Boeing 747 Wing Tip Vortex Test

This 36 second movie clip shows the Boeing 747 Wing Tip Vortex Test. As part of the overall National Aeronautics and Space Administration (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) 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. Six smoke generators were installed under the wings of the B-747 to provide a visual image of the trailing vortices. Please visit my norwegian aircraft list website: