Starting in 2023, the duo will perform up to 24 conversions per year, including maintenance, modification, and engineering.
9800 SW Nimbus Ave, Beaverton, OR 97008
Zachary Young, Director of Sales and Marketing
Zachary.young@precisionaircraft.com
U.S. M 971-770-6000; O 336-540-0400
Beaverton, OR., June 1, 2022 — NIAR WEXR, an aerospace research arm of Wichita State University (WSU), is joining Precision Aircraft Solutions (321 Precision Conversions) for passenger-to-freighter conversion and MRO for the Airbus A321, Boeing 757, and the Boeing (McDonnell Douglas) MD-87.
Though publicly announced in May, this agreement has been under development for some time. NAIR has been setting up conversion lines for the A321 and 757, with emphasis on the A321. The venerable hangar, which is large enough to install four or five lines, was previously used by Boeing for Air Force One’s 747-200 work, which is now performed in San Antonio. This expanded capacity will allow the facility to convert between 12-24 aircraft per year.
“The NIAR team, resources and facilities offer 321 Precision Conversions a unique opportunity to add an expansive mod center to our portfolio of installation facilities, said Gary Warner, 321 Precision Conversions president. “The scale of the operations here in Wichita are truly impressive, and seeing the level of support from Wichita State University levels gives us all the confidence in the future of the program.”
The new conversion program at WSU-NIAR will employ full-time engineers and engineering students at WSU-NIAR. Additionally, the conversion program will involve the ‘Get to WERX’ program. Get to WERX is an earn-and-learn program that offers full-time employment while simultaneously earning credits towards the Bachelor of Applied Sciences degree in Organizational Leadership and Learning at Wichita State.
The announcement event was attended by a number of special guests, including Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, and Erickson Precision Ventures, LLC (Precision Aircraft Solutions, 321 Precision Conversions, Erickson) Founder, Jack Erickson.
321 Precision Conversions is a joint venture between Aircraft Transport Services Group (ATSG) and Precision Aircraft Solutions (PAS) to deliver the A321-200PCF freighter conversion across the globe. Precision Aircraft Solutions set the global standard for B757 conversions and continues its legacy of industry-leading passenger-to-freighter cargo conversions with the A321.
NIAR WERX, a division of Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research, provides engineering, modification/repair/overhaul, environmental test and flight test/certification services. The NIAR WERX team includes a total of 425 program managers, engineers, contractors, technicians and paid applied learning students.
