[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 22 (Monday, February 3, 2003)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 5208-5210]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-2422]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. NM243; Special Conditions No. 25-226-SC]


Special Conditions: Bombardier Model BD-100-1A10 Airplanes; High-
Intensity Radiated Fields (HIRF).

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final special conditions; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for Bombardier Model BD-
100-1A10 airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design 
feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the 
airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. The airplane 
design includes four large liquid crystal display (LCD) electronic 
displays, an integrated electronic standby system, and full authority 
digital engine controls (FADEC) all of which perform critical 
functions. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain 
adequate or appropriate safety standards for the protection of these 
systems from the effects of high-intensity-radiated fields (HIRF). 
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: The effective date of these special conditions is January 9, 
2003. Comments must be received on or before March 5, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Comments on these special conditions may be mailed in 
duplicate to: Federal Aviation Administration, Transport Airplane 
Directorate, Attention: Rules Docket (ANM-113), Docket No. NM243, 1601 
Lind Avenue SW., Renton, Washington 98055-4056; or delivered in 
duplicate to the Transport Airplane Directorate at the above address. 
All comments must be marked: Docket No. NM243.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Greg Dunn, FAA, Airplane and Flight 
Crew Branch, ANM-111, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft 
Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, Washington 98055-
4056; telephone (425) 227-2799; facsimile (425) 227-1149.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    The FAA has determined that notice and opportunity for public 
comment in

[[Page 5209]]

accordance with 14 CFR 11.38 are unnecessary, because the FAA has 
provided previous opportunities to comment on substantially identical 
special conditions and has fully considered and addressed all the 
substantive comments received. Based on a review of the comment history 
and the comment resolution, the FAA is satisfied that new comments are 
unlikely. The FAA, therefore, finds that good cause exists for making 
these special conditions effective upon issuance.
    However, the FAA invites interested persons to participate in this 
rulemaking by submitting 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 ask that you send us two copies of written 
comments.
    We will file in the docket all comments we receive, as well as a 
report summarizing each substantive public contact with FAA personnel 
concerning these special conditions. The docket is available for public 
inspection before and after the comment closing date. If you wish to 
review the docket in person, go to the address in the ADDRESSES section 
of this preamble between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.
    We will consider all comments we receive on or before the closing 
date for comments. We will consider comments filed late if it is 
possible to do so without incurring expense or delay. We may change 
these special conditions based on the comments we receive.
    If you want the FAA to acknowledge receipt of your comments on 
these special conditions, include with your comments a pre-addressed, 
stamped postcard on which the docket number appears. We will stamp the 
date on the postcard and mail it back to you.

Background

    On March 26, 1999, Bombardier Inc. submitted an application to 
Transport Canada for FAA type certification of its new Model BD-100-
1A10 airplane. The BD-100-1A10 airplane is a business jet powered by 
two Honeywell AS907 High Bypass turbo-fan engines. The airplane has a 
two-pilot cockpit and interior seating for sixteen passengers. The 
overall length of the Model BD-100-A10 is 68.7 feet, the height is 
20.25 feet, and the wing span is 63.8 feet. The airplane has a maximum 
takeoff weight of 37,500 pounds, a maximum landing weight of 33,750 
pounds, a maximum operating altitude of 45,000 feet, and a design range 
of 3,100 nautical miles at Mach 0.8 or 2,780 nautical miles at Mach 
0.82. The Model BD-100-1A10 airplane will include four large LCD 
electronic displays, an integrated electronic standby system, and 
FADEC, all of which perform critical functions. These systems may be 
vulnerable to HIRF external to the airplane.

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of 14 CFR 21.17, Bombardier Inc. must show 
that Model BD-100-1A10 airplanes meet the applicable provisions in 
effect on the date of application for the type certificate or 
applicable provisions of 14 CFR part 25, as amended by Amendments 25-1 
through 25-98. Subsequent changes have been made to Sec.  21.101 as 
part of Amendment 21-77, but those changes do not become effective 
until June 10, 2003.
    If the Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness 
regulations (i.e., part 25, as amended) do not contain adequate or 
appropriate safety standards for Bombardier Model BD-100-1A10 airplanes 
because of a novel or unusual design feature, special conditions are 
prescribed under the provisions of Sec.  21.16.
    In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special 
conditions, Model BD-100-1A10 airplanes 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 pursuant to Sec.  611 of Public Law 92-
574, the ``Noise Control Act of 1972.''
    Special conditions, as defined in 14 CFR 11.19, are issued in 
accordance with Sec.  11.38 and become part of the type certification 
basis in accordance with Sec.  21.101(a)(2).
    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 novel or 
unusual design feature, these special conditions would also apply to 
the other model under the provisions of Sec.  21.101(a)(1), Amendment 
21-69, effective September 16, 1991.

