Jaguar aquires extra windtunnel

Jaguar Racing is pleased to announce the addition of a new major windtunnel facility. The DERA windtunnel (Bedford, UK), formerly used by the Ministry of Defence for aircraft development, will be upgraded over an 18 month period into latest specification model scale windtunnel and will make a significant contribution towards the team’s 2006 challenger, the Jaguar R7.

The team’s half-scale windtunnel in Bicester (UK) that was opened in Spring 2002 will continue to function alongside the new facility.

“Under the leadership of Tony Purnell and David Pitchforth and integrated support from Cosworth Racing and Pi Research, Jaguar Racing has made clear progress this season and this investment we are making will help cement progress further up the grid. This latest investment will take Jaguar Racing’s engineering and aerodynamic capabilities to the next level,’ said Richard Parry-Jones, Group Vice President and Head of Formula One Operations, Ford Motor Company

Jaguar Racing has acquired a 123 year lease of the DERA windtunnel which was constructed in 1954, by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), for the purpose of aerodynamic testing of missiles and military aircraft. The tunnel is located on a site of 15,000 m2, forming part of what was a much larger MOD estate near Bedford, 30 minutes drive from Milton Keynes. The windtunnel itself covers some 1,600 m2 and there is an attached four-storey office and workshop of 1,400m2

“Once upgraded to the latest specification, the DERA windtunnel will be used primarily for model scale work and our plans to utilise a third full scale windtunnel will be announced in the not too distant future,” added David Pitchforth, Managing Director, Jaguar Racing