[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 83 (Thursday, April 30, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 24191-24193]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-10102]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. FAA-2015-0757; Special Conditions No. 25-581-SC]


Special Conditions: Bombardier Inc. Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-
2A13 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. 
Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 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: This action is effective on Bombardier Inc. on April 30, 2015. 
We must receive your comments by June 15, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2015-0757 
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/ gov/.
    Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at

[[Page 24192]]

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: 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 
impracticable because these procedures would significantly delay 
issuance of the design approval and thus delivery of the affected 
airplane(s).
    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 June 13, 2012, Bombardier Inc. applied for an amended type 
certificate for their new Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 airplanes. 
The BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 augment the existing BD-700 family of 
airplanes, and are marketed as the Bombardier Global 7000 and Global 
8000, respectively. These are ultra-long-range, executive-interior 
business jets equipped with Rockwell Collins ProLine Fusion Integrated 
Avionics System. These airplanes have a maximum certified passenger 
capacity of 19.
    The design of the Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 airplanes 
includes new high-speed transonic wings with improved aerodynamic 
efficiency, a pressurized cabin for luxury interiors, and they share an 
identical supplier base and significant common design elements. The 
current design roll-maneuver requirement in Title 14, Code of Federal 
Regulations (14 CFR) part 25 is inadequate for addressing an airplane 
with electronic flight controls that affect maneuvering. These special 
conditions adjust the current roll-maneuver requirement, Sec.  25.349, 
to take into account the effects of an electronic flight-control 
system.

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of 14 CFR 21.101, Bombardier Inc. must show 
that the Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 airplanes meet the 
applicable provisions of part 25 as amended by Amendments 25-1 through 
25-136.
    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 BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 
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, these special conditions would also apply to 
the other model under Sec.  21.101.
    In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special 
conditions, the Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 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 Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 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 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 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 is 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).
    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 
Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 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, 
these special conditions would apply to that model as well.

Conclusion

    This action affects only certain novel or unusual design features 
on Bombardier Inc. Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 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

[[Page 24193]]

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. Model BD-700-2A12 
and BD-700-2A13 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. Bombardier Inc. must investigate conditions corresponding to 
steady rolling velocities. 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 Special Condition 2, above.
    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 Special Condition 2, above.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on April 17, 2015.
Victor Wicklund,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-10102 Filed 4-29-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P