Statistical methods are becoming increasingly important in many area of weight engineering. As weight requirements on missiles, space vehicles, and aircraft become more complex, so must the analytical tools we use to predict and control their weight and balance. Statistics are frequently used to provide a measure of the accuracy of weight prediction equations and to determine the weight and balance variations of batches of vehicles or components.

It is important that any use of statistics in engineering be based on a thorough understanding of the basic statistical principles. This paper has been written to introduce these principles to weights engineers, consequently, the emphasis is on the various applications of statistics in weight engineering.

The concepts of populations, samples, and distributions are discussed in detail. Other sections deal with the calculation of probabilities, confidence intervals, and tolerance limits. Techniques are discussed for measuring the accuracy of weight estimating methods.

The paper concludes with some remarks on the accuracy of arithmetical calculations and with a suggested bibliography for further reading. A special feature of this paper is the inclusion of all tables necessary for the employment of the various techniques discussed.