[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 119 (Wednesday, June 21, 2006)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 35500-35502]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-9818]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 23

[Docket No. CE251, Special Condition 23-191-SC]


Special Conditions; Rickenbacker Avionics, EFS-50 EFIS 
Installation in Rockwell Twin Commander Model 690B; Protection of 
Systems From 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 to Rickenbacker Avionics, 
2820 Bobmeyer Road, Hangar C-6, Hamilton, OH 45015, for a Supplemental 
Type Certificate for the Rockwell Twin Commander Model 690B airplane. 
This airplane will have novel and unusual design features when compared 
to the state of technology envisaged in the applicable airworthiness 
standards. This novel and unusual design feature will include the 
installation of a two-tube Bendix/King EFS-50 Electronic Flight 
Instrument System (EFIS). The installation also includes components 
associated with this display system. The applicable regulations do not 
contain adequate or appropriate airworthiness 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 the

[[Page 35501]]

airworthiness standards applicable to these airplanes.

DATES: The effective date of these special conditions is June 12, 2006. 
Comments must be received on or before July 21, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed in duplicate to: Federal Aviation 
Administration, Regional Counsel, ACE-7, Attention: Rules Docket Clerk, 
Docket No. CE251, Room 506, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. 
All comments must be marked: Docket No. CE251. Comments may be 
inspected in the Rules Docket weekdays, except Federal holidays, 
between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wes Ryan, Aerospace Engineer, 
Standards Office (ACE-114), Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft 
Certification Service, Federal Aviation Administration, 901 Locust, 
Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone (816) 329-4123.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA has determined that notice and 
opportunity for prior public comment hereon are impracticable because 
these procedures would significantly delay issuance of the approval 
design and thus delivery of the affected aircraft. 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 issuance.

Comments Invited

    Interested persons are invited to submit such written data, views, 
or arguments, as they may desire. Communications should identify the 
regulatory docket or notice number and be submitted in duplicate to the 
address specified above. All communications received on or before the 
closing date for comments will be considered by the Administrator. The 
special conditions may be changed in light of the comments received. 
All comments received will be available in the Rules Docket for 
examination by interested persons, both before and after the closing 
date for comments. A report summarizing each substantive public contact 
with FAA personnel concerning this rulemaking will be filed in the 
docket. Commenters wishing the FAA to acknowledge receipt of their 
comments submitted in response to this notice must include a self-
addressed, stamped postcard on which the following statement is made: 
``Comments to Docket No. CE251.'' The postcard will be date stamped and 
returned to the commenter.

Background

    In early October 2005, Rickenbacker Avionics made an application to 
the FAA for a new Supplemental Type Certificate for the Rockwell Twin 
Commander 690B, which is currently approved under Type Certificate No. 
2A4. The proposed modification incorporates novel or unusual design 
features that are vulnerable to HIRF external to the airplane.

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of 14 CFR, part 21, Sec.  21.101, Rickenbacker 
Avionics must show that the Twin Commander 690B aircraft continues to 
meet the applicable provisions of the regulations incorporated by 
reference in the original type certification basis for each model, as 
listed on the Type Data Sheet 2A4, or the applicable regulations and 
the additional provisions in effect on the date of application for this 
Supplemental Type Change. The regulations incorporated by reference in 
the type certificate are commonly referred to as the ``original type 
certification basis.'' The regulations incorporated by reference and 
the additional systems related provisions that cover the EFIS 
installation include: Sec. Sec.  23.1301, 23.1309, 23.1311, 23.1321, 
23.1322, 23.1323, 23.1331, 23.1353, and 23.1357 at the amendment level 
appropriate for the application date; exemptions, if any; and the 
special conditions adopted by this rulemaking action. Additional 
information regarding the certification basis for this STC is available 
from the applicant.

Discussion

    If the Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness 
standards do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards 
because of novel or unusual design features of an airplane, special 
conditions are prescribed under the provisions of Sec.  21.16.
    Special conditions, as appropriate, as defined in Sec.  11.19, are 
issued in accordance with Sec.  11.38 and become part of the type 
certification basis in accordance with Sec.  21.101.
    Special conditions are initially applicable to the model for which 
they are issued. Should the applicant apply for a supplemental type 
certificate to modify any other model included on the same type 
certificate to incorporate the same novel or unusual design feature, 
the special conditions would also apply to the other model under the 
provisions of Sec.  21.101.

Novel or Unusual Design Features

    Rickenbacker Avionics plans to incorporate certain novel and 
unusual design features into an airplane for which the airworthiness 
standards do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for 
protection from the effects of HIRF. These features include EFS-50 EFIS 
and associated components, potentially susceptible to the HIRF 
environment that were not envisaged by the existing regulations for 
this type of airplane.

