During the summer, I was helping conduct experiments on wings in the Dryden Wind Tunnel in RRB. The experiments were done to study the performance of the wings at low Reynolds numbers. Most of my work included conducting the experiments and comparing the results with previous data to confirm repeatability.

During my tenure at the lab, I would conduct the calibration and then perform the several runs required for a full test. I analyzed the data with MATLAB (most of the scripts were provided) and produced the various performance plots such as the drag polar, L/D vs Angle of Attack, and others.

Working at the lab gave me an insight of what true lab work was. It enriched my experience working at the lab, since most of my previous lab experience involved sitting at a lab for a Physics or Engineering class. The motivation for the experiments is what drove me through it, however. The idea of creating a framework on how to make small scale airplanes perform better was appealing. Also, wing experiments at low Reynolds numbers are very rare and it is quite exciting to find reliable data on it. Using the data as a possible benchmark for wing performance at these small scales was quite exciting.