MINIMIZING THE F-35C AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE DOWNTIME

The Navy currently operates three F-35C squadrons, who have recently faced readiness challenges due to maintenance downtime. The current readiness levels attained to date will not suffice when the platform embarks on its first deployment in 2021. These readiness shortfalls prompted the authors to complete a Pareto analysis to determine the top maintenance-related degraders by the type of maintenance involved. Subsequently, the authors utilized process improvement tools to assess the efficiency of the current maintenance processes and investigated areas that could benefit from the authors’ analysis. The authors make recommendations to implement parallel maintenance processes and standardize the administrative documentation procedures, which have the potential to reduce maintenance downtime, increase aircraft readiness, and facilitate a means to perform more robust future aviation maintenance process analyses.http://archive.org/details/minimizingthefca1094564160Lieutenant, United States NavyLieutenant Commander, United States NavyApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

The Development of an Ordinary Least Squares Parametric Model to Estimate the Cost Per Flying Hour of ‘Unknown’ Aircraft Types and a Comparative Application

The development of a parametric model for the variable portion of the Cost Per Flying Hour (CPFH) of an ‘unknown’ aircraft platform and its application to diverse types of fixed and rotary wing aircraft development programs (F-35A, Su-57, Dassault Rafale, T-X candidates, AW189, Airbus RACER among others) is presented. The novelty of this paper lies in the utilization of a diverse sample of aircraft types, aiming to obtain a ‘universal’ Cost Estimating Relationship (CER) applicable to a wide range of platforms. Moreover, the model does not produce absolute cost figures but rather analogy ratios versus the F-16’s CPFH, broadening the model’s applicability. The model will enable an analyst to carry out timely and reliable Operational and Support (O&S) cost estimates for a wide range of ‘unknown’ aircraft platforms at their early stages of conceptual design, despite the lack of actual data from the utilization and support life cycle stages. The statistical analysis is based on Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression, conducted with R software (v5.3.1, released on 2 July 2018). The model’s output is validated against officially published CPFH data of several existing ‘mature’ aircraft platforms, including one of the most prolific fighter jet types all over the world, the F-16C/D, which is also used as a reference to compare CPFH estimates of various next generation aircraft platforms. Actual CPFH data of the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) have been used to develop the parametric model, the application of which is expected to significantly inform high level decision making regarding aircraft procurement, budgeting and future force structure planning, including decisions related to large scale aircraft modifications and upgrades

10102 Executive Summary -- Grand Challenges for Discrete Event Logistics Systems

In March 2010, the Dagstuhl Seminar 10102 explored the grand challenges confronting research and practice in the domain of discrete event logistics systems. This Executive Summary describes the process of the seminar and discusses the key conclusions regarding grand challenges for research and practice. Abstracts of the presentations given during the seminar are put together in the online proceedings

An Assessment Tool of Performance Based Logistics Appropriateness

Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) is the most preferred product support strategy in the Department of Defense. Using performance-based acquisition methods to the maximum extent practicable when acquiring services is mandated. But although PBL should be used whenever feasible, few documents show how to measure its feasibility. The aim of this research is to fill this gap by answering the following question: What factors determine the appropriateness of the selection of PBL as a strategy for a specific acquisition? This study seeks to determine which factors affect success when selecting PBL as an acquisition method. Each factor is examined in detail and then built into a spreadsheet tool which helps to assess the appropriateness of PBL as an acquisition method. The purpose of the tool is to aid in PBL-related decision making processes and business case analyses. The questions asked by the tool will help the user make a more objective assessment in a relatively short period of time

Aeronautical Engineering: A continuing bibliography with indexes, supplement 153, October 1982

This bibliography lists 535 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System in September 1982

Commonality in complex product families : implications of divergence and lifecycle offsets

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2008.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 220-224).Commonality, or the sharing of components, processes, technologies, interfaces and/or infrastructure across a product family, represents one of many potential tools for increasing corporate profitability. Industrial interest in commonality is strong, but results appear to be mixed. A rich stream of academic research has examined commonality (typically under terms such as "product platforms" and "platform-based development") but has not emphasized the benefits and penalties of commonality, a topic that is critical to effective product family planning and lifecycle management, and ultimately, to improving corporate profitability. This dissertation leverages field research and a simple cost model to examine commonality in the context of complex product families. The core research effort was focused on conducting seven case studies of complex product families (aircraft, automobiles, satellites, and capital equipment). While the case studies provided a wealth of general insights, the studies were focused on examining divergence and lifecycle offsets, two critical topics that influence the benefits and penalties of commonality, yet appear to be inadequately addressed by the literature. Divergence refers to the tendency for commonality to reduce with time, for both beneficial and non-beneficial reasons. Lifecycle offsets refer to temporal differences between the lifecycle phases of product family members. Lifecycle offsets alter the potential benefits and penalties of commonality and their apportionment to individual products.(cont.) Additionally, key factors identified during the literature review and case studies were translated into a simple two-product cost model of development and production in order to demonstrate key research insights in a more analytical manner. The case studies provide a refined view of commonality that reflects the realities of industrial practice. The cases indicate that complex product families are developed in a mostly sequential manner; that commonality is highest during the product family planning phase and then declines significantly throughout the lifecycle; and that development focuses more on reusing prior product baselines than on enabling future, potential commonality. The case studies also identified challenges in the evaluation of commonality and its lifecycle management. The case findings and simple cost model contribute to an improved understanding of commonality, while the recommendations offer potential paths to improved corporate profitability.by Ryan C. Boas.Ph.D

Flying Beyond the Stall: The X-31 and the Advent of Supermaneuverability

This is the story of a unique research airplane-unique because the airplane and the programs that supported it did things that have never been done before or since. The major purpose of this book is to tell the story of NASA's role in the X-31 program. In order to do this, though, it is necessary to put NASA's participation in perspective with the other phases of the program, namely the genesis of the concept, the design and fabrication of the aircraft, the initial flight testing done without NASA participation, the flight testing done with NASA participation, and the subsequent Navy X-31 Vectoring ESTOL (extreme short takeoff and landings) Control Operation Research (VECTOR) program

Understanding the role of a Digital Twin in Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM)

Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) aims to support Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) by monitoring, diagnosing, and prognosing the health of the host system. One of the technologies required by IVHM to carry out its objectives is the means to emulate the functioning of the host system, and the concept of a Digital Twin (DT) was introduced in aerospace IVHM to represent the functioning of such a complex system. This paper aims to discuss the role played by DT in the field of IVHM. A DT is the virtual representation of any physical product, that is used to project the functioning of the product at a given instance. The DT is used across the lifecycle of any product, and its output can be customized depending upon the area of application. The DT is currently popular in industry because of the technologies like sensors, cloud computing, Internet of Things, machine learning, and advanced software, which enabled its development. This paper discusses what encompasses a DT, the technologies that support the DT, its applications across industries, and its development in academia. This paper also talks about how a DT can combine with IVHM technology to assess the health of complex systems like an aircraft. Lastly, this paper presents various challenges faced by industry during the implementation of a DT and some of the possible opportunities for future growth

Aeronautical engineering: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 189)

This bibliography lists 579 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in June 1985