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Want unlimited wind tunnel testing?
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You can buy a windtunnel. One used by HED wheels.
https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/...wind/6856602558.html
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Re: Want unlimited wind tunnel testing? [stevendex] [ In reply to ]
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40 to 140mph ?... not for me
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Re: Want unlimited wind tunnel testing? [stevendex] [ In reply to ]
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Swift’s wind tunnel was designed and built by Swift to provide an accurate and repeatable instrument for aerodynamics testing of ground effect vehicles. The tunnel was commissioned in late 1994 and customer testing started in 1995. During its 16-year operation it was used to develop Swift’s Champ, Formula Atlantic and Toyota Celica Funny cars, as well as Swift’s line of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). In addition, many Formula 1, CART, NASCAR and motorcycle racing teams and aerospace and automotive manufacturers,such as Boeing, BMW, Ford, Toyota, as well as Williams and Jaguar Formula One teams have used the tunnel. Since it was sold by Swift in 2012, HED Cycling has used it to develop some of the fastest wheels in the cycling industry.

This is an extremely rare and unique opportunity for businesses in the automotive, cycling, and aerospace industries to own a world class, fully functional wind tunnel! More info on the wind tunnel can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/...amp;feature=youtu.be

The wind tunnel is currently packed and not assembled, so it is ready to be sent to a new home. This is an enterprise sale of Wind Tunnel System Components, including non-exclusive, limited rights to the associated Swift wind tunnel intellectual property and design data for the purpose of reconstructing (in part or in full) the wind tunnel design in a new location.

Interested parties please contact us through email or at (contact info) with questions.

Specifications:

Required Footprint: 10,500 ft ^2
Test Section: 9' W x 8' H x 22' L
Head Clearance: 22ft
Tunnel Speed: 40mph to 140mph
Rolling Road: 8' W x 60' L
Wind Tunnel Is Not Currently Assembled

I find the part in bold hard to believe.....the thing was never made operational by HED as far as I know after they bought it.
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Re: Want unlimited wind tunnel testing? [stevendex] [ In reply to ]
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I've had some discussions about what else is needed with some people. It's not the cost of the tunnel it's the ROI on the tunnel & everything else needed to run it.

But hey I'm in for $100k if you are

Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

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Re: Want unlimited wind tunnel testing? [desert dude] [ In reply to ]
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It kind of is the cost of the tunnel. If the cost of the tunnel is lower, then the ROI is better, is it not?

But I get your point. The cost to deliver the services, and the revenue you can generate is an important part of the equation.
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Re: Want unlimited wind tunnel testing? [stevendex] [ In reply to ]
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Re: Want unlimited wind tunnel testing? [desert dude] [ In reply to ]
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Do they ship to Ireland?
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Re: Want unlimited wind tunnel testing? [kiwi.] [ In reply to ]
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Not to mention you need to build out a facility to house the tunnel. You can't just toss it in a strip mall retail space and call it good.

I've been using A2 now for about 5 year. I'm still mind blown about what is required behind the scenes for a wind tunnel to be accurate & repeatable. Every trip I learn something new about what it takes to make that tunnel tick.

On a side note the Hed tunnel isn't the only tunnel for sale in the US currently.

I could also be convinced to go in for $150k!

Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

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Re: Want unlimited wind tunnel testing? [desert dude] [ In reply to ]
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With your level of experience I'd think it would be 'easy' to put together a model to see if it could pay for itself. I Imagine you're still in for $1mill to get it up and running and would cost at least a few hundred per year for salaries and running costs. Then it all comes down to how much business you can secure.


Kiwi is an accountant who does a bit of this modelling.
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Re: Want unlimited wind tunnel testing? [desert dude] [ In reply to ]
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desert dude wrote:
I could also be convinced to go in for $150k!

i don't know your entire financial history but that would go down as the worst financial decision you've ever made.
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Re: Want unlimited wind tunnel testing? [loxx0050] [ In reply to ]
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That's correct, as far as I know it was never assembled after purchase; it's been crated since it was moved. What he bought it for would shock everyone. It cost him quite a bit more to move it, actually. The story behind how he even bought it is pretty interesting, too.

Before it went up for sale publicly, we looked at this, spoke to other industries, specifically the auto industry since many design facilities for the major manufactures are here in SoCal. There was interest, but not enough for us to take the chance.

This particular tunnel is a rolling road setup. It would take a decent investment just to create a platform for cycling, though it had just been updated before it was shut down, so the electronics were, at the time, state of the art.

Want to make money from a wind tunnel? Buy the San Diego tunnel and then sell it to the airport authority. They want that land so bad I bet you'd come out ahead on a quick flip!

Jim Manton / ERO Sports
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Re: Want unlimited wind tunnel testing? [Jim@EROsports] [ In reply to ]
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Jim@EROsports wrote:
That's correct, as far as I know it was never assembled after purchase; it's been crated since it was moved. What he bought it for would shock everyone. It cost him quite a bit more to move it, actually. The story behind how he even bought it is pretty interesting, too.

