NOAA/OMAO/AOC - G550 Icing Wind Tunnel

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Marine and Aviation Operations intends to solicit icing wind tunnel services and ancillary engineering support to characterize ice accretion and shedding on a Trace Gas Inlet pylon for installation on a Gulfstream 550 aircraft, with a Request for Information due by 10:00 a.m. ET on June 23, 2026.

Testing will evaluate ice accumulation and shedding patterns on a pylon extending 345 mm above the aircraft fuselage that provides external air sampling for cabin-mounted water vapor and air chemistry instruments. NOAA seeks 5–6 test points with baseline parameters specified by Gulfstream Aerospace: Calibrated Air Speed of 160.0 knots, Outside Ambient Temperature of 23.5°F, Droplet Mean Volumetric Diameter of 15 mm, Liquid Water Content of 0.707 grams per cubic meter, and test point duration of 2,700 seconds. Testing should include Supercooled Large Droplets exceeding 50 mm in diameter. The overall TGI assembly is approximately 385 mm in height and can be tested in horizontal orientation within the test chamber. Initial tests will use no heating; subsequent tests will evaluate various heater configurations to simulate deicing and anti-icing scenarios. The wind tunnel vendor must provide 115V power capability for heaters.

Interested firms must submit unclassified capability statements not exceeding 15 pages to Jennifer Peters, Contract Specialist, at Jennifer.peters@noaa.gov. Responses must include company profile information, contact details, facility availability within one year, and demonstration of ability to meet requirements, suggested alternatives or deviations, and interest in providing a quote if formally solicited. This RFI constitutes market research and does not commit the Government. No compensation will be provided for response development.