National Institute for Aviation Research

Your designs need validation. That's where we come in. Whether it's a material, component, system or full airframe; we'll push it, pull it, heat it, freeze it, zap it and test its limits. We work with certification agencies to prove compliance and help design issues. Our experience with countless unique projects and our capabilities, technology and expertise are unlike that of any other test lab. Bring us your test plans. You'll get results. Our Mission: To conduct research, transfer technology and enhance education for the purpose of advancing the nation’s aviation industry, and to assist non-aviation industries that may benefit from aviation-related technologies. Since 1985, National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) at Wichita State University (WSU) has made a name for itself as the most capable university-based aviation research center in the U.S., providing research, design, testing, certification and training to the aviation manufacturing industry, government agencies and other clients that can benefit from our services. With 320,000 sq ft of research and office space, NIAR is home to several labs, including: Advanced Coatings, Aging Aircraft, CAD/CAM, Composites & Advanced Materials, Computational Mechanics, Crash Dynamics, Environmental Test, Full-Scale Structural Test, Mechanical Test, Metrology, Nondestructive Test, Virtual Reality and the Walter H. Beech Wind Tunnel. As a department of WSU, NIAR operates on a non-profit budget that has steadily increased to more than $46 million in 2013. NIAR is able to integrate business, government and university entities in cooperative efforts to advance aviation technology. NIAR is also home to the FAA Center of Excellence for Composites and Advanced Materials (CECAM) and the National Center for Advanced Materials Performance (NCAMP), which is funded through the FAA and Air Force Research Laboratory. Our clients include Boeing, Bombardier Learjet, Cessna, Beechcraft and Spirit Aerosystems.