The settling chamber straightens the airflow. Uneven turbulent flows can cause unpredictable forces to be experienced and measured in the test section. The less turbulence there is, the better the wind tunnel will simulate actual flying conditions. The settling chamber usually includes a honeycomb flow straightener and wire mesh smoothing screens that produce a smooth airflow.

The honeycomb structure of a settling chamber is very effective at reducing swirling currents in the tunnel airflow.