This paper presents the metric program approach taken by the Boeing Aerospace Co. in the design and fabrication of the PHM hydrofoil ship. The program approach was to maintain a strict metric base line allowing exceptions only where extensive qualifications, schedule impact, costs, and reductions of performance were imposed by a metric design. The program metric implementation plan is described. A discussion is provided of the metric problems encountered and the solutions evolved. The PHM ship evolves as a hybrid design where the structural design is metric and some of its operating systems are inch designs. An analogy is made relating the approach to more sophisticated aerospace-type programs as spacecraft, aircraft, etc. The analysis is made on the basis of a need for additional aerospace quality engineering metric standards in order to produce a complete metric design. The paper advocates an early start in creating key engineering metric standards and the need for industry/government cooperation to reduce cost.
