[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 202 (Thursday, October 18, 2012)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 64023-64024]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-25606]



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  Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 202 / Thursday, October 18, 2012 / 
Rules and Regulations  

[[Page 64023]]



DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. FAA-2012-1120; Special Conditions No. 25-471-SC]


Special Conditions: Airbus Model A318, A319, A320, and A321 
Series Airplanes; Design Roll Maneuver Conditions

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 Airbus Model A318, 
A319, and A320 series airplanes with modification 160500 and Model A321 
series airplanes with modification 160023 (Sharklet). These airplanes 
will have novel or unusual design features when compared to the state 
of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport 
category airplanes. These design features include 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: The effective date of these special conditions is October 11, 
2012. We must receive your comments by December 3, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2012-1120 
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.
    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: Todd Martin, FAA, Airframe/Cabin 
Safety Branch, ANM-115, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft 
Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, Washington 98057-
3356; telephone 425-227-1178; facsimile 425-227-1232.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA has determined that notice of, and 
opportunity for prior public comment on, these special conditions are 
impracticable because these procedures would significantly delay 
issuance of the design approval 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

    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 April 8, 2010, Airbus applied for a change to Type Certificate 
No. A28NM to include modification 160500 on Airbus Model A318, A319, 
and A320 series airplanes and modification 160023 on Model A321 series 
airplanes for the installation of a ``Sharklet,'' a large wingtip 
device. The Model A318, A319, A320, and A321 series airplanes are short 
to medium-range, twin turbofan, transport category airplanes with a 
maximum seating capacity of 136 to 220 passengers, a maximum takeoff 
weight of 130,071 to 205,027 pounds, and a maximum operating altitude 
of 39,800 feet.
    FAA issued special conditions 25-ANM-23, effective December 15, 
1988, originally applicable to Airbus Model A320 series airplanes and 
later to the Model A318, A319, and A321 series airplanes. Those special 
conditions included requirements for design roll maneuver conditions. 
The FAA has determined that new special conditions are needed for the 
Airbus Model A318, A319, and A320 series airplanes with modification 
160500 and Model A321 series airplanes with modification 160023 
(Sharklet) and later derivatives because the existing special 
conditions have evolved over the years and need to be updated for this 
derivative program.

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulation (14 
CFR) 21.101, Airbus must show that the Model A318, A319, A320, and A321 
series airplanes, as changed, continue to meet the applicable 
provisions of the regulations incorporated by reference in Type 
Certificate No. A28NM or the applicable

[[Page 64024]]

regulations in effect on the date of application for the 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 in Type Certificate No. A28NM are 
14 CFR part 25, as amended by Amendments 25-1 through 25-56, and 
special conditions 25-ANM-23. In addition, the certification basis 
includes certain special conditions, exemptions, or later amended 
sections of the applicable part that are not relevant to these special 
conditions.
    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 A318, A319, A320, and A321 
series airplanes 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 novel or 
unusual design feature, or should any other model already included on 
the same type certificate be modified to incorporate the same novel or 
unusual design feature, the special conditions would also apply to the 
other model.
    In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special 
conditions, the Model A318, A319, A320, and A321 series 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.
    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.  21.101.

Novel or Unusual Design Features

    The Airbus Model A318, A319, and A320 series airplanes with 
modification 160500 and Model A321 series airplanes with modification 
160023 (Sharklet) will incorporate the following novel or unusual 
design feature: Electronic flight controls that affect maneuvering.
    The current design roll maneuver requirement in 14 CFR part 25 is 
inadequate for addressing an aircraft with electronic flight controls 
that affect maneuvering. Special conditions are needed to adjust the 
current roll maneuver requirement in Sec.  25.349(a) to take into 
account the effects of an electronic flight control system.

Discussion

    Current part 25 airworthiness regulations account for control laws 
for which aileron deflection is proportional to control stick 
deflection. They do not address any nonlinearities or other effects on 
aileron actuation that may be caused by electronic flight controls. 
Since this type of system may affect flight loads, and therefore the 
structural capability of the airplane, specific regulations are needed 
to address these effects.
    These proposed special conditions differ from current requirements 
in that they require that the roll maneuver be performed by actuation 
of the cockpit roll control as opposed to the aileron itself. Also, the 
proposed special conditions require an additional load condition at 
VA, in which the cockpit roll control is returned to neutral 
following the initial roll input.

Applicability

    As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the 
Airbus Model A318, A319, A320 series airplanes with modification 160500 
and Model A321 series airplanes with modification 160023 (Sharklet). 
Should Airbus 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 the model series of airplanes listed above. 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, 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 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 Airbus Model A318, A319, and A320 
series airplanes with modification 160500 and Model A321 with 
modification 160023 (Sharklet) series airplanes.
    Design Roll Maneuver Conditions. The following conditions, speeds, 
and cockpit 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 cockpit roll control up 
to the limit is assumed. The position of the cockpit 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 cockpit roll control must be moved 
suddenly and maintained so as to achieve a roll rate not less than that 
obtained in paragraph 2.
    4. At VD, the cockpit roll control must be moved 
suddenly and maintained so as to achieve a roll rate not less than one 
third of that obtained in paragraph 2.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on October 11, 2012.
Ali Bahrami,
Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-25606 Filed 10-17-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P