Aircraft Cost

from the Virginia Tech Aircraft Design Information Sources pages

Edward H. Yates, "Cost Analysis as an Aid to Aircraft Design," Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 2, No. 2, Mar-Apr 1965, pp.100-107. An initial algorithm for use in aircraft design, trying to relate cost to configuration and mission variables.

H.E. Boren, Jr., "A Computer Model for Estimating Development and Procurement Costs of Aircraft (DAPCA-III)," Rand Report R-1854-PR, March 1976.

Alan H. Stratford, Air Transport Economics in the Supersonic Era, 2nd Ed., Macmillan, London, 1973. Although not as good as it sounds, it is a good overview.

American Airlines, "A New Method for Estimating Current and Future Transport Aircraft Operating Economics," NASA CR-145190(rev), March 1978. (N78-20094) Contains a lot of charts illustrating American Airlines experience and practice

Dal V. Maddalon, "Estimating Airline Operating Costs," NASA TM 78694, May 1978. (N78-23046).

D.J. Stewart and B.S. Campion, "New Technology in Commercial Aircraft Design for Minimum Operating Cost," AIAA Paper 79-0960, The Atlantic Conference, Williamsburg, VA, March 1979.

Gilbert Cormery, "Compromise between Economic Concerns and Application of New Technolofgies in the Definition of a New Airplane Project," AIAA Paper 79- 0693, The Atlantic Conference, Williamsburg, VA, March 1979.

Steven M. Sliwa, "Economic Evaluation of Flying-Qualities Design Criteria for a Transonic Configured With Relaxed Static Stability," NASA TP 1760, Dec. 1980. This also belongs in the configuration section, but it does relate aircraft design to cost.

Jensen, S.C., Rettie, I.H., and Barber, E.A., "Role of Figures of Merit in Design Optimization and Technology Assessment," Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 18, No. 2, Jan. 1981, pp. 76-81. This is primarily for a military transport. It includes cost analysis.

-, "The Boeing Method for generalized Airplane Operating Costs," Boeing, November1985.

A. L. Jacobson and D.G. Murphy, "The Designer's Impact On Commercial Aircraft Economics," ICAS 88-1.7.1, 1988. This paper is by designers from Douglas.

Vicki S. Johnson, "Life Cycle Cost in the Conceptual Design of Subsonic Commercial Aircraft," Vol. 1: Discussion, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Kansas, May 1989. This contains a superb bibliography.

Jan Roskam, Airplane Design, Part VIII "Airplane Cost Estimation: Design, Development, Manufacturing and Operating", published by DARcorporation, 120 East Ninth Street, Suite 2, Lawrence, KS, 66044, Phone: 1-800-327-7144.

Johnson, V.S., "Minimizing Life Cycle Cost for Subsonic Commercial Aircraft," Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 27, No. 2, Feb. 1990, pp. 139-145.

D.W. Daniel, "Life cycle costing and the facts of life," Proc. Instn Mech Engrs, Vol. 205 Part G: Journal of Aerospace Engineering, British, 1991, pp. 133-138. This paper describes real life experience with cost estimation models. Written from a refreshing viewpoint.

J. Hertal and M. Albers, "The Impact of Engine and Aircraft Interrelations on DOC and Its Application to Engine Design," AIAA Paper 93-3930, Aug. 1993.

Stephen D. Solomon, "The Bully of the Skies Cries Uncle," New York Times Magazine, Sept. 5, 1993, pp.13, etc. This is an excellent discussion of the current economics of the airline industry. Some cost numbers are also quoted.

Paul Proctor, "Boeing Develops New Tool to Analize Aircraft Costs," Av. Wk. & Sp. Tech., Dec. 6, 1993, pg. 43.

J. Wayne Burns, "Aircraft Cost Estimation Methodology and Value of a Pound Derivation for Preliminary Design Development Applications," SAWE Journal, Fall 1994, pp. 46-66. This is a rather recent and complete method. It is calibrated through comparison to existing aircraft, both military and commercial.

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direct comments and suggestions to W.H. Mason, mason@aoe.vt.edu