Modeling the Performance of Aircraft Utilizing Maintenance Free Operating Periods

Maintenance free operating period (MFOP) philosophy is proposed by the UKMilitary Aerospace industry, which has advantages for both the operation andmaintenance of aircraft. An MFOP is a period of time for which the aircraft will operate without failureandwithout the need for anymaintenance, however, faults and minorplanned, contractually agreed maintenance are permissible.Each MFOP isfollowed by a MaintenanceRecovery Period (MRP) during which maintenance is performed on the aircraft tocorrect any failures which have occurred, carry out servicing and prepare the aircraft forthe next period of operation. There are several advantages to operating aircraft in thismanner. The first is that it will be known, with a high degree of confidence, howmany products will be available for operational purposes at any time. This enablesaccurate, effective mission planning. However, the aircraft must be designed tooperate in this way and be able to carry faults in the MFOP withoutan unacceptable risk. This paper will model the performance of aircraft utilizing maintenance freeoperating periods and explore issues relating to the design and operation of aircraft inthis manner. An example is provided to expatiate on the proposed approach.