Before it went up for sale publicly, we looked at this, spoke to other industries, specifically the auto industry since many design facilities for the major manufactures are here in SoCal. There was interest, but not enough for us to take the chance.

This particular tunnel is a rolling road setup. It would take a decent investment just to create a platform for cycling, though it had just been updated before it was shut down, so the electronics were, at the time, state of the art.

Want to make money from a wind tunnel? Buy the San Diego tunnel and then sell it to the airport authority. They want that land so bad I bet you'd come out ahead on a quick flip!

but you have to admit, the rolling road motif does create an opportunity not available so far our testing.

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman
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Re: Want unlimited wind tunnel testing? [Slowman] [ In reply to ]
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I think you're probably still going to have to figure out a way to stabilize the triathlete. Otherwise you're going to see a lot of athletes crashing.
Crashing isn't good for aerodynamics I'd guess.

I once got a tour of the rolling road wind tunnel in Charlotte that nascar, indy and other race teams use. It's pretty damn cool. The rolling road part of that tunnel costs > $250k. That's just the belt the cars are on when testing. In the summer they can't test after 1 or 2 pm bc they'll brown out the surrounding neighborhoods

Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

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Re: Want unlimited wind tunnel testing? [Jim@EROsports] [ In reply to ]
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You know more than I would've thought about the history of the purchase by Steve Hed. I actually know quite a bit more details on it but can't say much more due to NDA's. Let's just say there is more to get this setup besides a building to house it that would cost a significant amount to get it running...and when I say significant much more than the craigslist price is asking for. There is a bunch more missing than the average person or company realizes that is required to get it running unless you are in the wind tunnel industry that does this sort of stuff.

I did have a conversation with a HED sales rep the other year about it and HED has been paying storage fees on that thing for years since they bought it as it's sitting somewhere the whole time.
Last edited by: loxx0050: Apr 18, 19 6:37
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Re: Want unlimited wind tunnel testing? [Slowman] [ In reply to ]
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Slowman wrote:
Jim@EROsports wrote:
That's correct, as far as I know it was never assembled after purchase; it's been crated since it was moved. What he bought it for would shock everyone. It cost him quite a bit more to move it, actually. The story behind how he even bought it is pretty interesting, too.

Before it went up for sale publicly, we looked at this, spoke to other industries, specifically the auto industry since many design facilities for the major manufactures are here in SoCal. There was interest, but not enough for us to take the chance.

This particular tunnel is a rolling road setup. It would take a decent investment just to create a platform for cycling, though it had just been updated before it was shut down, so the electronics were, at the time, state of the art.

Want to make money from a wind tunnel? Buy the San Diego tunnel and then sell it to the airport authority. They want that land so bad I bet you'd come out ahead on a quick flip!

but you have to admit, the rolling road motif does create an opportunity not available so far our testing.

My insurance agent would probably drop me at the very thought of it!

The are 3 tunnels that I know of for sale in the US alone at the moment. Know why? It's not a growth industry.

Jim Manton / ERO Sports
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Re: Want unlimited wind tunnel testing? [Thomas Gerlach] [ In reply to ]
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Thomas Gerlach wrote:
Someone page GreenPlease.

I'm here. For a variety of reasons, I don't see that tunnel being a worthwhile undertaking... especially at that price.
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Re: Want unlimited wind tunnel testing? [loxx0050] [ In reply to ]
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Up until last year, I only suspected it was Steve who bought it. I was told, "We sold it to some guy with long silver hair from Minnesota." Lol. Who else could that be?

If the sellng price I was told is true, and I have no reason to believe it's not, it still pains me to think about but, yes, you're not just going to uncrate this thing, use a crescent wrench to put it together, and open your doors for business.

Had I received enough LOI's from other industries, I would've jumped on it, but it's just to much risk for me. The cycling industry alone wouldn't come close to keeping it running, aerospace doesn't need it, so it would have to be automotive. There's need there on this coast, but I wasn't convinced it was sustainable.

Jim Manton / ERO Sports
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Re: Want unlimited wind tunnel testing? [Jim@EROsports] [ In reply to ]
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PM me to let me know what is floating around the "telephone game" on what it "sold" for. Curious to know based on the info I am privy to.
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Re: Want unlimited wind tunnel testing? [Jim@EROsports] [ In reply to ]
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It's not 1:1, but..........I wonder how good someone who's been in the pharmaceutical industry for a good while working on HVAC projects for clean rooms would be.

The flow, temperature, humidity, studies, instrumentation, etc is not trivial at all. It's really involved. It is NOT a normal home or industrial HVAC system at all.

