Classroom demos
Show laminar and turbulent flow, Bernoulli and drag in five minutes. Students watch the streak split over a car or peel off a stalled wing instead of reading about it.
Desk or BenchSee the air.
Wakelab · smoke wind tunnels
Light an incense stick, switch on the fan, and one thread of smoke flows over your model. Watch it split at a windshield, cling to a wing, or curl into the wake. Two sizes: one for your desk, one for the lab bench.
Desk · 380 mm · from $89
Bench · 730 mm · from $189
Files from $14
Test-shape set
Loading 3D model…
0.8m/s
Test section · Re ≈ 3,000
Drag to orbit
What people use it for
One streak, a lot of lessons
Anything that changes how air moves shows up in the smoke. A few of the ways a Wakelab earns its spot on the shelf:
Science fair projects
Compare shapes with photos and a ruler: how long is the wake behind a sphere versus a teardrop? Print your own designs and test them the same afternoon.
Desk or BenchModel cars & spoilers
Try a wing, a lowered roof or a new tailgate on a 1:64 (Bench) or 1:87 (Desk) model and see where the air lets go, before you print the final version.
Best on BenchWings, drones & RC
The shape set's NACA 0012 wings at 0°, 8° and 16° show attached flow, lift and stall side by side. Bring your own airfoil and find where it gives up.
Desk or Bench + shape setEngineering & CFD students
The Ahmed body is the standard test shape in car aerodynamics research. Photograph its real wake and put it next to your simulation.
Desk or Bench + shape setArchitecture & wind
Set a block-model building in the test section and watch wind wrap around corners and drop into the street behind it.
Best on Bench
How the air moves
Five stages, one clean streak
The fan sits at the far end and pulls. Air is straightened, slowed, then squeezed before it reaches your model, so the smoke arrives as a single steady line instead of a cloud. Drawing shows the Desk to scale.
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1Inlet
Bellmouth + honeycomb
A flared lip eases room air in. Hundreds of hexagonal cells strip out swirl and gusts.
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2Settle
Settling chamber
The air slows right down. The incense stick stands here on the centerline, so smoke leaves the ember as one thin thread.
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3Squeeze
Contraction
A fifth-order curve narrows the duct. Area drops, speed rises by the same factor, and leftover turbulence is flattened.
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4Test
Test section
Black walls, a clear side window and a light window on top. Your model screws to an M3 mount in the middle of the view.
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5Pull
Fan
The fan draws air through from behind, so its swirl never reaches the model. Turn it down for a crisp streak.
Compare
Desk or Bench?
| Spec | Wakelab Desk | Wakelab Bench |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Desks, classrooms, small models | Lab benches, bigger models, longer wakes |
| Overall size | 380 × 124 × 134 mm, about 0.8 kg | 730 × 290 × 247 mm, about 4 kg |
| Test section | 60 × 60 × 138 mm | 100 × 100 × 240 mm |
| Viewing window | 108 × 44 mm + top light slot | 190 × 102 mm + top light strip |
| Contraction | 3:1, fifth-order | 4:1, fifth-order |
| Straightener | Built into the intake, 5 mm cells | Separate honeycomb, 7 mm cells |
| Fan & power | 80 mm USB fan, 3 speeds, any USB charger | 120 mm PWM fan, 12 V adapter included |
| Air speed | About 0.3–1.5 m/s | About 0.2–2 m/s |
| Models up to | 20 × 18 mm frontal (HO / 1:87) | 35 × 30 mm frontal (1:64) |
| Assembly | Push-fit, no tools, 10 minutes | Bolted flanges, about an hour |
| Printing the files | 180 mm printer · ≈0.6 kg PLA · ≈15 h | 256 mm printer · ≈2.2 kg PLA · ≈54 h |
| Price | Files $14 · kit $89 · built $129 | Files $24 · kit $189 · built $269 |
What's in the box
Parts list
Questions
Before you order
Desk or Bench: which should I get?
Get the Desk if you want it on a desk or a classroom table, use small (HO / 1:87) models or the shape set, or print it on a smaller printer. Get the Bench for bigger 1:64 models, longer wakes you can see more detail in, and a sturdier lab piece.
Is the smoke safe indoors?
Incense makes real smoke. Run the tunnel in a ventilated room, use unscented sticks, keep it on a non-flammable surface and never leave a lit stick unattended. It's designed for ages 14 and up, with an adult around while incense is burning.
What can I put in the test section?
Anything small that sits still: model cars, the shape set, a wing you designed, a building block. Keep it under about 10% of the test-section area (20 × 18 mm on the Desk, 35 × 30 mm on the Bench) so the flow around it stays realistic. Screw it down through the M3 floor hole or use poster putty.
When will it ship?
Every kit is printed to order. Kits and assembled tunnels ship within 5–7 business days by US ground, with tracking emailed to you. Digital files are available right after checkout.
How fast is the air?
About 0.3–1.5 m/s in the Desk and 0.2–2 m/s in the Bench. The streak stays crisp at low speed; turn it up to watch the wake behind the cab break into eddies.
What printer do I need for the files?
The Desk fits any 180 × 180 × 180 mm printer (Bambu A1 mini, Prusa MINI and up): about 0.6 kg of PLA and 15 hours. The Bench's biggest parts are 230 mm square, so it needs a printer with a bed of about 256 mm, about 2.2 kg of PLA and 50+ hours.
Can I return it?
Unused kits can come back within 30 days. Engraved plaques and digital files can't be returned once made or downloaded, but anything that arrives damaged or defective gets replaced. The full policy is on the shipping & returns page.