The National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) at Wichita State University recently
completed fabrication and delivery of a full-scale fuselage structural test panel
to the FAA’s William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, NJ.
In partnership with Arconic, Embraer and NIAR, the FAA is assessing emerging metallic
structures technologies (EMST) through test and analysis using the FAA’s Full-Scale
Aircraft Structural Test Evaluation and Research and Structures and Materials Lab.
Several technologies will be considered including advanced aluminum–lithium alloys
and hybrid construction. Altogether, five fuselage panels with various EMST will be
designed, fabricated, and tested in this multi-year effort.
This panel is the fourth panel evaluating the fatigue and damage tolerance capabilities
of fuselage structure using hybrid Fiber Metal Laminate (FML) as reinforcement between
skin and substructures. The upcoming fifth panel will be optimized version of panel
4 considering weight saving and reducing manufacturing cost.
NIAR engineers collaborated with industry partners to design and fabricate the test
panel – with analytical support from Embraer and advanced aluminum sheets and extrusions
provided by Arconic. The program also included various test coupon configurations
to characterize materials and key design features.
Engineers from the FAA’s technical center are evaluating analytical and inspection
methods to ensure accurate design and assessment of these new structures. Full-scale
testing is essential for generating data to assess the EMST fuselage concepts on structural
performance compared to current baseline aluminum fuselage structures
NIAR’s Advanced Machining and Prototyping (AMP) and Advanced Technologies Lab for
Aerospace Systems (ATLAS) played crucial roles, developing detailed part and assembly
drawings, creating manufacturing process specifications, fabricating necessary tooling,
autoclaves and assembling test articles.
Support was also provided by NIAR’s Advanced Materials Lab, where technicians meticulously
planned, cut, and laid the aluminum and fiberglass plies onto the skin, resulting
in a uniformly co-cured FML-reinforced skin. Industry partners Textron Aviation, CAPPS
Manufacturing, and Weatherford Aerospace provided key manufacturing process capabilities
needed to accomplish the NIAR team’s fabrication process requirements.
“In support of the FAA’s critical needs and its industry partners, NIAR provides cost-effective
and timely design, fabrication, and assembly services based on a solid engineering
foundation,” said Paul Jonas, program lead. “By bringing together industry experts,
graduate and undergraduate engineers, and state-of-the-art manufacturing and assembly
capabilities, NIAR plays a key role in advancing the materials and manufacturing of
future aircraft while developing the next generation of aerospace talent in the United
States.”
About NIAR The National Institute for Aviation Research at Wichita State University provides
research, design, testing, certification and training to the aviation, defense, manufacturing,
and related industries. NIAR has a $350 million annual budget, a staff of 1,200 and
nearly two million square feet of laboratory and office space in six locations across
the city of Wichita, the Air Capital of the World. Core competencies include Industrial
Modernization of Materials and Manufacturing; Digital Transformation and Sustainment
Modernization; Test and Evaluation; Engineering, Certification, Modification and Prototyping;
System Automation and Digital Manufacturing. NIAR is a department within the division
of Industry and Defense Programs at Wichita State. wichita.edu/niar
