[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 73 (Monday, April 19, 2021)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 20264-20266]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-07978]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 29
[Docket No. FAA-2021-0241; Special Conditions No. 29-053-SC]
Special Conditions: Airbus Helicopters Model H160B Helicopter;
Use of 30-Minute All Engines Operating Power Rating
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Final special conditions; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for the Airbus Helicopters
(Airbus) Model H160B helicopter. This model helicopter will have a
novel or unusual design feature associated with a 30-minute all engines
operating (AEO) power rating. 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:
Effective date: The effective date of these special conditions is
May 4, 2021.
Comment due date: The FAA must receive your comments by May 19,
2021.
ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2021-0241
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: Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as
described in the following paragraph, and other information as
described in 14 CFR 1.35, 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 website, 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.
Confidential Business Information: CBI is commercial or financial
information that is both customarily and actually treated as private by
its owner. Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552),
CBI is exempt from public disclosure. If your comments responsive to
these special conditions contain commercial or financial information
that is customarily treated as private, that you actually treat as
private, and that is relevant or responsive to these special
conditions, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted
comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission containing
CBI as ``PROPIN''. The FAA will treat such marked submissions as
confidential under the FOIA, and they will not be placed in the public
docket of these special conditions. Submissions containing CBI should
be sent to Rao Edupuganti, Dynamic System Section, AIR-627, Technical
Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and Innovation Division, Aircraft
Certification Service, 10101 Hillwood Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177;
telephone (817) 222-5110; email [email protected]. Any commentary
that the FAA receives which is not specifically designated as CBI will
be placed in the public docket for this rulemaking.
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,
[[Page 20265]]
DC, between 9 a.m., and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rao Edupuganti, Dynamic System
Section, AIR-627, Technical Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and
Innovation Division, Aircraft Certification Service, 10101 Hillwood
Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177; telephone (817) 222-5110; email
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Reason for No Prior Notice and Comment Before Adoption
The FAA has determined, in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B)
and 553(d)(3), that notice and opportunity for prior public comment
hereon are unnecessary because substantially identical special
conditions have been previously subject to the public comment process
in several prior instances, such that the FAA is satisfied that new
comments are unlikely. For the same reason, the FAA finds that 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.
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Special conditions No. Company and helicopter model
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No. 29-049-SC \1\......................... Leonardo S.p.A., Model
AW169.
No. 29-037-SC \2\......................... Airbus Helicopters
Deutschland GmbH Model MBB-
BK117 D-2.
No. 29-034-SC \3\......................... AgustaWestland Model AW189.
No. 29-011-SC \4\......................... Sikorsky Aircraft
Corporation Model S-92A.
No. 29-004-SC \5\......................... Sikorsky Model S76C.
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\1\ 85 FR 34493, June 5, 2020.
\2\ 79 FR 78694, December 31, 2014.
\3\ 79 FR 54889, September 15, 2014.
\4\ 67 FR 65871, October 29, 2002.
\5\ 63 FR 32972, June 17, 1998.
Comments Invited
While the FAA did not precede these special conditions with a
notice of proposed special conditions, the FAA invites you to send any
written relevant data, views, or arguments about this final special
condition. Send your comments to an address listed under ADDRESSES.
Include ``Docket No. FAA-2021-0241; Special Conditions No. 29-053-SC''
at the beginning of your comments. The most helpful comments reference
a specific portion of the special conditions, explain the reason for
any recommended change, and include supporting data.
The FAA will consider all comments received by the closing date for
comments. The FAA may change these special conditions based on the
comments received.
Background
On November 7, 2014, Airbus applied for FAA type certification
validation of the Model H160B helicopter. Airbus applied for an
extension on November 1, 2016, which is also the date of the updated
type certification basis.
The Airbus Model H160B is a 14 CFR part 29 transport category, twin
turboshaft engine helicopter. The Airbus Model H160B helicopter has a
maximum takeoff weight of 13,436 lbs. It can hold a maximum of 12
passengers and 2 crew on board. The Airbus Model H160B helicopter is a
new part 29 helicopter characterized by the integration of composite
materials in its airframe construction, five main rotor blades (i.e.,
blue edge technology), a Fenestron tail rotor, and a Helionix flight
deck.
Airbus proposes that the Model H160B helicopter include the use of
a novel and unusual design feature, which is a 30-minute AEO power
rating. The 30-minute AEO power rating is generally intended to be used
for hovering at increased power for search and rescue missions. Title
14 CFR 1.1 defines ``rated takeoff power'' as limited in use to no more
than 5 minutes for takeoff operation. The use of takeoff power for 30
minutes will require special airworthiness standards, known as special
conditions, to address the use of this 30-minute AEO rating and its
effects on the rotorcraft. These special conditions will add
requirements to the existing airworthiness standards in 14 CFR 29.1049
(Hovering cooling test procedures), 29.1305 (Powerplant instruments),
and 29.1521 (Powerplant limitations).
Type Certification Basis
Under the provisions of 14 CFR 21.17, Airbus must show that the
Model H160B helicopter meets applicable provisions of the regulations
as listed below. The Airbus Model H160B type certification basis date
is November 1, 2016.
1. 14 CFR part 29, Amendments 29-1 through 29-55, dated January 31,
2012.
2. Equivalent Safety Findings:
(a) Sections 29.1305, 29.1309, 29.1549, Engine Training Mode.
