NIAR begins work on Boeing 737 special-mission modifications

University’s National Institute for Aviation Research has received delivery of two Boeing 737 aircraft for modification.

The aircraft are part of a yearlong project with Virginia-based Dynamic Aviation to modify three 737 aircraft for a special-mission program.

“Dynamic Aviation is excited to partner with -NIAR. Through this partnership we will create significant value, which will allow us to continue to serve our customer well,” said Michael Stoltzfus, CEO of Dynamic Aviation.

These are the first commercial aircraft to undergo modification in the former Boeing Air Force One modification facilities adjacent to McConnell Air Force Base.

A team of up to 90 staff and students of NIAR WERX (formerly the Engineering Design and Modification Team) will design, modify, test and obtain Supplemental Type Certificates for the program.

In September, NIAR WERX announced it would expand from engineering design services to add hands-on modification in partnership with Sequoia Aircraft Conversions and the Kansas Modification Center.

NIAR WERX provides engineering services, aircraft modification, flight test/certification and environmental testing services.  The team consists of approximately 180 engineers, 65 aircraft mechanics and 45 students.


About Dynamic Aviation
Dynamic Aviation provides innovative aviation solutions for government and commercial customers worldwide. By combining creative ingenuity with dependable aircraft and state-of-the-art infrastructure, they develop and deliver agile aviation solutions that help customers achieve new levels of performance and productivity.

About NIAR
NIAR provides research, testing, certification and training for aviation and manufacturing technologies. Established in 1985, NIAR has a +$100 million annual budget; 700+ staff and nearly one million square feet of laboratory and office space in four locations across the city of Wichita, the Air Capital of the World. NIAR laboratories include Additive Manufacturing, Advanced Coatings, Advanced Manufacturing, Aging Aircraft, Ballistics/Impact Dynamics, CAD/CAM, Composites/Advanced Materials, Crash Dynamics, Environmental/Electromagnetic Test, Full-scale Structural Test, Nondestructive Test, Reverse Engineering, Robotics/Automation, Virtual Engineering, eXtended Reality and the Walter H. Beech Wind Tunnel.  

About University
serves as the Kansas urban-based research university, enrolling more than 15,000 students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. and Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.

Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.

The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the main campus, is one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.

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