NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AEROSPACE ASSOCIATES

MODEL-BASED AIRCRAFT CERTIFICATION. MODERN AIRCRAFT ARE COMPLEX MACHINES WITH NUMEROUS INTERACTING SYSTEMS THAT ARE USED TO TRANSPORT GOODS OR PASSENGERS OVER GREAT DISTANCES AT HIGH SPEEDS. IMPROPER DESIGN OR OPERATION OF AN AIRCRAFT MAY POSE A SAFETY RISK TO CREW AND PASSENGERS ONBOARD THE MACHINE, AS WELL AS PEOPLE AND PROPERTY NEAR THE AIRCRAFT OPERATION. GIVEN THESE POTENTIAL RISKS, MOST AIRCRAFT ARE SUBJECT TO GOVERNMENT-MANDATED SAFETY RULES THAT APPLY TO THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE DESIGN, THE PRODUCTION PROCESSES USED TO MAKE THESE MACHINES, AND THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF INDIVIDUAL AIRCRAFT. CERTIFICATION REFERS TO SOME ACCEPTED FORM OF PROOF THAT THESE RULES HAVE BEEN FOLLOWED. MODEL-BASED SYSTEMS ENGINEERING (MBSE) IS AN EMERGING DISCIPLINE THAT LEVERAGES MODELS, RATHER THAN DOCUMENTS, FOR SYSTEMS ENGINEERING EXERCISES. THIS INCLUDES DEVELOPING MODELS THAT REPRESENT REQUIREMENTS, AND LINKING THESE MODELS TO OTHER MODELS OF VERIFICATION PROCEDURES. DEFINING REQUIREMENTS AND ASSOCIATED VERIFICATIONS IN MODELS, RATHER THAN DOCUMENTS, OPENS UP A VARIETY OF NEW DATABASE-DRIVEN APPROACHES TO STREAMLINE GENERATION OF SYSTEMS ENGINEERING WORKFLOWS. AT ITS CORE, AIRCRAFT CERTIFICATION IS A PRESCRIBED SYSTEMS ENGINEERING PROCESS IDENTIFICATION OF CORE REQUIREMENTS, SELECTION OF MEANS TO VERIFY COMPLIANCE, AND GENERATION OF EVIDENCE SUFFICIENT FOR VERIFICATION. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS TASK ORDER IS TO DEMONSTRATE HOW MBSE TECHNIQUES CAN BE LEVERAGED TO GENERATE SPECIFIC AIRCRAFT CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AND VERIFICATION EVIDENCE (MEANS OF COMPLIANCE).