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Original Date: 08/07/1995
Revision Date: 01/18/2007
Best Practice : F-16 Cockpit Review Team Process
In 1985, Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems (LMTAS) realized that the F-16 cockpit was becoming more complex, and a new design approach would have to be enacted to ensure that the end product would meet the needs of the customer and still enable the pilot to better perform his mission. A more formal process was needed to help reduce development costs, improve pilot efficiency, and enhance combat capabilities. That recognition resulted in the formation of the Cockpit Review Team for the F-16 program.
The typical Cockpit Review Team is comprised of representatives from the F-16 Systems Program Office, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Air Force test centers and LMTAS personnel. The team's activities are incorporated from the initial top-level operational requirement to final delivery (Figure 2-3), and the process begins with a review of suggested improvements and ideas submitted by those who fly the F-16 aircraft. These suggestions are then integrated with Air Force headquarters requirements, and a prioritized list is developed for the first examination by the Cockpit Review Team.
LMTAS conducts initial design work, develops a cost estimate for each of the new capabilities listed, and prepares the F-16 simulators for actual pilot evaluations. These simulations, with ideas and suggestions from the pilots, are then used to finalize the contractual requirements for a given aircraft development or system update. The benefits that are obtained using this structured, up-front process have led to the adaptation of similar processes for other Air Force aircraft programs such as the F-15E, A-10 and C-17. By involving pilots early in the design process, customer acceptance and satisfaction have been greatly increased.
(Figure 2-3) Cockpit Review Team Activity
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