Alenia’s EM test chamber nearly ready
Electromagnetic (EM) compatibility testing, which has become increasingly important with the advent of new technologies such as fly-by-wire controls, the s

Electromagnetic (EM) compatibility testing, which has become increasingly important with the advent of new technologies such as fly-by-wire controls, the saturation of airspace with high-frequency EM emissions and the decision by some airlines to allow mobile phone calls aboard their aircraft has prompted Alenia Aeronautica to build Europe’s largest anechoic chamber.

The chamber, located at the Italian group’s Caselle Sud flight test center near Turin, is in the final stages of testing. Large sliding doors allow the simulator to take the front ends of aircraft up to the size of Boeing 737s and the facility is the largest of its type in Europe. The chamber is completely shielded in zinc-coated steel panels and covered with radiowave-absorbing material.