National Institute for Aviation Research Suppliers Showroom

Eric Hein joins NIAR as director of strategy, product development

Eric Hein, a veteran of more than 20 years in aerospace and defense with leadership positions held at Spirit AeroSystems, Cessna and Boeing, will lead strategic planning and product development initiatives.

Are you attending? Carbon Fiber 2025 agenda is finalized

The lineup for this year’s Carbon Fiber conference in Wichita, Kansas, centers around high rate, scalability and other current industry trends, all targeted through carefully curated presentations, panels, receptions and local tours.

Airframe Designs invests in continuous carbon fiber printing, complex parts as part of AM growth strategy

Qualifying and aligning with NCAMP for polymers and composites, 3D printed parts include radomes, air ducts, molds and helicopter enclosure panels, being delivered to well-known groups in aviation, defense and space.

Fiber Dynamics, Fill GmbH partner to expand U.S. aerocomposites

The collaboration, supported by NIAR, will boost domestic production capabilities and global competitiveness.

What you might have missed at Paris Air Show 2025

A surge in defense spending, partnerships in hydrogen propulsion and new combat aircraft agreements, many backed by composites industry leaders, culminated the 55th Paris Air Show.

Aerospace manufacturing innovations demonstrate the future of aerocomposites

CAMX 2025: Attendees are able to explore several of NIAR ATLAS’ prototype developments in person, highlighting tool-less space manufacturing, AI-enabled inspection and repair and thermoplastic overmolding.

Wichita State, Dassault Systèmes open Manufacturing Innovation Center

Aviation companies of all sizes will be able to improve their resilience and efficiency via the center’s virtual design, automation and additive manufacturing capabilities.

NIAR innovates overmolded TPC production process for eVTOLs

Fully automated hybrid thermoforming and injection overmolding process was executed to produce complex thermoplastic composite rib structure in 2 minutes versus 100-hour metal counterpart.

NIAR, SNC partnership to modernize USAF 747-8i aircraft

As part of the SAOC program, NIAR will replace the outdated Nightwatch aircraft, vital to U.S. Air Force operations, using its expertise in composites, 3D printing and Industry 4.0.

Wichita’s NIAR delivers fiber metal laminate test panel to FAA

Aluminum and fiberglass fuselage panel is one of five panels that NIAR and partners are designing, fabricating and testing to assess emerging metallic structure technologies.

Changing future outcomes with the materials of the future

This past October was plagued with a series of unfortunate natural disasters that, amidst ongoing travel for CW, has provided a poignant reminder of composites’ importance in facing future events.

Renegade Materials earns NCAMP certification for low-dielectric prepreg

Thermoset prepreg using quartz fabric, well suited for aircraft manufacturers and aircraft part suppliers, has completed qualification and will be listed in the NCAMP database and CMH-17.

Composite combat drone inlet duct proves novel fabrication approach

The 30-foot overbraided Frankenstein demonstrator was designed by NIAR, A&P and Fiber Dynamics to explore more flexible manufacturing of complex composite structures.

NIAR receives $10 million NASA funding for high-temp advanced materials

Specialized research program will develop, mature and implement composites and other novel materials for use in hypersonic vehicles.

NIAR adds flight test facility for eVTOL aircraft testing

In addition to providing a controlled environment for conducting restrained eVTOL aircraft operation, NIAR provides material development and other testing options.

NIAR, KraussMaffei cooperation enables efficient aerospace aircraft conversion

Incorporation of FiberForm advances NIAR ability to convert metallic components to fiber-reinforced thermoplastic versions in cargo aircraft.

NCAMP advances collaboration with South Korean aviation/testing institutes

The two entities will enhance the use of advanced materials in aircraft, with technology and information exchange related to composite materials certification.

Innovation Award finalists revealed for JEC World 2024

Returning to the international composites trade show are the Innovation Awards, representing up to 33 finalists in 11 categories that highlight composites innovation excellence and fruitful collaborations.

