The use of parametric cost estimating relationships as they pertain to aircraft airframes: a new perspective

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis was to review cost estimating relationships that have been developed and used for aircraft airframe costs, to identify existing problems, and where appropriate, to suggest alternatives for the future application of cost estimating relationship to aircraft airframes. Mahalanobis distance was explored as a leans of complementing the more traditional statistical measures for regression analysis. This study supports the conclusion that cost estimating relationships should be developed for a specific system to be estimated, and that Mahalanobis distance is a potentially effective tool by which the analyst may address the important issue of analogy between the data base and the proposed system.