New aircraft paint cuts heat-related errors by 25% in tests above Mach 5

Engineers at The University of Manchester developed a pressure-sensitive paint for wind tunnel testing that is far less affected by temperature. Its temperature sensitivity fell to about 0.3 percent per degree Celsius, 25 percent lower than the industry benchmark. The coating was tested in a supersonic wind tunnel at speeds above Mach 5.

• Paint temperature sensitivity is about 0.3 percent per degree Celsius
• That is 25 percent lower than the current industry benchmark
• Tests ran in a supersonic wind tunnel at speeds above Mach 5
• The paint revealed Görtler vortices, matching simulation results