[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 230 (Wednesday, November 30, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 86296-86297]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-28575]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

[Docket No. FAA-2016-9452]

14 CFR Part 21


Airworthiness Criteria: Glider Design Criteria for Stemme AG 
Model Stemme S12 Powered Glider

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed design criteria.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of and requests 
comments on the proposed design criteria for the Stemme AG model Stemme 
S12 powered glider. The Administrator finds the proposed design 
criteria, which make up the certification basis for the Stemme S12, 
acceptable.These final design criteria will be published in the Federal 
Register.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 30, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2016-9452 
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 of 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://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: Mr. Jim Rutherford, Federal Aviation 
Administration, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, MO 64106, telephone (816) 
329-4165, facsimile (816) 329-4090.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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 design criteria, explain the reason 
for any recommended change, and include supporting data. We ask that 
you send us two copies of written comments.
    We will consider all comments received on or before the closing 
date for comments. We will consider comments filed late if it is 
possible to do so without incurring expense or delay. We may change 
these airworthiness design criteria based on received comments.

Background

    On January 08, 2016, Stemme AG submitted an application for type 
validation of the Stemme S12 in accordance with the Technical 
Implementation Procedures for Airworthiness and Environmental 
Certification Between the FAA and the European Aviation Safety Agency 
(EASA), Revision 5, dated September 15, 2015. The Stemme S12 is a two-
seat, self-launching, powered glider with a liquid cooled, turbocharged 
engine mounted in the center fuselage, an indirect drive shaft, and a 
fully-foldable, variable-pitch composite propeller in the nose. It is 
constructed from glass and carbon fiber reinforced composites, features 
a conventional T-type tailplane, and has a retractable main landing 
gear. The glider has a maximum weight of 1,984 pounds (900 kilograms) 
and may be equipped with an optional dual-axis autopilot system. EASA 
type certificated the Stemme S12 under Type Certificate Number (No.) 
EASA.A.054 on March 11, 2016. The associated EASA Type Certificate Data 
Sheet (TCDS) No. EASA.A.054 defined the certification basis Stemme AG 
submitted to the FAA for review and acceptance.
    The applicable requirements for glider certification in the United 
States can be

[[Page 86297]]

found in FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 21.17-2A, ``Type Certification--
Fixed-Wing Gliders (Sailplanes), Including Powered Gliders,'' dated 
February 10, 1993. AC 21.17-2A has been the basis for certification of 
gliders and powered gliders in the United States for many years. AC 
21.17-2A states that applicants may utilize the Joint Aviation 
Requirements (JAR)-22, ``Sailplanes and Powered Sailplanes'', or 
another accepted airworthiness criteria, or a combination of both, as 
the accepted means for showing compliance for glider type 
certification.

Type Certification Basis

    The applicant proposed a Certification Basis based on EASA 
Certification Specification (CS)-22, ``Sailplanes and Powered 
Sailplanes'', initial issue, dated November 14, 2003. In addition to 
CS-22 requirements, the applicant proposed to comply with other 
requirements from the certification basis referenced in EASA TCDS No. 
EASA.A.054, including special conditions and equivalent safety 
findings.

The Proposed Design Criteria

    Applicable Airworthiness Criteria under Sec.  21.17(b).
    Based on the Special Class provisions of Sec.  21.17(b), the 
following airworthiness requirements form the FAA Certification Basis 
for this design:
    1. 14 CFR part 21, effective February 1, 1965, including amendments 
21-1 through 21-93 as applicable.
    2. EASA CS-22, initial issue, dated November 14, 2003.
    3. EASA Special Condition No. SC-A.22.1.01, ``Increase in maximum 
mass for sailplanes and powered sailplanes.''
    4. ``Preliminary Standard for the Substantiation of Indirect Drive 
Shafts in Power Plants of Powered Sailplanes Certified to JAR-22'' 
(with a modification for the Stemme AG model Stemme S 10), Luftfahrt-
Bundesamt (LBA) document number (no.) I231-87, issued August 05, 1988.
    5. Installation of a Dual-Axis Autopilot System, including--
     EASA CS-VLA (Very Light Aeroplanes) 1309, ``Equipment, 
systems, and installations''; initial issue, dated November 14, 2003; 
and
     EASA CS-23.1329, ``Automatic pilot system'', amendment 3, 
dated July 20, 2012.
    6. Drop Testing for Retractable Landing Gear (EASA equivalent 
safety findings) to include CS-VLA 725, ``Limit drop tests''; CS-VLA 
726, ``Ground load dynamic tests''; and CS-VLA 727, ``Reserve energy 
absorption''; initial issue dated November 14, 2003.
    7. ``Standards for Structural Substantiation of Sailplane and 
Powered Sailplane Parts Consisting of Glass or Carbon Fiber Reinforced 
Plastics'', LBA document no. I4-FVK/91, issued July 1991.
    8. ``Guideline for the analysis of the electrical system for 
powered sailplanes'', LBA document no. I334-MS 92, issued September 15, 
1992.
    9. The following kinds of operation are allowed: VFR-Day.
    10. Date of application for FAA Type Certificate: January 08, 2016.

    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri on November 18, 2016.
Mel Johnson,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-28575 Filed 11-29-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P