Welcome to the UBC Aerodynamics Laboratory
The UBC Aerolab specializes in low speed wind tunnel testing for academic and commercial purposes. Our facilities house two subsonic wind tunnels, the Parkinson Wind Tunnel and the larger Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel (offline indefinitely for repairs).
Aerodynamics research at UBC was initiated in the early 1950’s by Professor Geoffrey Parkinson. The absence of a dedicated fluid mechanics research facility at UBC led Professor Parkinson to design and construct the Green Wind Tunnel in the mid 1950s, now named the Parkinson Wind Tunnel in his honour. In 1972, the Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel was constructed adding the capability to test larger models. the Parkinson Wind Tunnel is still in use today and offers a range of testing capabilities.
Past clients of the Aerolab have included:
Nike Inc., HED Wheels, Bell Helmets, International Submarine Engineering, Pratt & Whitney, UBC Department of Soil Science, and the Faculty of Forestry at UBC.