Forecasting Flying Hour Costs of the B-1 B-2 and the B-52 Bomber Aircraft

<p>This thesis both evaluates and presents improvements to the current method of forecasting flying costs of Air Force aircraft. It uses depot level repairable (DRL) and consumable (CONS) data for the Air FOrce's bomber platforms: B-1B B-2 and B-52H. The current forecasting method assumes a proportional relationship between costs and flying hours such that 1) when no hours are flown costs are zero and 2) a 1% increase in flying hours will increase costs by 1%. The findings of this research indicate that applying log-linear ordinary least squares regression techniques may be an improved fit of flying cost data over the current proportional model; the actual data indicate a non-zero intercept and a less than proportional relationship between costs and flying hours. This research also found that models including factors other than fklying hours as independent variables such as sorties lagged costs and fiscal trends may be more useful than models based solely on flying hours. Finally this research found that estimating quarterly costs at the base-level may yield more accurate estimates than estimating at the monthly level or mission design series level.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p><br>