This technological marvel was built in France due to the tenacity and pugnacity of a French engineer, Marcel Pierre, who imagined and, in 1937, proposed to the French authorities the creation of a wind tunnel to test large-size wing models. His idea was not followed up, but at the end of the Second World War a french mission seeking out German infrastructure discovered in a valley in the Tyrol, Austria, a gigantic wind tunnel under construction that was extremely similar to Marcel Pierre’s proposition. He was thus charged with bringing it back to France. This was not an easy task as the Americans, extremely interested by the construction, tried their hardest to get their hands on it, even attempting to hijack the french wagons that had been loaded with parts.

Today, thanks to its masterful conception, the S1 wind tunnel is a major factor in the success that European aviation has enjoyed. As shown by recent tests on models of the Airbus A380 that allowed the ratification and improvement of its flight capacity.