Mission Ready - Completing 505 Jet Ranger X Optional Equipment Kits Development in Time for 1st Deliveries

Developing a new aircraft is an intricate ballet of defining key performance parameters and integrating the many systems and subsystems to meet product objective. Development activity becomes even more complex when optional equipment kits are added into the development cycle. Almost by definition, anything defined as "optional" does not receive the same priority as the basic aircraft. Integrating, testing and certifying the kits and their maintenance requirements "concurrently" with the aircraft may be hazardous to the timeline of the basic ship certification schedule. Nevertheless, optional equipment kits are essential for a successful new product launch since they add the final capabilities to each customer's specific flight operations. And it is not just kit designs and hardware, but the whole package must be complete, including: life-limit definitions and scheduled maintenance, flight manual supplements, applicable training, and spare parts readiness. The overlapping and sometimes conflicting demands between the aircraft and its optional equipment must be carefully planned, coordinated, managed and executed to achieve the mission: to have optional equipment kits certified in time for first customer delivery.