[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 77 (Thursday, April 21, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 23421-23422]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-09326]
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Rules and Regulations
Federal Register
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 77 / Thursday, April 21, 2016 / Rules
and Regulations
[[Page 23421]]
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 25
[Docket No. FAA-2015-1484; Special Conditions No. 25-617-SC]
Special Conditions: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Model GVII-
G500 Airplanes, Design Roll Maneuver Requirement
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Final special conditions; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for the Gulfstream
Aerospace Corporation (Gulfstream) Model GVII-G500 airplane. This
airplane will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to
the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for
transport category airplanes. This design feature is electronic flight
controls that affect maneuvering. The applicable airworthiness
regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for
this design feature. These 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: This action is effective on Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation on
April 21, 2016. We must receive your comments by June 6, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2015-1484
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 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at 202-493-2251.
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 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: Walt Sippel, FAA, Airframe and Cabin
Safety Branch, ANM-115, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft
Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, Washington 98057-
3356; telephone 425-227-2774; facsimile 425-227-1320.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The FAA has determined that notice of, and
opportunity for prior public comment on, these special conditions is
impracticable because these procedures would significantly delay
issuance of the design approval and thus delivery of the affected
airplane.
In addition, the substance of these special conditions has been
subject to the public comment process in several prior instances with
no substantive comments received. The FAA therefore finds that good
cause exists for making these special conditions effective upon
publication in the Federal Register.
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 by the closing date for
comments. We may change these special conditions based on the comments
we receive.
Background
On March 29, 2012, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation applied for a
type certificate for their new Model GVII-G500 series airplane. The
Model GVII-G500 series airplane will be a business jet capable of
accommodating up to 19 passengers. It will incorporate a low, swept-
wing design with winglets and a T-tail. The powerplant will consist of
two aft-fuselage-mounted Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines.
Type Certification Basis
Under Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) 21.17,
Gulfstream must show that the Model GVII-G500 series airplane meets the
applicable provisions of 14 CFR part 25, as amended by Amendments 25-1
through 25-129.
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 GVII-G500 series 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, Model GVII-G500 series airplanes must comply with the fuel-
vent and exhaust-emission requirements of 14 CFR part 34, and the
noise-
[[Page 23422]]
certification requirements of 14 CFR part 36. 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 GVII-G500 series airplane will incorporate the following
novel or unusual design feature: An electronic flight-control system
that provides control of the airplane through pilot inputs to the
flight computer.
Current 14 CFR part 25 airworthiness regulations account for
control laws for which aileron deflection is proportional to control-
stick deflection. The regulations do not address nonlinearities or
other effects on aileron actuation that electronic flight controls may
cause. Because this type of system may affect flight loads, and
therefore the structural capability of the airplane, specific
regulations are needed to address these effects.
Discussion
The current design roll maneuver requirement for structural loads
in 14 CFR part 25 is inadequate for addressing airplanes with
electronic flight controls that affect maneuvering. These special
conditions adjust the current roll maneuver requirement, Sec.
25.349(a), to take into account the effects of an electronic flight
control system.
These special conditions differ from current requirements in that
they require roll maneuvers to result from defined movements of the
flightdeck roll control, as opposed to defined aileron deflections.
Also, the special conditions require an additional load condition at
VA, in which the flightdeck roll control is returned to
neutral following the initial roll input.
These special conditions are limited to the roll axis only. Special
conditions are no longer needed for the yaw axis because Sec. 25.351
was revised at Amendment 25-91 to account for the effects of an
electronic flight-control system.
These 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
Gulfstream Model GVII-G500 airplane. Should Gulfstream apply at a later
date for a change to the type certificate to include another model
incorporating the same novel or unusual design feature, these special
conditions would apply to that model as well.
Conclusion
This action affects only a certain novel or unusual design feature
on one model series of airplanes. It is not a rule of general
applicability.
The substance of these special conditions has been subjected to the
notice and comment period in several prior instances and has been
derived without substantive change from those previously issued. It is
unlikely that prior public comment would result in a significant change
from the substance contained herein. Therefore, because a delay would
significantly affect the certification of the airplane, the FAA has
determined that prior public notice and comment are unnecessary and
impracticable, and good cause exists for adopting these special
conditions upon publication in the Federal Register.
The FAA is requesting comments to allow interested persons to
submit views that may not have been submitted in response to the prior
opportunities for comment described above.
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 Special Conditions
Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me by the
Administrator, the following special conditions are issued as part of
the type certification basis for Gulfstream Model GVII-G500 airplanes.
The following conditions, speeds, and flightdeck roll control
motions (except as the motions may be limited by pilot effort) must be
considered in combination with an airplane load factor of zero and of
two-thirds of the positive maneuvering factor used in design. In
determining the resulting control surface deflections, the torsional
flexibility of the wing must be considered in accordance with Sec.
25.301(b):
1. Conditions corresponding to steady rolling velocities must be
investigated. In addition, conditions corresponding to maximum angular
acceleration must be investigated for airplanes with engines or other
weight concentrations outboard of the fuselage. For the angular
acceleration conditions, zero rolling velocity may be assumed in the
absence of a rational time history investigation of the maneuver.
2. At VA, sudden movement of the flightdeck roll control
up to the limit is assumed. The position of the flightdeck roll control
must be maintained until a steady roll rate is achieved and then must
be returned suddenly to the neutral position.
3. At VC, the flightdeck roll control must be moved
suddenly and maintained so as to achieve a roll rate not less than that
obtained in special condition 2.
4. At VD, the flightdeck roll control must be moved
suddenly and maintained so as to achieve a roll rate not less than one-
third of that obtained in special condition 2.
Issued in Renton, Washington, on April 14, 2016.
Victor Wicklund,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification
Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-09326 Filed 4-20-16; 8:45 am]
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