Title: Combat readiness evaluation of a fighter-jet using reliability and cluster analysis

Authors: Panagiotis Tsarouhas; Maria Makrygianni; George J. Besseris

Addresses: Department of Supply Chain Management and Logistics, Technological Educational Institute of Central Macedonia, Kanellopoulou 2, 60100 Katerini, Hellas, Greece ' Department of Aircraft Maintenance Engineering, Ministry of Defence, Hellenic Airforce, Greece ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technological and Educational Institute of Piraeus, P. Ralli and Thivon Avenue 250, Egaleo 12224, Athens, Greece

Abstract: We perform reliability analysis on a fourth generation fighter aircraft by taking into consideration its real flight conditions. The collection of the actual failure data was extended over a period of three years. Furthermore, the reliability function, the probability density function, the hazard function were estimated. The time between failures for all aircraft subsystems was evaluated. It was found that half of the failures were attributed to the engine, fuel, and electrical power subsystems. Overall, engine failures were more frequent and thus a quality analysis was undertaken. Commonalities of failure parameters were identified with a cluster analysis and were grouped in a dendrogram. Future research should look to further develop this concept for the evaluation of other types of military or civilian airplanes. This study may encourage air unit technical personnel to introduce a new combo problem-solving approach to systematically remove jet reliability blockers.

Keywords: reliability; statistical analysis; failure data; fighter aircraft; cluster analysis.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISE.2018.094612

International Journal of Industrial and Systems Engineering, 2018 Vol.30 No.1, pp.78 - 102

Received: 10 Jun 2016
Accepted: 04 Sep 2016
Published online: 10 Sep 2018 *

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