Aircraft Research Association Bedford

Aircraft Research Association (ARA) Bedford is an independent aerodynamic research and test centre, now part of the BAE Systems Air FalconWorks business. Its Bedford site provides transonic wind-tunnel testing, computational aerodynamics, instrumented model design and manufacture, propulsion testing, optical measurement, store-separation and other specialist aerodynamic services for civil, military and space programmes. The current UK Space Facilities listing identifies ARA’s transonic capability as available and says its supersonic and hypersonic tunnels are currently not in service; contact ARA for current technical capability and access rather than treating the site as a public visitor attraction. The facility operates from a controlled research campus at Manton Lane, Bedford.