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Well I'm here at MIRA, home to the largest wind tunnel in the UK
and the perfect place to put the Everest windows to the test.
So let me talk you through the setup. Here we have an Everest window
which has been fitted into a wall in exactly the same way as it would be into any house
and then round here look at this: four enormous propellers
which will suck the air through the tunnel creating winds up to 80 miles per hour!
Now that is definitely going to show us exactly what those windows are capable of.
This is cosy.
Right.
Ok, I think we're all ready
Ok, Ivan, I'm here
ready to crank it up
30 miles an hour Ivan
30 miles an hour
that's quite a strong wind isn't it? I'll open the window and see, just to make sure it is.
40? 40 miles an hour. Thanks Ivan. 40 miles an hour. It's getting noisier.
It's getting noisier.
60 miles an hour. I can't feel a single, single draught
Boy it's really getting noisy now. It's really quite exciting isn't it?
seventy miles an hour. No draughts at all. And Everest is keeping out a large amount of this noise as well, even though it is quite noisy in here, remember there's four propellers.
78 miles an hour. Thanks Ivan. That is maximum. Well let's try the window. No, there is no way that is opening, because of the pressure from the wind outside. It wouldn't be an Everest test without the feather. Look at that, not a single draught. Can you believe that? I think that's brilliant. A very good test. Thanks Ivan -- let's cut it. That was brilliant. Ok, well that was an 80 mile an hour wind.
But how strong is an 80 hour mile an hour wind?
Well there's only one way to find out, and that's experience it myself.
The guys have arranged a nice soft landing for me in case I get blown over.
Right, here goes.
Goggles are on.
Right, how come I got Everest to do this stuff?
I can't believe I'm doing this.
That was mad!
I can assure that if you are in an 80 mile an hour wind
the best place to be would be behind an Everest window.
and to think that actually that window is tested to withstand 130 miles an hour
well that is quite astonishing.