# Presentation: 601313

## R.G. Belie, PhD
31 March 2004

***31 March 2004***

***Virtual Iron Birds – Meeting the Aviation Information Challenge***

## Overview

**The challenge of aviation information leverage**
**Some characteristics of a viable solution**

## Premise

**Modern fighter aircraft are among the most complex, densely packed devices ever conceived by man**
**Traditional methods for documenting, managing, and accessing the avalanche of information associated with these systems have become more and more unworkable**
**Emerging digital technology and new paradigms in human/team/information interface offer potential solutions to this challenge**

## Increased Complexity

**Numbers of physical components**
***747 – “Millions of rivets flying in formation”***
***F-35 (JSF) & FA-22 ***
- 40,000 plus parts
- Multiple systems – hydraulics, electrical, environmental, sensors, actuators, flight controls, engines, fuel, avionics, computers, etc, etc
- Miles of wires
- Shapeless components – adhesives, paint, etc
- Multiple configurations on JSF
*CTOL (AF), STOVL (Marines), & CV (Navy)*
- Tooling
- Support Systems
- Facilities

## Increased Complexity

***Increased Complexity***

**Attributes of physical components**
***Physical properties – weight, material, composite lay ups, etc***
***Status – in work, released, ordered, delivered, installed***
***Analyses – CFD, FEM, RCS, models, assumptions ***
***Multiple missions & load cases***
***Manufacturing plans & processes***
***Test plans & results***
***Parts lists & used on lists***
***Kinematics***
***Functions***
***Keep out  zones***
***Simulations***

## Increased Complexity

**Non-physical components**
***Software – millions of lines of codes***
***Cost***
***Requirements***
***Architectures***
***Conops***
***Decision capture***
***Reports & presentations***
***Training***
***Other***

***And now, System of Systems !***
***And Joint Acquisition & Ops !***

## Increased Complexity

***Increased Complexity***

**Making matters worse are multiple models over many years**
***B-52s are still active in the inventory after 50 years***
***FA-22 – 20 years to production ***
***New spiral development concept***
***Modifications***
***“******as designed” vs “as built”***
***Sustainable archive media***

***Bottom Line – ***
***Millions & millions of important pieces of inter-related information***

## Traditional  Methods Weren’t Made to Handle This Much Complexity

***Desk Drawers***

***Filing Cabinets***

***Printouts***

***Subject Matter Experts***

***Drawings***

## How to Manage All This Info ?

**Attributes of a viable system**
***Easy to use (Limited or no training)***
***Ability to cross link information***
***Instantaneous response***
***Ready access to information independent of location or knowledge of location***
***Single authoritative source with multiple customized views***
***Ability to secure access***
***Scalable***
**Looks a lot like digital mockup, gaming, and web technology**
***Intuitive point & click visual access to information***
***Search engines***
***Fast response independent of location***
***Customized views of physical geometry, attributes, and non physical information (no need for separate “as designed” & “as manufactured “ data bases)***
- By part, sub-assembly, zone, system, function, status, etc

## How to Manage All This Info ?

**Example**

***Additional Clicks***

***And So On***

## Issues ?

**Culture**
**Legacy investments in obsolete paradigms**
**Lack of adequate compute, visual, and networking infrastructure**
**PC & cubical isolation of team members**
**Reconciliation of incompatible aerospace and computational cycle lives**
**Pre-organization of information structure**
**Flexibility**

## Summary

***Summary***

**Increased complexity of aeronautical systems requires new solutions to managing information**
**Advances in computational, visualization, and networking power offer new ways to address this challenge**
***The Virtual Iron Bird***
**Requires overcoming a number of practical issues more than break-thru technology**