Price vs. Performance: The Value of Next Generation Fighter Aircraft

The United States Department of Defense (DoD) is currently recapitalizing its aging fighter aircraft inventory with the F-22A and F-35. While the DoD may consider cost and performance issues, it does not use a quantitative model that effectively measures the tradeoffs between the two. This thesis constructs a hedonic model of the fighter aircraft market to measure the implicit price on fighter performance characteristics and specifically applies it to next-generation aircraft. Data from 50 aircraft from 1949-present were used to construct two models – one based on procurement costs and one based on research, design, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) costs. The models, based on a linear Box-Cox transformation, demonstrated that the unique F-22A trait, the ability to super-cruise, has the highest per-unit implicit price ($68.5M), followed by the stealth technology ($58.7M) and large-scale integrated circuitry ($55.3M). The high marginal value for the super-cruise trait implies that, depending on how super-cruise is used operationally, the F-35A may be a more effective purchase in terms of resource allocation than the F-22A

Research Notes : The T270H chlorotic mutant: Inheritance and linkage analysis

An unusual chlorotic mutant that is variably viable was found in 1977. Preliminary inheritance data and phenotypes of the mutant were described by Stelly, Muir and Palmer in 1979. Combined F2 plant and F3 family analyses suggested monogenic recessive inheritance of the chlorotic phenotype

Research notes: Seed coats of Glycine soja and G. gracilis --inheritance of color/pattern

In the preceding note, it was mentioned that the derivation of an abnormally short chromosome involved natural cross-pollination of a partially malesterile (msp msp) plant (A76-517-2) by pollen from G. soja, G. gracilis , or an introgression product of these species into G. max. The recessive allele for self seed coat color (i) and the allele(s) producing the dark seed coat pattern of G. soja and G.-gracilis were concomitantly transferred in the cross-pollination. Segregation in later generations and a few testcrosses indicate that the characteristically patterned seed coats of G. soja and G. gracilis are governed by an allele of the R locus; the allele appears to be dominant to r (brown), r^m (ring-pattern) and, perhaps, to R (black)

Research notes: A partially male-sterile mutant in soybeans

An entry consisting mostly of plants having little to no seed set was found amidst the breeding material of Dr. Walter R. Fehr (Iowa State University) in 1975. The entry was descendent from germplasm population AP6(Sl)Cl, which was described by Fehr and Ortiz (1975). Investigations have revealed that partial male sterility was the primary cause leading to reduced seed set (Stelly, 1979)

Research notes: Inheritance and expression of a mutant phenotype affecting the number of petals per flower

Plants of the Glycine max Plant Introduction 68,704 characteristically produce flowers that have six or more petals, rather than the nonnal complement of five petals (l standard, 2 wing, and 2 keel petals). We have investigated the inheritance and expression of this trait. Eight F1 plants were classified by sampling ten flowers per plant; none of the F1 plants produced more than five petals, indicating that the phenotype is under recessive genetic control

Research notes: A cytologically identifiable short chromosome

Seeds set on partially male-sterile plants (see article 2 for a description of the sterility system) were grown in the greenhouse in the spring of 1977. One of the plants, designated D56, had an unusual growth habit --the plant was somewhat spindly, climbing, and had a thin main stem. It had been noted at the time of transplanting that the root system of the D56 seedling consisted of a very long tap root and unusually thin lateral roots

Research notes: A new chlorophyll mutant

A new recessive chlorophyll mutant was unexpectedly recovered in an F2 family of A76-518-3 (a homozygous partially male-sterile, msp msp plant) x A76-669 (a \u27Clark\u27 isoline homozygous for the chromosome translocation from PI 101,404B). Furthennore, the translocation did not appear in the F2 generation. We are uncertain as to whether the intended cross was unsuccessful and followed by a natural outcross, or if a new chromosomal rearrangement had taken place. The former seems more likely. The F2 population segregated the partial male sterility trait, so we are certain that a cross was involved

Research notes: Soybean linkage tests

F2 linkage results are presented in Table 1 with a=XY, b=Xy, c=xY and d = xy for the gene pairs 1 i sted in the form of Xx and Yy. Percentage recombination was obtained from the ratio of products following the method of Inmer and Henderson (1943). Results from testing F3 seeds and seedlings to determine F2 phenotypes indicate possible linkage between seed coat peroxidase (ep) and root fluorescence (fr)

Research notes: Spontaneously occurring sterile plants

Two sterile plants were found in a commercial field of soybeans in Ames in 1977. The plants were noticed because of their retention of chlorophyll when fertile plants had matured and turned brown. One of the plants, \u27Sterile A\u27, had set two one-seeded pods, and the other, \u27Sterile B\u27, had set 7 seeds