WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The U.S. Air Force has increased their investment in Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research.
In 2020 NIAR began creating a digital model of the B-1 strategic bomber for the Air Force, down to each individual part, from screws to the exterior surface of the plane. Because the bomber was no longer in production, parts for the plane were becoming scarce and repairs difficult.
To date, NIAR has created over 24,000 digital models for the Air Force and developed engineering tools to manage the existing fleet. The program was expanded last year to other aircraft, including the B-52 Stratofortress and the C-130 Hercules aircraft .
“Our partnership with NIAR continues to pay significant dividends to the B-1 enterprise,” says Lieutenant Colonel Adam Parks, Structures and Configuration Branch Chief in the B-1 Program Office in a news release. “It accelerates our ability to respond to urgent needs from our main operating bases at a fraction of the cost. We will continue to invest in partnerships which enable aircraft availability for Air Force Global Strike Command and accelerate our ability to get combat capability to the warfighter.”