Even if they're not up to speed on the specific tunnel aspects, they'd be really good at commissioning.
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Re: Want unlimited wind tunnel testing? [Jim@EROsports] [ In reply to ]
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Jim@EROsports wrote:
Slowman wrote:
Jim@EROsports wrote:
That's correct, as far as I know it was never assembled after purchase; it's been crated since it was moved. What he bought it for would shock everyone. It cost him quite a bit more to move it, actually. The story behind how he even bought it is pretty interesting, too.

Before it went up for sale publicly, we looked at this, spoke to other industries, specifically the auto industry since many design facilities for the major manufactures are here in SoCal. There was interest, but not enough for us to take the chance.

This particular tunnel is a rolling road setup. It would take a decent investment just to create a platform for cycling, though it had just been updated before it was shut down, so the electronics were, at the time, state of the art.

Want to make money from a wind tunnel? Buy the San Diego tunnel and then sell it to the airport authority. They want that land so bad I bet you'd come out ahead on a quick flip!


but you have to admit, the rolling road motif does create an opportunity not available so far our testing.


My insurance agent would probably drop me at the very thought of it!

The are 3 tunnels that I know of for sale in the US alone at the moment. Know why? It's not a growth industry.

fine. i don't disagree with any of that. all i'm saying is, we never get bikes ridden in tunnels the way bikes are ridden on the road. here's one method that solves that. it's at least an interesting thought experiment!

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman
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Re: Want unlimited wind tunnel testing? [burnthesheep] [ In reply to ]
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burnthesheep wrote:
It's not 1:1, but..........I wonder how good someone who's been in the pharmaceutical industry for a good while working on HVAC projects for clean rooms would be.

The flow, temperature, humidity, studies, instrumentation, etc is not trivial at all. It's really involved. It is NOT a normal home or industrial HVAC system at all.

Even if they're not up to speed on the specific tunnel aspects, they'd be really good at commissioning.
Are you talking about me?
I now work on cleanroom HVAC CQV for the pharmaceutical industry and I have a MSc in Aerodynamics. My thesis project was aviation based and involved 5 weeks of boundary layer energisation testing in a big wind tunnel in the UK.

...but I don't think I'd jump into a project like this. The electrical infrastructure, energy costs, instrumentation (is there a bundle of instrumentation included or will the buyer need to purchase a load of pressure transducers and pitot tubes/rakes, balances, etc separately?), are all potential pitfalls aside from simply a building to put it in. How good is the tunnel? What's it's speed range, stability, and BL characteristics?
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Re: Want unlimited wind tunnel testing? [Ai_1] [ In reply to ]
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Ai_1 wrote:
Are you talking about me?
I now work on cleanroom HVAC CQV for the pharmaceutical industry and I have a MSc in Aerodynamics.

I had no idea. That's a coincidence. I only mentioned it because I've seen the folks come in on projects around here and it made me think about it.

Don't worry, I'd never buy the thing or consider it a worthwhile business investment. I almost wonder if the best purchaser would be a college looking for a long term set of senior design projects (ahem, free labor) to get the thing running.

As for the electrical and other stuff, I worked for an automation company for a little bit that pretty much would build you whatever you needed to durability test a rotating component. Bearings, military helicopter transmissions, car transmissions, automated bicycle cadence control devices, etc.......

They'd just kind of bid low and throw it to us and say "figure it out" and "here's $5 to make it happen".
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Re: Want unlimited wind tunnel testing? [burnthesheep] [ In reply to ]
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Interesting discussion. One would think Steve/HED would do an eye-popping amount of calculations before buying the thing, but someone messed up here if it hasn't been unpacked since purchase. You'd think it'd make sense to at least loan it out to the University of MN for students using it or something, if it wasn't financially feasible to convert it to cycling use.
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Re: Want unlimited wind tunnel testing? [burnthesheep] [ In reply to ]
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I have a similar specialty, though my background is patient care/operations and I'm a PharmD.
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Re: Want unlimited wind tunnel testing? [stevendex] [ In reply to ]
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stevendex wrote:
Interesting discussion. One would think Steve/HED would do an eye-popping amount of calculations before buying the thing, but someone messed up here if it hasn't been unpacked since purchase. You'd think it'd make sense to at least loan it out to the University of MN for students using it or something, if it wasn't financially feasible to convert it to cycling use.

I think it was just one of those deals that was too good to pass up at the time; no time to think, just grab it and see what happens. I'm sure some of the story (ies) I've been told are somewhat exaggerated at this point, but to hear it told, Steve came home one day and said to Anne, "Honey, guess what I bought today?"

Donating to a Univ. has been discussed, but I don't remember why it fell through. That was very recent...right before it went up on eBay. A Univ. and commercial collaboration would be a good way to go for this type of project. I doubt it will sell for the asking price. There's another tunnel for sale out there that would more likely be better suited to cycling anyway, and can handle some automotive, too.

Jim Manton / ERO Sports
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