Some of the abandoned buildings at the former Boeing facility in Wichita are about to get a new tenant. Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research plans to begin relocating its Environmental Test and Electromagnetic Effects Labs there next month.
Wichita State will lease 35,000 square feet from Air Capital Flight Line, a group that includes local businessmen Johnny Stevens and Dave Murfin, which purchased the 314-acre former Boeing site in December. The lab will include updated test and research areas, new office and meeting space and all of the lab’s current D0-160 test capabilities and new direct effects of lightning testing.
“We are expanding so quickly by adding new capabilities, both in equipment and personnel, that we’re running out of space in our current location,” said Billy Martin, director of the Electromagnetic Test Labs.
“Easy access to the runway is also an important advantage of the new location,” said Paul Jonas, director of the Environmental Test Labs. “It will allow us to target a broader market -- to expand beyond general aviation testing into the commercial transport and military aircraft markets.”
NIAR’s Environmental Test and Electromagnetic Effects Labs employ 17 full-time employees and nine student lab techs. The labs perform research, testing and certification for electronic devices and other aircraft components for conditions including temperature, altitude, humidity, shock, salt fog, lightning and effects associated with exposure to radio frequency.
“The combination of the broad range of test capabilities, engineering design, DER and modeling services, along with the experience of our staff makes this lab unique in the world,” said Martin. “This combination provides our customers with a distinct advantage.”
“These labs are an extension of the Innovation Campus,” said John Tomblin, WSU vice president for research and technology transfer and NIAR executive director. “We are providing valuable incentives for companies to do business in Wichita: on-site test labs and a pipeline of experienced career-minded graduates.”
“Working in the laboratory has significantly impacted my life,” said Kristyn Harpool, a graduate student and NIAR research assistant. “Getting the opportunity to work hands-on with certified engineers provides experience that I could never have gotten in a classroom alone. The testing, research and data analysis passionately drives me to keep learning and makes me proud to work in such a unique organization.”
Most recently, the NIAR labs completed two full vehicle lightning transient tests. The first test was for Garmin's supplemental type certificate on the Beechjet 400, followed by full vehicle tests for the Cirrus Vision SF50®.
This is Wichita State’s second lease agreement with Johnny Stevens, who purchased the Kansas Coliseum complex from Sedgwick County in 2011 and renovated it into an aircraft full-scale structural test facility for NIAR.
