The 38-foot tall test platform shown — built by NAWCAD engineers from more than 100 shipping containers — helped evaluate V-22 air recirculation effects on the Osprey using dozens of anemometers affixed to the sides of the platform to measure airflow variation. The research enhances readiness for pilots operating off ships at sea, rooftop platforms, and other complex environments.

The same test platform is now being used to test hover performance for rotary vehicles near obstacles and inside confined areas. The U.S. Naval Test Pilot School’s UH-72A Lakota and UH-60L Black Hawk shown here hover inside the temporary structure constructed on an unused taxiway at NAS Patuxent River.