A Design and Analysis Laboratory has been established within the Department of Aerospace Engineering at METU by Turkish Aerospace Inc. (TUSAŞ). The opening ceremony of the laboratory was held on Friday, May 31.
Prof. Oğuzhan Hasançebi, Acting Dean of the METU Faculty of Engineering; Prof. Serkan Özgen, Chair of the Department of Aerospace Engineering; and Dr. Özkan Altay, Deputy General Manager of Engineering at TUSAŞ, attended the opening ceremony.
The Design and Analysis Laboratory will be used for postgraduate research and doctoral dissertations to be conducted in collaboration with TUSAŞ. Thus, through advanced research, it is expected that the laboratory will contribute to the relationship between the METU Department of Aerospace Engineering and TUSAŞ. The computational infrastructure in the laboratory, along with its capabilities in aerodynamics, propulsion, aerospace structures and materials, will enable the development of unique engineering software in the fields of flight mechanics and control. Additionally, the laboratory will pave the way for the more widespread use of open-source software in academia and industry, and support various other research areas that are extensively studied in the METU Department of Aerospace Engineering. Moreover, R&D activities will be conducted in the Design and Analysis Laboratory to promote the widespread use of multidisciplinary optimization, sustainable energy sources, and artificial intelligence in the aerospace sector.
At TUSAŞ, which has well-known aviation products such as Kaan, Hürjet, Hürkuş, Gökbey, ANKA-3, ANKA-S, and Aksungur, alumni of the METU Department of Aerospace Engineering play important roles in various positions in the design, development, and production stages. Academics from the METU Department of Aerospace Engineering also take on roles at different stages of various projects carried out at TUSAŞ, making significant contributions to the realization of these projects.
In his opening speech at the ceremony, Prof. Serkan Özgen, Chair of the Department of Aerospace Engineering, stated that this laboratory would elevate the ongoing collaboration between TUSAŞ and METU to another level. He added, “I hope that our university and our department will provide deeper and more comprehensive contributions to Turkish aviation.”
“METU alumni have made valuable contributions to many of TUSAŞ’s projects”
In his speech at the ceremony, Prof. Oğuzhan Hasançebi, Acting Dean of the METU Faculty of Engineering, mentioned that the relationship between the METU Faculty of Engineering and TUSAŞ has a long and deep-rooted history. Dr. Hasançebi also noted that TUSAŞ is one of the organizations that employs the most alumni from the Faculty of Engineering and emphasized that METU alumni have made very valuable contributions to many of TUSAŞ’s projects.
Prof. Oğuzhan Hasançebi shared his belief that this laboratory would make significant advancements in our country’s aerospace sector, and then said: “I hope this laboratory will accelerate the process as our country transitions from a position of following or imitating technology in the field of aerospace to a position of defining, developing, and leading technology.”
“We aim to bring the industry’s issues into the university”
Dr. Özkan Altay, Deputy General Manager of Engineering at TUSAŞ, stated in his speech that one of the main purposes of establishing this laboratory was to bring the industry’s issues into the university. Dr. Altay expressed his desire to reach out to students and academics in this way, emphasizing that their primary goal is to strengthen their connections with students and academics even further. He highlighted that TUSAŞ provides significant support to universities, stating that more than 350 projects were currently being carried out at numerous universities, including METU. Dr. Altay continued his speech by saying: “The number of our students has increased to over one thousand. We find this quite valuable because we are seeking solutions to our problems by leveraging the talents of our students and the expertise of our academic, with the support of our mentors. And we can say that we have achieved very successful results so far. In this laboratory, we will also conduct and support various projects.”
Dr. Özkan Altay mentioned that many of TUSAŞ’s current products have actually emerged as part of large R&D projects. He stated that these projects necessitate the development of some very critical technologies, which can only be achieved through the proper utilization of technical resources. Highlighting that universities are one of the most important pillars of this ecosystem, Dr. Altay continued his speech: “We believe that we can overcome all these challenges together with our valuable students and expert academics. The fundamental reason for us to support universities and to support these laboratories and projects is to strengthen this relationship and expand the areas of solutions.”
Following the opening speeches, METU students provided information about their work in the laboratory to the TUSAŞ delegation attending the opening ceremony, as well as Prof. Oğuzhan Hasançebi, Acting Dean of the METU Faculty of Engineering, and Dr. Özkan Altay, Deputy General Manager of Engineering at TUSAŞ.
