The WLJ Boat Company, which is under contract to the U.S. Navy, assembles troop deployment boats. As part of its research program, it completes the assembly of the first of a new model (PT109) of deployment boats. The Navy is impressed with the PT109. It requests that WLJ Boat submit a proposal on the cost of producing another six PT109s. WLJ Boat reports the following cost information for the first PT109 assembled and uses a 90% cumulative average-time learning model as a basis for forecasting direct manufacturing labor-hours for the next six PT109s. (A 90% learning curve means b = -0.152004 .)

Direct materials cost	$205,000	per PT109
Direct manufacturing labor time for first boat	15,200	direct manufacturing labor-hours
Learning curve for manufacturing labor time per boat	90%	cumulative average time
Direct manufacturing labor costs	$45	per direct manufacturing labor-hour
Variable manufacturing overhead costs	$21	per direct manufacturing labor-hour
Other manufacturing overhead	25%	of direct manufacturing labor costs
Tooling costs	$285,000

1	Using the formula for a 90% learning curve, b = ln 0.90 / ln 2=0.105361 / 0.693147=0.152004
2	Tooling can be reused at no extra cost because all of its cost has been assigned to the first deployment boat.

1.	Calculate predicted total costs of producing the six PT109s for the Navy. (WLJ Boat will keep the first deployment boat assembled, costed at $1,493,200, as a demonstration model for potential customers.)
2.	What is the dollar amount of the difference between (a) the predicted total costs for producing the six PT109s in requirement 1, and (b) the predicted total costs for producing the six PT109s, assuming that there is no learning curve for direct manufacturing labor? That is, for (b) assume a linear function for units produced and direct manufacturing labor-hours.