[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 77 (Thursday, April 21, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 23421-23422]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-09326]



 ========================================================================
 Rules and Regulations
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains regulatory documents 
 having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed 
 to and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations, which is published 
 under 50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.
 
 The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by the Superintendent of Documents. 
 Prices of new books are listed in the first FEDERAL REGISTER issue of each 
 week.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 77 / Thursday, April 21, 2016 / Rules 
and Regulations  

[[Page 23421]]



DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. FAA-2015-1484; Special Conditions No. 25-617-SC]


Special Conditions: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Model GVII-
G500 Airplanes, Design Roll Maneuver Requirement

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final special conditions; request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for the Gulfstream 
Aerospace Corporation (Gulfstream) Model GVII-G500 airplane. This 
airplane will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to 
the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for 
transport category airplanes. This design feature is 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: This action is effective on Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation on 
April 21, 2016. We must receive your comments by June 6, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2015-1484 
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 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: Walt Sippel, FAA, Airframe and Cabin 
Safety Branch, ANM-115, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft 
Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, Washington 98057-
3356; telephone 425-227-2774; facsimile 425-227-1320.

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.
    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 March 29, 2012, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation applied for a 
type certificate for their new Model GVII-G500 series airplane. The 
Model GVII-G500 series airplane will be a business jet capable of 
accommodating up to 19 passengers. It will incorporate a low, swept-
wing design with winglets and a T-tail. The powerplant will consist of 
two aft-fuselage-mounted Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines.

Type Certification Basis

    Under Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) 21.17, 
Gulfstream must show that the Model GVII-G500 series airplane meets the 
applicable provisions of 14 CFR part 25, as amended by Amendments 25-1 
through 25-129.
    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 GVII-G500 series airplane 
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 under Sec.  21.101.
    In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special 
conditions, Model GVII-G500 series airplanes must comply with the fuel-
vent and exhaust-emission requirements of 14 CFR part 34, and the 
noise-

[[Page 23422]]

certification requirements of 14 CFR part 36. 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 Model GVII-G500 series airplane will incorporate the following 
novel or unusual design feature: An electronic flight-control system 
that provides control of the airplane through pilot inputs to the 
flight computer.
    Current 14 CFR part 25 airworthiness regulations account for 
control laws for which aileron deflection is proportional to control-
stick deflection. The regulations 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 airplane, specific 
regulations are needed to address these effects.

Discussion

    The current design roll maneuver requirement for structural loads 
in 14 CFR part 25 is inadequate for addressing airplanes with 
electronic flight controls that affect maneuvering. These special 
conditions adjust the current roll maneuver requirement, Sec.  
25.349(a), to take into account the effects of an electronic flight 
control system.
    These special conditions differ from current requirements in that 
they require roll maneuvers to result from defined movements of the 
flightdeck roll control, as opposed to defined aileron deflections. 
Also, the special conditions require an additional load condition at 
VA, in which the flightdeck roll control is returned to 
neutral following the initial roll input.
    These special conditions are limited to the roll axis only. Special 
conditions are no longer needed for the yaw axis because Sec.  25.351 
was revised at Amendment 25-91 to account for the effects of an 
electronic flight-control system.
    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 
Gulfstream Model GVII-G500 airplane. Should Gulfstream 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 a certain novel or unusual design feature 
on one 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 airplane, 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 Gulfstream Model GVII-G500 airplanes.
    The following conditions, speeds, and flightdeck 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 flightdeck roll control 
up to the limit is assumed. The position of the flightdeck 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 flightdeck roll control must be moved 
suddenly and maintained so as to achieve a roll rate not less than that 
obtained in special condition 2.
    4. At VD, the flightdeck 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.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on April 14, 2016.
Victor Wicklund,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-09326 Filed 4-20-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P