Novel or Unusual Design Features

    As noted earlier, Model BD-100-1A10 airplanes will incorporate four 
LCD electronic displays, an integrated electronic standby system, and 
FADEC that will perform critical functions. These systems may be 
vulnerable to HIRF external to the airplane. The current airworthiness 
standards of part 25 do not contain adequate or appropriate safety 
standards for the protection of this equipment from the adverse effects 
of HIRF. Accordingly, these systems are considered to be novel or 
unusual designs.

Discussion

    There is no specific regulation that addresses protection 
requirements for electrical and electronic systems from HIRF. Increased 
power levels from ground-based radio transmitters and the growing use 
of sensitive avionics/electronics and electrical systems to command and 
control airplanes have made it necessary to provide adequate 
protection.
    To ensure that a level of safety is achieved equivalent to that 
intended by the regulations incorporated by reference, special 
conditions are needed for Model BD-100-1A10 airplanes. These special 
conditions require that avionic/electronic and electrical systems that 
perform critical functions be designed and installed to preclude 
component damage and interruption of function due to both the direct 
and indirect effects of HIRF.

High-Intensity Radiated Fields (HIRF)

    With the trend toward increased power levels from ground-based 
transmitters and the advent of space and satellite communications, 
coupled with electronic command and control of the airplane, the 
immunity of critical avionic/electronic and electrical systems to HIRF 
must be established.
    It is not possible to precisely define the HIRF to which the 
airplane will be exposed in service. There is also uncertainty 
concerning the effectiveness of airframe shielding for HIRF. 
Furthermore, coupling of electromagnetic energy to cockpit-installed 
equipment through the cockpit window apertures is undefined. Based on 
surveys and analysis of existing HIRF emitters, an adequate level of 
protection exists when compliance with the HIRF protection special 
condition is shown with either paragraph 1 or 2 below:
    1. A minimum threat of 100 volts rms (root-mean-square) per meter 
electric field strength from 10 KHz to 18 GHz.
    a. The threat must be applied to the system elements and their 
associated wiring harnesses without the benefit of airframe shielding.
    b. Demonstration of this level of protection is established through 
system tests and analysis.
    2. A threat external to the airframe of the field strengths 
identified in the table below for the frequency ranges indicated. Both 
peak and average field strength components from the table are to be 
demonstrated.

[[Page 5210]]



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                                                  Field strength  (volts
                                                        per meter)
                    Frequency                    -----------------------
                                                     Peak       Average
------------------------------------------------------------------------
10 kHz-100 kHz..................................          50          50
100 kHz-500 kHz.................................          50          50
500 kHz-2 MHz...................................          50          50
2 MHz-30 MHz....................................         100         100
30 MHz-70 MHz...................................          50          50
70 MHz-100 MHz..................................          50          50
100 MHz-200 MHz.................................         100         100
200 MHz-400 MHz.................................         100         100
400 MHz-700 MHz.................................         700          50
700 MHz-1 GHz...................................         700         100
1 GHz-2 GHz.....................................        2000         200
2 GHz-4 GHz.....................................        3000         200
4 GHz-6 GHz.....................................        3000         200
6 GHz-8 GHz.....................................        1000         200
8 GHz-12 GHz....................................        3000         300
12 GHz-18 GHz...................................        2000         200
18 GHz-40 GHz...................................         600        200
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The field strengths are expressed in terms of peak of the root-mean-
  square (rms) over the complete modulation period.

    The threat levels identified above are the result of an FAA review 
of existing studies on the subject of HIRF, in light of the ongoing 
work of the Electromagnetic Effects Harmonization Working Group of the 
Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee.

Applicability

    As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to 
Bombardier BD-100-1A10 airplanes. Should Bombardier 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, under the provisions of 
Sec.  21.101(a)(1), Amendment 21-69, effective September 16, 1991.

Conclusion

    This action affects only certain novel or unusual design features 
on Bombardier Model BD-100-1A10 airplanes. It is not a rule of general 
applicability, and affects only the applicant which applied to the FAA 
for approval of these features on the airplane. The FAA has determined 
that notice and opportunity for public comment are unnecessary, because 
the FAA has provided previous opportunities to comment on substantially 
identical special conditions and has fully considered and addressed all 
the substantive comments received. The FAA is satisfied that new 
comments are unlikely and finds, therefore, that good cause exists for 
making these special conditions effective upon issuance.

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 the Bombardier Model BD-100-1A10 
airplane.
    1. Protection from Unwanted Effects of High-Intensity Radiated 
Fields (HIRF). Each electrical and electronic system that performs 
critical functions must be designed and installed to ensure that the 
operation and operational capability of these systems to perform 
critical functions are not adversely affected when the airplane is 
exposed to high-intensity radiated fields.
    2. For the purpose of these special conditions, the following 
definition applies: Critical Functions: Functions whose failure would 
contribute to or cause a failure condition that would prevent the 
continued safe flight and landing of the airplane.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on January 9, 2003.
Ali Bahrami,
Assistant Director, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft 
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 03-2422 Filed 1-31-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P