McKinley Climatic Laboratory in Elgin Air Force Base, Florida.

Opened in 1947, this remarkable US Air Force-owned and operated facility is essentially a combination of a giant freezer and huge oven.

Used mainly to test US Military aircraft in extreme weather conditions, it is also used by commercial aircraft and business jet manufacturers to test aircraft awaiting final certification in very cold, very hot and very humid weather conditions in a laboratory environment.

Capable of generating over 990 tonnes of refrigeration for example, the equivalent of 1,500 home air conditioning units, this “hangar” in Florida can create temperatures as low as -65 degrees or +165 degrees Celcius, all in one day.

Used by all the major aircraft manufacturers for extreme weather testing as part of their certification approval requirements, the process normally takes about two weeks to complete and can can cost up to US$25,000 per day to “rent” the facility from the US Air Force. Cheaper and easier of course than flying the aircraft to similar real-world conditions…even if there was a usable runway nearby such conditions and available exactly when required.

It is also used by many of the the world’s car manufacturers which is just as well – the normal monthly electricity cost is well over US$100,000.

Secure the aircraft to the floor for full engine runs and away you go? Need North Pole and Equator conditions in the space of a few hours? Sounds simple but it’s not of course. Furthermore, it is a necessary, complicated and costly part of of the certification process for any commercial aircraft. Ah, the joys of being an OEM.