1928 |
Aerospace
Engineering Professor Alexander Petroff and his students,
Dwayne L. Wallace, Jerry Gerteis and Tom Stalter, construct
the first wind tunnel at the University of Wichita.
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1948 |
A
7 x 10 ft. subsonic wind tunnel is
built by the Wichita State University College of Engineering under the supervision
of Ken Razak.
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1952 |
The wind tunnel is dedicated as the Walter H. Beech Memorial Wind Tunnel. |
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1985 |
The
Institute for Aviation Research is established at
Wichita State University. Labs include Aerodynamics,
Composites, Crash Dynamics, Human Factors, Aircraft
Icing, Structures, Propulsion, CAD/CAM and the Research
Machine Shop.
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1987 |
NIAR
receives federal funds to expand research support to
the aviation industry.
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1988 |
The
Institute is designated as a Kansas Technology Enterprise
Corporation Center of Excellence.
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1989 |
Construction
of the 74,000 square foot research facility housing
the Institute is completed and is dedicated on April
30 the following year.
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1990 |
The
Mid-America Manufacturing Technology Center is established
as a part of the Institute.
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1993 |
The
Computational Mechanics Laboratory is established.
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1995 |
NIAR
joins the NASA Advanced General Aviation Transport
Experiments (AGATE) program.
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1996 |
The
Institute formally establishes the Aircraft Design and Manufacturing
Research Center (ADMRC).
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1997 |
NIAR
is designated an FAA Airworthiness Assurance Center
of Excellence (AACE).
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1998 |
The
Mechatronics Laboratory is established.
The
Institute formally establishes the Manufacturing Innovation
and Development Initiative (MIND) in Aviation.
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1999 |
NIAR
initiates a statewide partnership to launch the Kansas
Small Aircraft Transportation System (KSATS) program
supported by NASA.
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2000 |
The Landing Gear Drop Tower Laboratory is created.
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2001 |
FAA
awards NIAR the Excellence in Aviation institutional award.
NIAR
is designated as a core member of the FAA Center for General
Aviation Research (CGAR).
The
Virtual Reality Center and the Visual Technology Laboratory are established.
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2002
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The Aging Aircraft Laboratory and the Ergonomics Laboratory are established.
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2003 |
The Fatigue and Fracture Laboratory is established.
The Walter H. Beech Memorial Wind Tunnel undergoes a $6 million upgrade.
FAA
designates NIAR as the lead institution for the Center of
Excellence for Composites and Advanced Materials (CECAM).
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2004 |
NIAR
creates the National Center for Advanced Materials Performance
(NCAMP).
The
Crash Dynamics Laboratory undergoes modernization, including
a $3 million acceleration sled.
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2005 |
NIAR
gains the full-scale structural testing facility at Raytheon Aircraft Co. It is established as the Aircraft Structural Testing and Evaluation Center (ASTEC).
The
Advanced Joining & Processing Laboratory is established.
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2006 |
NIAR’s research efforts catapult WSU to a No. 4 ranking by the National Science Foundation among all U.S. universities in aeronautical research and development. WSU was previously ranked No. 7.
The Advanced Joining & Processing Lab receives a grant from the National Science Foundation to become part of its Center for Friction Stir Processing (CFSP).
The Calibration & Quality Laboratory is established.
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2007 |
The first two Environmental Testing Laboratories, the Susceptibility Test Lab and Indirect Lightning Test Lab, open for their first clients.
NIAR gains 14,000 square feet of additional research space in a new building located north of NIAR’s main facility. The building will house additional environmental testing equipment, the machine shop for the Composites Lab, an ASTM lab and 23 MTS load frames for the Structures and Fatigue and Fracture Labs. |
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2008 |
WSU ranks third among all U.S. universities in aerospace engineering research and development, according to National Science Foundation data, improving its fourth place ranking.
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