Estimating the Cost of Composite Material Airframes Using the Rand Corporation Development and Procurement Costs of Aircraft Parametric Model (DAPCA III).
Abstract
The increasing use of composite material in airframes is effecting the accuracy of the current methods of estimating aircraft costs. Aluminum and composite material parts are fabricated and assembled using different processes which have different costs. Parametric models such as DAPCA III rely on a data base of all-aluminum aircraft to estimate the cost aircraft that have large amounts of composite material in them. Adjusting the estimates to reflect the composite material in the aircraft requires a detailed analysis of the composite part cost then substituting that cost for the comparable amount of aluminum. The three-step process is time consuming and inaccurate. This thesis has developed a series of indices which reflect the differences in manufacturing cost for composite parts and aluminum parts that can be applied directly to the DAPCA III output. They were developed by comparing identical parts made from aluminum and then from composites. The ICAM Manufacturing Cost/Design Guide estimated the aluminum part cost and the FACET computer program estimated the composite material part cost. Indices are provided for nonrecurring tooling manhours, recurring manufacturing manhours, and material dollar costs. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1983
- Accession Number
- ADA134993
Entities
People
- G. D. Kage Ii
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology