Rotorcraft Applications of Life-Cycle Cost Models Incorporating Reliability

A conceptual experiment is presented which quantifies the mutual and simultaneous effects of vehicle performance, life-cycle cost, and reliability in rotorcraft design. The study contrasts a baseline helicopter representative of legacy rotorcraft technology against a second helicopter which is designed to be substantially more reliable. Reliability features are modeled in the design and assessment process using engineering projections of the cost and design effects of reliability-enhancing technology. The estimated differences in cost between the two designs are then applied to a set of operational assumptions to ascertain the overall influences of reliability-focused design on life-cycle cost.