Reliability, Maintainability, Supportability and Availability

[93RubyZ]

I am currently taking a Reliability, Maintainability, Supportability and Availability class and have a project to complete for this class. I have chosen to do my project on the ZR-1 due to the noted reliability and durability of the LT-5 engine. However, in order to complete my project, I will need to acquire some data. I don’t know yet exactly how this project will turn out, and what areas will be the emphasis, but the direction will depend on the amount and type of data I’ll be able to acquire. I need some help acquiring this data and will be requesting some of it here from ZR-1 owners.

There are many definitions of reliability, maintainability, supportability and availability, but I’ll offer these:

Reliability can be defined simply as the probability that a system or product will perform in a satisfactory manner for a given period of time when used under specified operating conditions.

Maintainability, like reliability, is an inherent characteristic of system or product design. It pertains to the ease, accuracy, safety, and economy in the performance of maintenance actions. A system should be designed such that it can be maintained without large investments of time, cost, or other resources (e.g., personnel, materials, facilities, test equipment) and without adversely affecting the mission of that system. Maintainability is the ability of a system to be maintained and is a design parameter.

Supportability pertains to the degree to which a system can be effectively supported, both in terms of built-in design characteristics of the prime mission-related elements of the system and the characteristics of the overall maintenance and support infrastructure which includes personnel, supply support and related inventories, test equipment, and maintenance facilities. Such characteristics should include standardization (the utilization of standard components), functional packaging, interchangeability, accessibility, self-test and diagnostics, and compatibility among the various elements of support and the prime mission-related elements of the system. The emphasis is on system design.

Availability is simply the percentage of time a system is available for the intended operational use. Availability thus is a function of reliability, maintainability, and supportability of the given system.

I think this will be an interesting project, as the ZR-1 will have some unique aspects regarding these topics. The endurance record speaks to the reliability of the LT-5. That the ZR-1 has some unique parts that are no longer available from the manufacturer will be addressed as part of the supportability analysis. I only plan to address this report in regards to the ZR-1, and mostly in regards to how it differs from the regular C-4. Again, I’m still undecided what this report will turn into, as that will likely depend on the data I’m able to acquire. In any event, if I’m able to do a decent job, it could turn out to be interesting reading to ZR-1 owners or prospective buyers.