Quantiles: Exercise #2

Objective: Numerically examine the SPR of a sample of aircraft using the median, interquartile range, and related measures. Determine whether these measures give a good description of the distribution and assess numerically how the distribution depends on whether or not the aircraft can land on a carrier.

Problem Description: Measurements were made on 22 US fighter aircraft types to assess technological change. The variables are:

FFD: first flight date in months after January 1940

SPR: specific power, proportional to power per unit weight

RGF: flight range factor

PLF: payload as a fraction of gross weight of aircraft

SLF: sustained load factor

CAR: a binary variable which takes the value 1 if the aircraft can land on a carrier, 0 otherwise

The following questions are part of a preliminary analysis of the data. You will need the Histogram/Normal Plot Java applet beginning with question #1 and the Conditioning Histogram Java applet beginning with question #3.