NIAR seeks industry experts for new digital twins study

Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute is seeking representatives to assess technology gaps related to virtual commissioning and creation of digital twins.

Composites manufacturing for general aviation aircraft

General aviation, certified and experimental, has increasingly embraced composites over the decades, a path further driven by leveraged innovation in materials and processes and the evolving AAM market.

JEC World 2023 preview

JEC World is the composites industry’s largest trade event, featuring exhibits, presentations and specialized pavilions covering the entire composites industry supply chain.

NIAR labs receive AS, ISO certification

The National Institute for Aviation Research’s ATLAS facility receives AS9100 and ISO 9001:2015 certification. The AMP Lab was awarded AS9100 and ISO 9001:2015 certification.

FAA releases final report for Advanced Materials and Processes Survey for AAM, UAS

Proposed research authored by WSU-NIAR and Mississippi State Advanced Composites Institute offers techniques to identify, assess and understand composites and other materials use in aviation applications.

CMH-17 publishes new revision of Volume 1 for “Polymer Matrix Composites”

Volume 1, which contains guidelines for determining information related to polymer matrix composites (PMCs), now features amended roadmaps and complete chapter revisions.

Swinburne AIR Hub partners with NIAR to drive local, international aerospace innovations

Collaboration will focus on digitization of aerospace composites, advanced manufacturing technologies and specialized simulation capabilities to pave the way for cleaner, greener, more affordable aviation.

Plant tour: National Institute for Aviation Research, Wichita, Kan., U.S.

NIAR, located at Wichita State University in the heart of the American aerospace manufacturing industry, has evolved to become a premier hub of teaching, R&D, creativity and innovation.

Higher performance, lower cost helicopter rotor blades developed with OOA, FAA-qualified composites

Erickson Inc. and partner Toray Advanced Composites replaced legacy aluminum S-64 main rotor blades with out-of-autoclave, multi-material composite alternatives.

NIAR opens six-week Composite Structural Engineering Technology course registration

Online course provides an overview of essential engineering practices and knowledge for certification of aircraft structures. The first module begins March 15th.

Next-generation composites qualification

Fully digital qualification hasn’t yet arrived, but simulation and analysis software continue to evolve and work together with physical testing practices.

CGTech joins NIAR to support ATLAS research

CGTech's AFP/ATL programming and simulation software will be used to support ATLAS aerospace composites research at the National Institute of Aviation Research.

Wichita State University receives $2 million grant to advance aerospace composites

The grant will fund equipment for a NIAR-led project aimed at developing protocols for AFP processes in manufacturing thermoplastic aircraft structures.

NIAR's NCAMP qualifying TenCate thermoplastic composite

TenCate’s Cetex TC1225 T700GC 12K T1E unidirectional tape is a low-melt polyaryletherketone (LMPAEK) and is part of a broad effort by the National Center for Advanced Materials Performance (NCAMP) to qualify thermoplastic materials.

NIAR selects Coriolis Composites to provide thermoplastics capable AFP system

The new system will contribute to NIAR’s technology development efforts in the area of three-dimensional thermoplastics automation.

NIAR establishes engineering design and modification team

Consultant team comprised of 35 engineers previously employed by the Bombardier Flight Test Center.

Orthopedics: Carbon foam fosters bone growth

The Center of Innovation for Biomaterials in Orthopedic Research (CIBOR) at the National Institute for Aviation Research (Wichita, KS, US) has two patents on the use of carbon foam as a bone-graft material to improve success in orthopedic implants.

Lightning strike protection strategies for composite aircraft

Tried-and-true materials thrive, but new approaches and new forms designed to process faster are entering the marketplace.

Aiming infusion at the application

With so many process variables to play with, how do you know which new solutions that promise better, faster infusion are right for your application?

Shared composite material property databases

Work at NCAMP is proceeding, with several new materials undergoing testing.

Resins for the Hot Zone, Part I: Polyimides

As next-generation aerospace programs demand higher service temperatures in structural and hot section components, a variety of polyimides vie for program approval.

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