Introduction to Catesby Aero Research Facility, CARF, the coast-down tunnel proving ground.

2026-01-0611

To be published on 04/07/2026

Authors
Abstract
Content
This paper reports on the Catesby Aero Research Facility (CARF), which began commercial use in 2019, and provides an overview of the facility and related technologies, particularly details on the vehicle-mounted component force measurement devices. CARF is a proving ground that was renovated from a former railway tunnel approximately 2.74km long and is now covered with high-quality tarmac. The road surface quality was designed to be at least as good as that of SUBARU's proving ground, and the standards were achieved using British construction technology. The course is almost straight, but there is a slight incline. The course specifications are: blockage 40m2, road width 6m (maximum 8.4m), flatness σ<0.5mm, and gradient 0.57%.In particular, compared to outdoor coastdown trucks, its overall length allows for continuous measurement right up to the stop, giving it a significant advantage in repeatability.At the same time, Subaru's newly developed six-component force sensor built into the hub unit allows for accurate measurement of downforce during driving. This technology achieves a dynamic range greater than that of stationary tire testing machines.In the area of ​​visualization, we succeeded in visualizing the flow around a vehicle in an environment with little external disturbance and by using a stationary PIV, which provided important insights for correlation with CFD.
Meta TagsDetails
Citation
Shimoyama, Hiroshi, "Introduction to Catesby Aero Research Facility, CARF, the coast-down tunnel proving ground.," SAE Technical Paper 2026-01-0611, 2026-, .
Additional Details
Publisher
Published
To be published on Apr 7, 2026
Product Code
2026-01-0611
Content Type
Technical Paper
Language
English