National Institute for Aviation Research, Wichita State University

06/11/2025

What started as a graduate research project, Shocker Composites is a startup founded by Wichita State University alum Dr. Vamsidhar Patlolla.

In collaboration with Patlolla, NIAR provided support in material characterization and mechanical testing for his riveting and sustainable method of recycling carbon fiber waste. This waste is transformed into high quality composite material solutions able to serve multiple industries.

Shocker Composites is another example of how Wichita State can foster an innovative mindset in its students and place them on a path to realize and commercialize their creative prospects. Read more in the article below:

June 9, 2025 — Shocker Composites, founded by Wichita State alum Vamsidhar Patlolla, transforms carbon fiber waste into high-performance, sustainable materials using a recycling method he developed during his graduate research. With support from Wichita State’s NIAR and Innovation Campus, the co...

06/06/2025

Wrapping up the week with more updates on the Hub for Advanced Manufacturing Research (HAMR).

• Weather barrier, brick veneer and window installation is complete
• Exterior insulation is halfway complete
• Roof is complete
• Entry stairs are now installed and ready to be poured
• Drywall has been placed in multiple rooms

Spanning 160,000 square feet, HAMR will be the next state-of-the-art Wichita State University research facility and a pillar of advanced and additive manufacturing technology and training. HAMR is projected to be complete by fall 2025.

https://www.wichita.edu/industry_and_defense/NIAR/Partnerships/hamr_building.php

06/05/2025

Congratulations to the winners of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Award from the Wichita State University College of Engineering 2025 Open House! 🥇 The team members were Julia McLaughlin, in-service repair static stress engineer at Airbus; Hunter Robertson, systems engineer research technician III at NIAR; Zachary Oakley, technical publications engineer at Textron Aviation and Jason Hildreth, aircraft component identifier on the NIAR Digital Twin Programs.

This team was tasked with designing, testing, and building a fixed-wing RC airplane with a 40-inch wingspan capable of a short takeoff and landing from a 16-foot-long platform elevated four feet off the ground. The team’s mission was a payload pickup from a separate runway. The team utilized a lifting-body fuselage to maximize lift as well as configurable flaps placed directly behind the props to take full advantage of the blown-wing effect. The payload pickup system was an Arduino-based system that used two hooks under the fuselage to both detect and retract the payload into the fuselage with a switch-activated payload door. Scoring factors included aircraft empty weight, number of motors, battery capacity, number of payloads safely delivered, and bonus points for additional aerial maneuvers and automation of the payload pickup system. The team was able to secure every available point in the competition, including all bonus points.

06/04/2025

Congratulations to the winners of the Excellence in Aviation Research Award from the Wichita State University College of Engineering 2025 Open House! 🥇 The recipients are Sarah Varner, student assistant at the Walter H. Beech wind tunnel; Brylea Schmidt, student assistant in the Advanced Materials Research Team; Erik Andersen, previous student assistant at Walter H. Beech wind tunnel; and Holden Goertzen. Every member is graduating with bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering.

This team designed, prototyped, and tested an active flow control (AFC) drag reduction system (DRS) by modification of semi-truck side extender flaps. These flaps were required to move and hold at set angles for wind tunnel testing via an internal motorized system. After going through more testing with an integrated customer test matrix and Beta sweeps with the AFC system, data reduction and analysis was conducted to derive a drag optimization algorithm relating flap deflection to drag reduction. Once the wind tunnel and primarily drag/axial force data was analyzed, the team saw up to a 4.2% decrease in drag, which roughly equates to a 2% increase in fuel efficiency. The team was thrilled by the results, and extremely thankful to International Motors Inc. and everyone who made the experiment possible.

06/03/2025

Haylee Thurman, Automation Technical Lead at the NIAR Automation Research Center (ARC), has been on an invigorating leadership journey through her time at Wichita State. She is projected to graduate this fall, leaving an impactful mark on many of NIAR’s projects. Read more about her leadership role and development in this article:

As a senior in the applied engineering program at Wichita State University, Haylee Thurman is scheduled to graduate this fall with an emphasis in management. Her academic journey, however, is only part of the story. Since the start of her college career, she has been steadily shaping a dynamic and i...

06/02/2025

From June 9-13, learn how to operate and maintain an Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) machine through basic and advanced training. Participants will free-form probe parts, repair thermoset and thermoplastic layups and use multiple software systems compatible with the equipment.

Register today and follow the link for more information: https://www.wichita.edu/industry_and_defense/NIAR/Workshops/afp-operations-maintenance-class.php

05/30/2025

Stratasys and AdvancedTek arrived on Wichita State University’s Innovation Campus yesterday as part of their Experience Stratasys Tour. The mobile showroom housed the latest and greatest industrial equipment in 3D printing and additive manufacturing, as well as some fascinating 3D printed parts. Take a look!

05/27/2025

🛠️ You're invited to join AdvancedTek and Stratasys Thursday, May 29 at Wichita State University's Innovation Campus for an open house event!

🚛 The Experience Stratasys Tour brings the latest in 3D printing innovation directly to you-right inside a mobile showroom packed with industrial equipment and experts to answer any questions you may have.

💡No matter your profession, we encourage you to visit and see firsthand how additive manufacturing is transforming product development.

RSVP HERE: https://events.stratasys.com/experiencestratasyswsu

05/21/2025

The grand opening of the Manufacturing Innovation Center hosted by Dassault Systèmes has been a blast! 🎉

Developed in collaboration with NIAR, the Manufacturing Innovation Center aims to help companies improve their efficiency using virtual twin technology and 3D design solutions. Demonstrations and tours to attend at the event are at the eXtended Reality (XR) Lab, the Automation Research Center and the Reverse Engineering and Additive Manufacturing Labs.

This new facility represents Wichita State University’s and Dassault Systèmes’s dedication to build towards a more innovative future where real-world challenges can be solved, and we are excited to be a part of it 🛠️

05/16/2025

With the spring 2025 semester coming to a close, we would like to take a moment to thank all the students, faculty, staff and industry leaders at Wichita State University that make being part of this community great. We are proud to be a part of Wichita State and help drive innovation for the aviation industry. We also would like to congratulate all the graduating seniors who have worked for NIAR on their monumental achievement. We hope you take what you have learned from applied research far into your professional careers. Congratulations Class of 2025! 🍾🎉 And thank you to all who have contributed to NIAR's efforts. Here's to all the good things to come.

05/16/2025

Last, but not least in our JAMS 2025 Technical Review Series is Alex Martens! Alex is a research engineer at NIAR specializing in advanced composites slitting, with eight years of experience related to aerospace manufacturing. His session will be focused on evaluating the compatibility of developmental materials with Automated Fiber Placement. We can't wait to see you all on May 20-22 at the Indiana Convention Center where we can discuss the future of our industry.

https://www.wichita.edu/industry_and_defense/NIAR/jams/jams-homepage.php

05/14/2025

Another representative of NIAR at the JAMS 2025 is here! Meet Matthew Opliger, a senior research engineer and program manager at NIAR. He specializes in composite and advanced materials research, standardization and certification by supporting government industry. Matt is also a co-chair for the Composite Materials Handbook (CMH-17) CMC Testing Work Group. Learn more about advanced materials and research through his session on May 20-22 at the Indiana Convention Center.

https://www.wichita.edu/industry_and_defense/NIAR/jams/jams-homepage.php