SAWE Report - Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

there are more aircraft available to help pay the $6.5 billion cost associated with RDT&E.
Furthermore, there is a learning curve associated with the development of a large quantity of
aircraft and the airplane become even less costly to produce.
Four factors were considered when determining the operating cost of the Vendetta. These factors
included the cost of the fuel and pilots, as well as the cost of parts and maintenance personal.
Raymer estimates that a bomber flies approximately 400 hours per year and requires 40
maintenance man hours per flight hour. In addition, because the Vendetta is designed to fly very
fast at high altitudes, the fuel cost is a large percentage of the total operating cost. The operating
cost of the Vendetta is calculated to be $13,000 per flight hour. This cost breakdown is shown
below in Figure 16.2.
Figure 16.2 - Operating Cost
One final cost that must be considered beyond the cost of RDT&E, flyaway, and operations is
the lifecycle cost. This cost considers the cost of RDT&E, flyaway, and operations over a 30
year period at 400 flight hours per year, as well as the cost of disposal. This cost is totaled at
$293 million per aircraft at a 200 unit buy. A breakdown of the lifecycle cost is shown below in
Figure 16.3.
Figure 16.3 - Lifecycle Cost
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