Protection of Systems From High Intensity Radiated Fields (HIRF):

    Recent advances in technology have given rise to the application in 
aircraft designs of advanced electrical and electronic systems that 
perform functions required for continued safe flight and landing. Due 
to the use of sensitive solid-state advanced components in analog and 
digital electronics circuits, these advanced systems are readily 
responsive to the transient effects of induced electrical current and 
voltage caused by the HIRF. The HIRF can degrade electronic systems 
performance by damaging components or upsetting system functions.
    Furthermore, the HIRF environment has undergone a transformation 
that was not foreseen when the current requirements were developed. 
Higher energy levels are radiated from transmitters that are used for 
radar, radio, and television. Also, the number of transmitters has 
increased significantly. There is also uncertainty concerning the 
effectiveness of airframe shielding for HIRF. Furthermore, coupling to 
cockpit-installed equipment through the cockpit window apertures is 
undefined.
    The combined effect of the technological advances in airplane 
design and the changing environment has resulted in an increased level 
of vulnerability of electrical and electronic systems required for the 
continued safe flight and landing of the airplane. Effective measures 
against the effects of exposure to HIRF must be provided by the design 
and installation of these systems. The accepted maximum energy levels 
in which civilian airplane system installations must be capable of 
operating safely are based on surveys and analysis of existing radio 
frequency emitters. These special conditions require that the airplane 
be evaluated under these energy levels for the protection of the 
electronic system and its associated wiring harness. These external 
threat levels, which are lower than previous required values, are

[[Page 35502]]

believed to represent the worst case to which an airplane would be 
exposed in the operating environment.
    These special conditions require qualification of systems that 
perform critical functions, as installed in aircraft, to the defined 
HIRF environment in paragraph 1 or, as an option to a fixed value using 
laboratory tests, in paragraph 2, as follows:
    (1) The applicant may demonstrate that the operation and 
operational capability of the installed electrical and electronic 
systems that perform critical functions are not adversely affected when 
the aircraft is exposed to the HIRF environment defined below:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                  Field strength (volts
                                                       per meter)
                   Frequency                   -------------------------
                                                    Peak       Average
------------------------------------------------------------------------
10 kHz-100 kHz................................           50           50
100 kHz-500 kHz...............................           50            0
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 root-mean-square
  (rms) values.

Or,

    (2) The applicant may demonstrate by a system test and analysis 
that the electrical and electronic systems that perform critical 
functions can withstand a minimum threat of 100 volts per meter, 
electrical field strength, from 10 kHz to 18 GHz. When using this test 
to show compliance with the HIRF requirements, no credit is given for 
signal attenuation due to installation.
    A preliminary hazard analysis must be performed by the applicant, 
for approval by the FAA, to identify either electrical or electronic 
systems that perform critical functions. The term ``critical'' refers 
to functions, whose failure would contribute to, or cause, a failure 
condition that would prevent the continued safe flight and landing of 
the airplane. The systems identified by the hazard analysis that 
perform critical functions are candidates for the application of HIRF 
requirements. A system may perform both critical and non-critical 
functions. Primary electronic flight display systems, and their 
associated components, perform critical functions such as attitude, 
altitude, and airspeed indication. The HIRF requirements apply only to 
critical functions.
    Compliance with HIRF requirements may be demonstrated by tests, 
analysis, models, similarity with existing systems, or any combination 
of these. Service experience alone is not acceptable since normal 
flight operations may not include an exposure to the HIRF environment. 
Reliance on a system with similar design features for redundancy as a 
means of protection against the effects of external HIRF is generally 
insufficient since all elements of a redundant system are likely to be 
exposed to the fields concurrently.

Applicability

    As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the 
Rockwell Twin Commander Model 690B airplanes. Should Rickenbacker 
Avionics apply at a later date for a supplemental type certificate to 
modify any other model on the same type certificate, Type Certificate 
No. 2A4, to incorporate the same novel or unusual design feature, the 
special conditions would apply to that model as well under the 
provisions of Sec.  21.101.

Conclusion

    This action affects only certain novel or unusual design features 
on one model of airplane. It is not a rule of general applicability and 
affects only the applicant who applied to the FAA for approval of these 
features on the airplane.
    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. For this reason, and because a 
delay would significantly affect the certification of the airplane, 
which is imminent, the FAA has determined that prior public notice and 
comment are unnecessary and impracticable, and good cause exists for 
adopting these special conditions upon issuance. 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 23

    Aircraft, Aviation safety, Signs and symbols.

Citation

0
The authority citation for these special conditions is as follows:

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113 and 44701; 14 CFR 21.16 and 
21.101; and 14 CFR 11.38 and 11.19.

The Special Conditions

0
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 Rockwell Twin Commander Model 690B 
airplanes modified by Rickenbacker Avionics to add EFS-50 EFIS 
installation.
    1. Protection of electrical and electronic systems from High 
Intensity Radiated Fields (HIRF). Each system that performs critical 
functions must be designed and installed to ensure that the operations, 
and operational capabilities of these systems to perform critical 
functions, are not adversely affected when the airplane is exposed to 
high intensity radiated electromagnetic fields external to the 
airplane.
    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 Kansas City, Missouri, on June 12, 2006.
James E. Jackson,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. E6-9818 Filed 6-20-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P