| Aircraft Research Association | |
| Native Name: | ARA Bedford |
| Map Type: | United Kingdom Bedfordshire |
| Altitude: | 700NaN0 |
| Building Type: | Engineering research centre |
| Architectural Style: | Wind tunnel |
| Address: | Bedford, MK41 7PF |
| Client: | ARA |
| Current Tenants: | ARA |
| Coordinates: | 52.156°N -0.474°W |
| Start Date: | September 1953 |
| Completion Date: | April 1956 |
| Inauguration Date: | 4 May 1956 |
| Architect: | Ley Colbeck and Partners |
The Aircraft Research Association (ARA) is an aerodynamics research institute in the north-west of Bedford.
The association was founded on 22 January 1952.[1] 14 main British aviation companies funded £1.25m to build a large wind tunnel.
It was first proposed in 1953 to build the site at Stevington, north-east of Bedford.[2] By March 1953, the current site was chosen.
Work started on Monday 7 September 1953.[3]
The wind tunnel was fabricated by Moreland Hayne of east London.[4]
The transonic tunnel first ran in April 1956.[5]
The Duke of Edinburgh visited on the morning of Friday 4 May 1956. He had been planning to land by helicopter in the south-east of Bedford, and to be driven from there to the site by car, but weather conditions were unsuitable.[6]
The site has the largest transonic wind tunnel in the UK, known as the TWT, with speeds up to Mach 1.4, powered by a Sulzer axial compressor. It is 25,000 hp electric-powered.
Two hypersonic tunnels
Projects worked on include Concorde, the Harrier and most Airbus aircraft.[7] The Rolls-Royce RB211 was tested there.[8]
The site now works with RUAG of Switzerland.