[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 218 (Tuesday, November 12, 2013)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 67291-67292]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-26913]



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  Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 218 / Tuesday, November 12, 2013 / 
Rules and Regulations  

[[Page 67291]]



DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. FAA-2013-0843; Special Conditions No. 25-500-SC]


Special Conditions: Bombardier Inc., Models BD-500-1A10 and BD-
500-1A11 Series Airplanes; Design Roll Maneuver Condition

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 Bombardier Inc. 
Models BD-500-1A10 and BD-500-1A11 series airplanes. These airplanes 
will have a novel or unusual design feature associated with an 
electronic flight control system that provides roll control of the 
airplanes through pilot inputs to the flight computers. 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 November 12, 
2013. We must receive your comments by December 27, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2013-0843 
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 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: Mark Freisthler, FAA, Airframe and 
Cabin Safety Branch, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft 
Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, Washington 98057-
3356; telephone 425-227-1119; facsimile 425-227-1232.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA has determined that notice of, and 
opportunity for prior public comment on, these special conditions is 
unnecessary because 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 December 10, 2009, Bombardier Inc. applied for a type 
certificate for their new Models BD-500-1A10 and BD-500-1A11 series 
airplanes (hereafter collectively referred to as ``C-series''). The C-
series airplanes are swept-wing monoplanes with a pressurized cabin. 
They share an identical supplier base and significant common design 
elements. The fuselage is an aluminum alloy material, blended double-
bubble fuselage design, sized for nominal 5-abreast seating. Each 
airplane's powerplant consists of two under-wing Pratt and Whitney 
PW1524G ultra-high bypass, geared turbofan engines. Flight controls are 
fly-by-wire flight with two passive/uncoupled side sticks. Avionics 
include five landscape primary cockpit displays. The dimensions of the 
airplanes encompass a wingspan of 115 feet; a height of 37.75 feet; and 
a length of 114.75 feet for the Model BD-500-1A10 and 127 feet for the 
Model BD-500-1A11. Passenger capacity is designated as 110 for the 
Model BD-500-1A10 and 125 for the Model BD-500-1A11. Maximum takeoff 
weight is 131,000 pounds for the Model BD-500-1A10 and 144,000 pounds 
for the Model BD-500-1A11. Maximum takeoff thrust is 21,000 pounds for 
the Model BD-500-1A10 and 23,300 pounds for the Model BD-500-1A11. 
Range is 3,394 miles (5,463 kilometres) for both models of airplanes. 
Maximum operating altitude is 41,000 feet for both models of airplanes.
    The current design roll maneuver requirement in Title 14, Code of 
Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 25 is inadequate for addressing an 
aircraft with electronic flight controls that affect maneuvering. These 
special conditions will adjust the current roll maneuver requirement, 
Sec.  25.349, to take into account the effects of an electronic flight 
control system.

[[Page 67292]]

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of 14 CFR 21.17, Bombardier Inc. must show 
that the C-series airplanes meet the applicable provisions of part 25 
as amended by Amendments 25-1 through 25-129 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 C-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 or similar 
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 C-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, 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 C-series airplanes will incorporate the following novel or 
unusual design features:
    The airplanes are equipped with an electronic flight control system 
that provides control through pilot inputs to the flight computer. 
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 airplanes, special conditions are needed to address 
these effects.

Discussion

    These special conditions differ from current requirements in that 
they require that the roll maneuver be based on defined actuation of 
the cockpit roll control as opposed to defined deflections of the 
aileron itself. Also, the special conditions require an additional load 
condition at VA, in which the cockpit roll control is 
returned to neutral following the initial roll input.
    These special conditions differ from similar special conditions 
applied on previous programs. These special conditions are limited to 
the roll axis only, whereas previous special conditions also included 
the pitch and yaw axes. Special conditions are no longer needed for the 
pitch or yaw axes, because Amendment 25-91 takes into account the 
effects of an electronic flight control system in those axes (Sec.  
25.331 for pitch and Sec.  25.351 for yaw).

Applicability

    As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the 
Models BD-500-1A10 and BD-500-1A11 series airplanes. Should Bombardier 
Inc. 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 two 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 airplanes, 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 the Bombardier Inc. Models BD-500-1A10 
and BD-500-1A11 series airplanes.

Design Roll Maneuver Condition

    In lieu of compliance to Sec.  25.349(a):
    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 September 19, 2013.
Ross Landes,
Acting Manager,Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-26913 Filed 11-8-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P