It would fill the inside of a three-story building, employ a 20,000-horsepower electric motor to drive a 35-ton fan, and reach more than 220 feet from diffuser to motor housing. Yet the centerline of the wind tunnel fan and fan drive could not deviate more than .031" throughout its length. And to really test the installer's skill, there would be no floating shafts to correct for misalignment.
Clearly, it was a job requiring precision alignment. Equally clearly, it was a job for Atlas.
Atlas Industrial Contractors, working as a subcontractor to Butt and Head, Inc., first established the centerline for the wind tunnel from which the general contractor made all construction measurements. Then, calling upon its full range of heavy rigging and installation skills, Atlas assembled the huge testing lab's components: a 40 x 50 foot intake; the 15-foot test section; the six-foot model support section; and the fan subassembly that would move turbulence-free air up to 450 mph.
When it was finally time to install the fan blades on the 25-foot, six-inch drive shaft, the tolerance between the blades and the fan housing could be no more than one-eighth of an inch. From planning to start-up, this job left no room for excuses. With Atlas on the job, there was no need for any.