Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust Gifts $1.2 Million for Wind Tunnel Research Facility at UCLA Samueli
Support will kick-start the first phase of an aerodynamics research space to improve aircraft design and flight safety
Aerolab
Rendering of the proposed wind tunnel, the first phase of the planned research facility
UCLA Samueli Newsroom
Unlike conventional wind tunnels, the new facility will be equipped to produce complex, controlled wind gusts, three-dimensional flow disturbances and varying levels of turbulence.
By recreating airflow disturbances that aircraft encounter during severe weather or near mountains and buildings, the facility will help researchers evaluate aircraft performance under challenging conditions. The findings could inform aircraft design, airspace management, flight safety, advanced air mobility and autonomous systems.
“We are grateful to the Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust for helping UCLA Samueli expand its capabilities in experimental aerodynamics,” said Ah-Hyung “Alissa” Park, the Ronald and Valerie Sugar Dean of Engineering at UCLA Samueli. “This investment will allow our researchers to investigate challenging flight conditions while providing hands-on learning opportunities for the next generation of engineers.”
The facility’s research program will be led by Anya Jones, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering who specializes in experimental aerodynamics. Jones, who joined UCLA Samueli in 2024, heads the Separated and Transient Aerodynamics Laboratory, which studies unsteady airflow and its effects on aircraft.
“Generating complex gusts in a laboratory setting enables us to bridge a critical gap between theoretical modeling and unpredictable, real-world flight conditions,” Jones said. “This facility will allow us to develop and test new flow-control and gust-rejection mechanisms to make future aviation safer and more efficient.” A private pilot herself, Jones also mentors students in aviation research through laboratory projects and student engineering teams.
Development of the facility, to be housed in the Engineering IV building, is scheduled to begin in January 2027. The initial phase, encompassing the core wind tunnel design and construction, is expected to be completed by January 2028. Specialized systems for generating gusts and other unsteady airflow conditions will be added in subsequent phases.
This phased approach will allow undergraduate and graduate students to participate directly in designing, installing and testing the facility’s equipment.
Established in 1984, the Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust supports research and development in aviation science and technology.