[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 224 (Tuesday, November 20, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 69569-69571]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-28133]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 25
[Docket No. FAA-2012-1211; Notice No. 25-12-10-SC]
Special Conditions: Embraer S.A., Model EMB-550 Airplanes; Flight
Envelope Protection: Pitch and Roll Limiting Functions
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed special conditions.
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SUMMARY: This action proposes special conditions for the Embraer S.A.
Model EMB-550 airplane. This airplane will have a novel or unusual
design feature associated with pitch and roll limiting functions,
specifically an electronic flight control system which contains fly-by-
wire control laws, including envelope protections. The applicable
airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety
standards for this design feature. These proposed special conditions
contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator
considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that
established by the existing airworthiness standards.
DATES: Send your comments on or before January 4, 2013.
ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2012-1211
using any of the following methods:
Federal eRegulations Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/ and follow the online instructions for sending
your comments electronically.
Mail: Send comments to Docket Operations, M-30, U.S.
Department of Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room
W12-140, West Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Hand Delivery or Courier: Take comments to Docket
Operations in Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.
Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at 202-493-2251.
[[Page 69570]]
Privacy: The FAA will post all comments it receives, without
change, to http://www.regulations.gov/, including any personal
information the commenter provides. Using the search function of the
docket Web site, anyone can find and read the electronic form of all
comments received into any FAA docket, including the name of the
individual sending the comment (or signing the comment for an
association, business, labor union, etc.). DOT's complete Privacy Act
Statement can be found in the Federal Register published on April 11,
2000 (65 FR 19477-19478), as well as at http://DocketsInfo.dot.gov/.
Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at
http://www.regulations.gov/ at any time. Follow the online instructions
for accessing the docket or go to the Docket Operations in Room W12-140
of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE.,
Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joe Jacobsen, FAA, Airplane and Flight
Crew Interface Branch, ANM-111, Transport Airplane Directorate,
Aircraft Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton,
Washington 98057-3356; telephone 425-227-2011; facsimile 425-227-1149.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
We invite interested people to take part in this rulemaking by
sending written comments, data, or views. The most helpful comments
reference a specific portion of the special conditions, explain the
reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data.
We will consider all comments we receive on or before the closing
date for comments. We may change these special conditions based on the
comments we receive.
Background
On May 14, 2009, Embraer S.A. applied for a type certificate for
their new Model EMB-550 airplane. The Model EMB-550 airplane is the
first of a new family of jet airplanes designed for corporate flight,
fractional, charter, and private owner operations. The aircraft has a
conventional configuration with a low wing and T-tail empennage. The
primary structure is metal with composite empennage and control
surfaces. The Model EMB-550 airplane is designed for 8 passengers, with
a maximum of 12 passengers. It is equipped with two Honeywell HTF7500-E
medium bypass ratio turbofan engines mounted on aft fuselage pylons.
Each engine produces approximately 6,540 pounds of thrust for normal
takeoff. The primary flight controls consist of hydraulically powered
fly-by-wire elevators, aileron and rudder, controlled by the pilot or
copilot sidestick.
The airworthiness standards in Title 14, Code of Federal
Regulations (14 CFR) part 25 do not specifically relate to flight
characteristics associated with fixed attitude limits. Embraer S.A.
will implement pitch and roll attitude protection functions through the
normal modes of the electronic flight control system that will provide
speed stability for high and low pitch angles. These functions also
provide strong spiral stability for roll angles at high bank angles. In
addition, bank angle limiting is introduced at speeds greater than
VMO/MMO, up to VDF/MDF.
Type Certification Basis
Under the provisions of 14 CFR 21.17, Embraer S.A. must show that
the Model EMB-550 airplane meets the applicable provisions of part 25,
as amended by Amendments 25-1 through 25-127 thereto.
If the Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness
regulations (i.e., 14 CFR part 25) do not contain adequate or
appropriate safety standards for the Model EMB-550 airplane because of
a novel or unusual design feature, special conditions are prescribed
under the provisions of Sec. 21.16.
Special conditions are initially applicable to the model for which
they are issued. Should the type certificate for that model be amended
later to include any other model that incorporates the same or similar
novel or unusual design feature, the special conditions would also
apply to the other model under Sec. 21.101.
In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special
conditions, the Model EMB-550 airplane must comply with the fuel vent
and exhaust emission requirements of 14 CFR part 34 and the noise
certification requirements of 14 CFR part 36 and the FAA must issue a
finding of regulatory adequacy under Sec. 611 of Public Law 92-574,
the ``Noise Control Act of 1972.''
The FAA issues special conditions, as defined in 14 CFR 11.19, in
accordance with Sec. 11.38, and they become part of the type-
certification basis under Sec. 21.17(a)(2).
Novel or Unusual Design Features
The Model EMB-550 airplane will incorporate the following novel or
unusual design feature: An electronic flight control system which
contains fly-by-wire control laws, including envelope protections,
which were not envisioned when part 25 was written.
Discussion
We expect that high thrust-to-weight ratios will provide the most
critical cases for the positive pitch limit. A margin in pitch control
must be available to enable speed control in maneuvers such as climb
after takeoff and balked landing climb. The pitch limit must not impede
likely maneuvering made necessary by collision avoidance efforts. A
negative pitch limit must similarly not interfere with collision
avoidance capability or with attaining and maintaining speeds near
VMO/MMO for emergency descent.
Spiral stability must not restrict attaining roll angles up to 65
degrees (i.e., an approximately 2.4g-level turn). This force must not
require excessive pilot strength as stated in Sec. 25.143(f).
These proposed special conditions contain the additional safety
standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a
level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing
airworthiness standards.
Applicability
As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the
Model EMB-550 airplane. Should Embraer S.A. apply at a later date for a
change to the type certificate to include another model incorporating
the same novel or unusual design feature, the special conditions would
apply to that model as well.
Conclusion
This action affects only certain novel or unusual design features
on one model of airplanes. It is not a rule of general applicability.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 25
Aircraft, Aviation safety, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements.
The authority citation for these special conditions is as follows:
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701, 44702, 44704.
The Proposed Special Conditions
Accordingly, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes the
following special conditions as part of the type certification basis
for Embraer S.A. Model EMB-550 airplanes. In addition to Sec. 25.143,
the following requirements apply:
[[Page 69571]]
1. Flight Envelope Protection: Pitch and Roll Limiting Functions.
a. The pitch limiting function must not impede normal maneuvering
for pitch angles up to the maximum required for normal maneuvering,
including a normal all-engines operating takeoff, plus a suitable
margin to allow for satisfactory speed control.
b. The pitch and roll limiting functions must not restrict or
prevent attaining pitch attitudes necessary for emergency maneuvering
or roll angles up to 66 degrees with flaps up, or 60 degrees with flaps
down. Spiral stability, which is introduced above 33 degrees roll
angle, must not require excessive pilot strength to achieve these roll
angles. Other protections, which further limit the roll capability
under certain extreme angle of attack or attitude or high speed
conditions, are acceptable, as long as they allow at least 45 degrees
of roll capability.
c. A lower limit of roll is acceptable beyond the overspeed warning
if it is possible to recover the aircraft to the normal flight envelope
without undue difficulty or delay.
Issued in Renton, Washington, on November 9, 2012.
Ali Bahrami,
Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification
Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-28133 Filed 11-19-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P