(b) Sections 29.1305, 29.1321(a), 29.135l(d)(l), and 29.1435, Part
Time Display of Vehicle Parameters.
(c) Sections 29.1301, 29.1305, 29.1309, 29.1321, 29.1549,
Substitution of Power Index Indicator for required powerplant
instruments.
(d) Sections 29.l545(b)(4), 29.l549(b), Airspeed and Powerplant
indication green marking.
(e) Section 29.1555(c)(l), Usable fuel capacity marking.
(f) Section 29.807(c), Passenger emergency exits--other than side
of fuselage.
In addition, the certification basis includes certain equivalent
safety findings that are not relevant to these proposed special
conditions.
In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special
conditions, the Airbus Model H160B helicopter must comply with the
noise certification requirements of 14 CFR part 36, and the FAA must
issue a finding of regulatory adequacy under section 611 of Public Law
92-574, the ``Noise Control Act of 1972.''
Regulatory Basis for Special Conditions
The Administrator has determined that the applicable airworthiness
regulations (that is, 14 CFR part 29) do not contain adequate or
appropriate safety standards for the Airbus Model H160B helicopter
because of a novel or unusual design feature. Therefore, special
conditions are prescribed under the provisions of Sec. 21.16.
The FAA issues special conditions, as defined in Sec. 11.19, in
accordance with Sec. 11.38, and they become part of the type
certification basis under Sec. 21.17(a)(2).
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.
Novel or Unusual Design Features
The Airbus Model H160B helicopter will incorporate the following
novel or unusual design feature:
A 30-minute AEO power rating.
Discussion
The following is a summary of the final special conditions:
(a) In addition to the requirements of Sec. 29.1049, the aircraft
cooling effects due to the use of the 30-minute AEO power rating versus
the Takeoff (five-minute) rating must be accounted for in the testing.
(b) In addition to the requirements of Sec. 29.1305, since this
new 30-minute AEO power rating has a time limit associated with its
use, the pilot must have the means to identify:
[[Page 20266]]
(1) When the rated engine power level is achieved,
(2) when the event begins,
(3) when the time interval expires, and
(4) when the cumulative time in one flight is reached.
(c) In addition to the requirements of Sec. 29.1521, this new 30-
minute AEO power rating must be limited to not more than 30 minutes per
use and not more than a 50 minute cumulative time per flight. This new
rating will allow the use of power above maximum continuous power (MCP)
up to 30 minutes.
(d) Furthermore, the rotorcraft flight manual for the Airbus Model
H160B helicopter must include limitations on the use of the 30-minute
AEO power rating, which state that continuous use above MCP up to take-
off power is limited to 30 minutes.
Applicability
As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the
Airbus Model H160B helicopter. 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, these special conditions
would apply to that model as well.
Conclusion
This action affects only a certain novel or unusual design feature
on the Airbus Model H160B helicopter. It is not a rule of general
applicability.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 29
Aircraft, Aviation safety, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements.
The authority citation for these special conditions is as follows:
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 106(g), 40113, 44701-44702, 44704.
The Special Conditions
[ssquf] 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 Airbus Helicopters Model H160B
helicopter. Unless stated otherwise, all requirements in Sec. Sec.
29.1049, 29.1305, and 29.1521 remain unchanged.
1. Section 29.1049, Hovering cooling test procedures. In addition
to the requirements of this section, for rotorcraft with a 30-minute
all engines operating (AEO) power rating, the hovering cooling
provisions at the 30-minute AEO power rating must be shown--
a. At maximum weight or at the greatest weight at which the
rotorcraft can hover (if less), at sea level, with the power required
to hover but not more than the 30-minute power, in the ground effect in
still air, until at least five minutes after the occurrence of the
highest temperature recorded, or until the continuous time limit of the
30-minute AEO power rating if the highest temperature recorded is not
stabilized before.
b. At maximum weight and at the altitude resulting in zero rate of
climb for this configuration, until at least five minutes after the
occurrence of the highest temperature recorded, or until the continuous
time limit of the 30-minute AEO power rating if the highest temperature
recorded is not stabilized before.
2. Section 29.1305 Powerplant instruments, at Amendment 29-40. In
addition to the requirements of this section, for rotorcraft with a 30-
minute AEO power rating, a means must be provided to alert the pilot
when the engine is at the 30-minute power level, when the event begins,
when the time interval expires, and when the cumulative time in one
flight is reached.
3. Section 29.1521 Powerplant limitations, at Amendment 29-41. In
addition to the requirements of this section, the use of the 30-minute
AEO power rating must be limited to not more than 30 minutes per use
and not more than a 50 minute cumulative time per flight. The use of
the 30-minute power must also be limited by:
a. The maximum rotational speed which may not be greater than--
(1) The maximum value determined by the rotor design; or
(2) The maximum value shown during the type tests;
b. The maximum allowable turbine inlet or turbine outlet gas
temperature.
c. The maximum allowable power or torque for each engine,
considering the power input limitations of the transmission with all
engines operating;
d. The time limit for the use of the power corresponding to the
limitations established in this section, sub-paragraphs a. through c.
of this section; and
e. The maximum allowable engine and transmission oil temperatures.
Issued in Kansas City, Missouri on April 14, 2021.
Patrick R. Mullen,
Manager, Technical Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and Innovation
Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-07978 Filed 4-16-21; 8:45 am]
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