https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/4c9db1bb-9bf5-4614-92bb-de3824623d8f This 36-second video taken November 8, 1979 shows a Boeing 747 undergoing a wing-tip vortex test over Runway 18 at Edwards Air Force Base in California's Mojave Desert. As part of the overall NASA study of trailing vortices -- the invisible flow of spiraling air that trails from the wings of large aircraft and can "upset" smaller aircraft flying behind -- the NASA Flight Research Center (FRC; now Armstrong) borrowed a Boeing 747 jetliner for testing. The B-747 had been purchased by NASA for the Space Shuttle program and assigned to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. Six smoke generators were installed under the wings of the B-747 to provide a visual image of the trailing vortices. The objective was to test different configurations and mechanical devices on the B-747 that could be used to break up or lessen the strength of the vortices. This could lead to shorter spacing between landings and take-offs, thereby helping to alleviate air traffic congestion. Over 30 flights the B-747 aircraft were flown using a combination of wing spoilers in an attempt to reduce wake vortices. To evaluate the effectiveness of the different configurations, chase aircraft were introduced into the vortex sheets to probe their strengths and patterns at different times. Two of the chase airplanes used were the FRC's Cessna T-37 and the NASA Ames Research Center's Learjet. These aircraft were representative of the business jets and smaller aircraft which might encounter large passenger carrying aircraft on approach or landings around major airports, or in flight. Tests without the B-747 wing spoilers deployed produced violent "upset" problems for the T-37 aircraft at a distance of around 3 miles. From the magnitude of the problems found, distances of as much as 10 miles were required if spoilers were not employed. With two spoilers on the outer wing panels used, the T-37 could fly at a distance of 3 miles and not experience an "upset" problem. The wake vortex study continued even after the B-747 was returned to its primary mission of carrying the Space Shuttle Orbiter. Mirrored from YouTube: https://youtu.be/ThU_cz75VuM Original channel: NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center Wed, 15 Jul 2026 09:34:38 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://peertube.dngr.us https://peertube.dngr.us/lazy-static/avatars/ec5edb1e-3795-4978-be4f-c67e98fbc992.png https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/4c9db1bb-9bf5-4614-92bb-de3824623d8f All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://peertube.dngr.us/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.