researchers test cars and planes in extreme weather conditions inside lab

located in building 440 on eglin air force base in florida, the mckinley climatic laboratory was built in 1944 as a cold-weather testing facility suggested by ashley mckinley. the insulated and refrigerated hangar has an office and instrumentation building, a cold-weather engine test cell, the refrigeration system, mechanical-draft cooling towers, and a steam-heating plant. it was developed to test cars and airplanes — military and private — in extreme weather conditions like -40ºC whiteout blizzards.

F-35B fighter facing strong winds, ice clouds and whiteout blizzards
main and above images U.S navy/photo by michael d. jackson

the mckinley climatic laboratory is able to simulate climate conditions from arctic cold to jungle moisture. thanks to it, tests have been applied to three hundred aircrafts and over two thousand items of equipment, resulting in vital information on performance, safety, and reliability. its main chamber is the largest environmental one in the world, measuring approximately 252 feet wide, 260 feet deep and 70 feet high. this area has allowed aircrafts such as the B-2 bomber and the C-5 galaxy to be tested in temperatures that range between -65 degrees fahrenheit to 165 degrees fahrenheit. the simulations of climatic conditions also include heat, snow, rain, wind, sand and dust.

lockheed martin’s F-22 raptor fighter jet testing in arctic lows
image by USAF—lockheed martin

on july 5th, 2017, an explosion occurred at one of the supporting buildings of the lab where a large smoke plume started appearing on top of it. officials said the smoke could’ve contained methyl chloride, alerting people to avoid contact with it as exposure can produce central nervous system effects similar to drug intoxication. it is unknown the damage the laboratory suffered.