffel's test chamber allowed either jet of air to flow across the closed room and past a test object without interference from sidewalls, improving accuracy over earlier designs. Flared inlet and outlet ducts improved the efficiency of these tunnels and minimized their power requirement. These two features were adopted in many later wind tunnels. The smaller tunnel was dismantled in 1933, but the larger one remains, making Auteuil the oldest surviving aeronautical laboratory with its original wind tunnel intact.
The tunnel was donated to the French government (Services Techniques de l'Aéronautique) in 1920 when Eiffel was 88-year-old. It has been operated without interruption since its inauguration and continues to be used for testing airplanes, buildings, and racing (F1) cars. It has been designated a French National Monument.
The seven-ton, 4-metre in diameter and 23-blade fan has not been changed over the years, just the electric motors. At a rotating speed of 280 rpm, the fan generates a wind of 100 km/h.
The Eiffel wind tunnel is still used to design some of the most advanced race cars. “Several planes of the WWI and II were designed here. But from the 60s, the tunnel was used a lot by the automobile industry.
“Porsche used it to design his gorgeous 917 Le Mans car,” told us Benoit Blanchard, the manager of the Eiffel wind tunnel.
“Audi also did a lot of aero testing here, including the design of its original model of the Quattro in the late 70s. We still work with Peugeot Sport and Citroen Racing. Robert Choulet redesigned the Le Mans-winning Peugeot 905 of the early 90s here in just two months. I worked during several long nights in this room with Robert. We also worked on the bodywork and aerodynamics of the Ligier and Alfa Romeo Formula 1 cars,” Blanchard added.
“More recently, we have worked on the Peugeot 206 WRC as well as the Citroen Xsara and C4 WRC. Some parts of the new Citroen DS3 world rally car have been designed here. It is not uncommon to perform aero tests on certain specific components such as air ducts for the brakes, radiators and aerofoils,” Blanchard told us.
Blanchard explained the success of this 100-year old facility. “The wind tunnel is extremely accurate and we get exceptionally reliable results. We are four people working full time here and we get new customers on a regular basis. Our main advantage over the competition is our responsiveness, our very vest experience and to be open-mindedness. We sometimes come up with very innovative solutions to problems, and that pleases our customers.
Mr. Eiffel must be proud to see that his aerodynamic laboratory is still being used in 2010 to design some of the hottest and most successful race cars of the 21st century!
Eiffel's test chamber allowed either jet of air to flow across the closed room and past a test object without interference from sidewalls, improving accuracy over earlier designs. Flared inlet and outlet ducts improved the efficiency of these tunnels and minimized their power requirement. These two features were adopted in many later wind tunnels. The smaller tunnel was dismantled in 1933, but the larger one remains, making Auteuil the oldest surviving aeronautical laboratory with its original wind tunnel intact.
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| Citroën Xsara WRC (Photo: Laboratoire aérodynamique Eiffel) |
The tunnel was donated to the French government (Services Techniques de l'Aéronautique) in 1920 when Eiffel was 88-year-old. It has been operated without interruption since its inauguration and continues to be used for testing airplanes, buildings, and racing (F1) cars. It has been designated a French National Monument.
The seven-ton, 4-metre in diameter and 23-blade fan has not been changed over the years, just the electric motors. At a rotating speed of 280 rpm, the fan generates a wind of 100 km/h.
The Eiffel wind tunnel is still used to design some of the most advanced race cars. “Several planes of the WWI and II were designed here. But from the 60s, the tunnel was used a lot by the automobile industry.
 |
| Porsche 917 (Photo: Porsche) |
“Porsche used it to design his gorgeous 917 Le Mans car,” told us Benoit Blanchard, the manager of the Eiffel wind tunnel.
“Audi also did a lot of aero testing here, including the design of its original model of the Quattro in the late 70s. We still work with Peugeot Sport and Citroen Racing. Robert Choulet redesigned the Le Mans-winning Peugeot 905 of the early 90s here in just two months. I worked during several long nights in this room with Robert. We also worked on the bodywork and aerodynamics of the Ligier and Alfa Romeo Formula 1 cars,” Blanchard added.
 |
| Cooling test on a truck for the Dakar. (Photo:Laboratoire aérodynamique Eiffel) |
“More recently, we have worked on the Peugeot 206 WRC as well as the Citroen Xsara and C4 WRC. Some parts of the new Citroen DS3 world rally car have been designed here. It is not uncommon to perform aero tests on certain specific components such as air ducts for the brakes, radiators and aerofoils,” Blanchard told us.
Blanchard explained the success of this 100-year old facility. “The wind tunnel is extremely accurate and we get exceptionally reliable results. We are four people working full time here and we get new customers on a regular basis. Our main advantage over the competition is our responsiveness, our very vest experience and to be open-mindedness. We sometimes come up with very innovative solutions to problems, and that pleases our customers.
Mr. Eiffel must be proud to see that his aerodynamic laboratory is still being used in 2010 to design some of the hottest and most successful race cars of the 21st century!
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