Background

An aircraft manufacturing company developing an advanced fly by wire, state of the art, next generation aircraft needed to maintain non-advocate independence in its early risk reduction development test program.  Although the validation and verification teams and the advanced systems integration facilities were of superior quality, representing an unprecedented capital investment, there remained concerns over fully complying with the level of independence as prescribed in Aerospace Recommended Practice ARP 4754 A.  To get ahead of the curve, the company decided to seek independent non-advocate review of its systems engineering, integration, validation, and verification processes including its development risk avoidance test program leading to first flight readiness.

Result

Using a small team of independent experienced system engineering consultants over a nine month period, the company dramatically improved the efficacy of the ongoing vehicle level development test program; increased test coverage and system to system failure conditions; improved the quality of system level test procedures; improved the Problem Reporting process; developed a plan for regression testing; and auditing test requirement flow down traceability.  The company then went on to a successful first flight and certification flight test program.  

Kaney’s Involvement

• Kaney provided an experienced system engineering team of three on site consultants and one off-site part time professional to augment the Companies hard working systems and test teams.
• Established a “war room” planning, tracking and reporting methodology to increase efficiency, coverage and test facility utilization.
• Provided an independent non-advocate review of 64 aircraft system test plans and procedures.
• Audited coverage, traceability and quality of requirements.
• Provided mentorship to cognizant engineers, laboratory leaders and systems engineers.
• Provided detailed weekly status report monitoring progress, issues, findings and recommendations.