The thesisproject concerns the development of a methodology to connect data, from theAirbus department in Stade, with each other and find relationships between themwhich lead to a prioritising tool with which justifiable decisions can bededuced in order to plan which Measurement System Analysis (MSA) to conductnext, focusing on cost effectiveness.  Therefore, the main content will revolvearound studying and analysing relevant literature and connecting this with theactual data, as present at Airbus, to arrive at a functional tool.  As such, the main aim and objectivesconcentrate around developing a thorough understanding of the relevant data anddiscovering how they relate with one another and with costs. Aim would be tofind a causal relationship, which is then subsequently also verified andvalidated.      The main findings areexpected to give the relationships between the data, e.g. that a certainimprovement of X% in MSA leads to Y% better Cpk (Process Capability Index. Adjustmentof Cp for the effect of non-centred distribution) and as such Z% reduction inCost of Non Quality (CNQ) per process.      As Airbus is in a toughcompetition with Boeing and other aircraft manufacturers, finding ways to bemore cost effective is very useful. Especially now with the populationof the earth rapidly growing and the use of aircraft for travel becoming morereadily available/affordable for everyone, the amount of aircraft that need tobe in the worlds fleet is expanding even more. As such, the rate ofconstruction of aircraft is rising tremendously and improvements in recurringcosts are ever more valuable. Even though the work is dedicated to Airbusprocesses, the methodology as developed for the prioritisation tool should begeneralisable to also be applicable for other situations and as such give aworthwhile contribution to the body of knowledge: How these data relate witheach other and how this knowledge/information can be turned into practicalimprovements. ... Read more

This report is the final report in a series of four reports that deals with the design of an advanced regional aircraft. The first step in the design is to determine the overall configuration of the ARA. By identifying the feasible configurations based on a literature study and performing a trade-o_, the conventional low wing with GTF engines underneath the wings configuration is found to be the optimal configuration for the ARA. After selecting the aircraft configuration, the preliminary subsystem design is initiated. Class I and II weight estimations are performed and a MTOW of 34500kg is determined. The selected wing planform is a two-piece complex sweptback planform with a wing area of 105m2 and a wing span of 30.7m. The thrust will be provided by two PW1217G GTFs with a maximum thrust of 76kN each. For the fuselage design, several configuration options are analysed taking into account structural and aerodynamic considerations. A trade-o_ is performed and the 4 abreast configuration with cargo in the tail is found to be the best choice. The tricycle configuration is chosen for the landing gear. The main gear is positioned 17.1m from the nose, while the nose gear is positioned 3.6m from the nose. The control surfaces comprising ailerons, spoilerons, elevators and rudder, are sized for extreme load cases. For roll control at low speeds outboard ailerons are used and spoilerons are used for roll control at high speeds. The elevators are sized to meet take-o_ and trim requirements. The rudder is sized to counteract the yawing moment with one-engine inoperative. Furthermore, the high-lift devices are sized. It is found that in order to fulfill landing and take-o_ requirements double-slotted Fowler flaps are required... ... Read more