US Air Force 'torture chamber' for aircraft!

The McKinley Climatic Laboratory is both an active laboratory and a historic site located in Building 440 on Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The laboratory is part of the 96th Test Wing. The McKinley Climatic Lab tests equipment for extreme weather resistance. Located at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, the Lab has been open since 1947. It's the largest indoor-weather testing facility in the world. There are six chambers for various uses: ice storms, heavy rains, 165-degree heat, and 40 mph sandstorms. During heat tests, lamps mimic a 24-hour solar cycle. To make a deep freeze, the chamber acts like a giant AC, reaching lows of -40°F. For six months, the lab tested the F-35B stealth plane, turning the engine and throttle on with the plane chained to a platform. The chamber isn't only used for aircraft. Ford uses the lab to do extreme cold weather testing on its trucks. Google has used it to test its Project Loon balloons, and a company has even requested to bring in a snow blower. Using the lab isn't cheap. A day of testing in the main chamber costs between $10k-25k. The monthly electric bill is between $100k-200k, but it's better than the alternative, chasing bad weather and hoping for the best. (Video: Business Insider)