[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 30 (Monday, February 14, 2022)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 8143-8145]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-03025]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. FAA-2021-0628; Special Conditions No. 25-802-SC]


Special Conditions: Dassault Aviation Model Falcon 6X Airplane; 
Flight-Envelope Protection: General Limiting Requirements

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 Dassault Aviation 
(Dassault) Model Falcon 6X 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 a new control architecture and a full 
digital flight control system that provides comprehensive flight-
envelope protections. 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 Dassault on February 14, 2022. Send 
comments on or before March 31, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA-2021-0628 using 
any of the following methods:
     Federal eRegulations Portal: Go to https://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: Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as 
described in the following paragraph, and other information as 
described in title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR)

[[Page 8144]]

11.35, the FAA will post all comments received without change to 
https://www.regulations.gov/, including any personal information you 
provide. The FAA will also post a report summarizing each substantive 
verbal contact received about these special conditions.
    Confidential Business Information: 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 the indicated comments will not be placed in the public 
docket of these special conditions. Send submissions containing CBI to 
the Information Contact below. Comments the FAA receives, which are not 
specifically designated as CBI, will be placed in the public docket for 
these special conditions.
    Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at 
https://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: Troy Brown, Performance and 
Environment Section, AIR-625, Technical Innovation Policy Branch, 
Policy and Innovation Division, Aircraft Certification Service, Federal 
Aviation Administration, 1801 S Airport Rd., Wichita, KS 67209-2190; 
telephone and fax 405-666-1050; email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The substance of these special conditions 
has been published in the Federal Register for public comment in 
several prior instances with no substantive comments received. 
Therefore, the FAA finds, pursuant to Sec.  11.38(b), that new comments 
are unlikely, and notice and comment prior to this publication are 
unnecessary.

Comments Invited

    The FAA invites 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.
    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 July 1, 2012, Dassault applied for a type certificate for its 
new Model Falcon 5X airplane. However, Dassault has decided not to 
release an airplane under the model designation Falcon 5X, instead 
choosing to change that model designation to Falcon 6X.
    In February of 2018, due to engine supplier issues, Dassault 
extended the type certificate application date for its Model Falcon 5X 
airplane under new Model Falcon 6X. This airplane is a twin-engine 
business jet with seating for 19 passengers, and has a maximum takeoff 
weight of 77,460 pounds.

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of 14 CFR 21.17, Dassault must show that the 
Model Falcon 6X airplane meets the applicable provisions of part 25, as 
amended by amendments 25-1 through 25-146.
    If the Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness 
regulations (e.g., 14 CFR part 25) do not contain adequate or 
appropriate safety standards for the Dassault Model Falcon 6X 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 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 Dassault Model Falcon 6X airplane 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.  21.17(a)(2).

Novel or Unusual Design Features

    The Dassault Model Falcon 6X airplane will incorporate the 
following novel or unusual design features:
    New control architecture and a full digital flight control system 
that provides comprehensive flight-envelope protections.

Discussion

    The applicable airworthiness regulation is Sec.  25.143. The 
purpose of Sec.  25.143 is to verify that operational maneuvers 
conducted within the operational envelope can be accomplished smoothly 
with average piloting skill and without exceeding structural limits. 
The pilot should be able to predict the airplane response to any 
control input. During the course of the flight-test program, the pilot 
determines compliance with Sec.  25.143 primarily through qualitative 
methods. During flight test, the pilot should evaluate all of the 
following:
     The interface between each protection function;
     Transitions from one mode to another;
     Airplane response to intentional dynamic maneuvering, 
whenever applicable, through dedicated maneuvers;
     General controllability assessment;
     High-speed characteristics; and
     High angle-of-attack.
    However, the regulations do not adequately ensure that the novel or 
unusual features of the electronic flight control system will have a 
level of safety equivalent to that of existing standards. The general 
limiting requirements are necessary to ensure a smooth transition from 
normal flight to the protection mode and adequate maneuver capability. 
The general limiting requirements also ensure that the structural 
limits of the airplane are not exceeded. Furthermore, failure of the 
flight-envelope protection feature must not create hazardous flight 
conditions.
    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 
Dassault Model Falcon 6X airplane. Should Dassault 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.

[[Page 8145]]

Conclusion

    This action affects only a certain novel or unusual design feature 
on one model of airplane. It is not a rule of general applicability.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 25

    Aircraft, Aviation safety, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements.

Authority Citation

    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

    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 Dassault Aviation Model Falcon 6X 
airplanes.

General Limiting Requirements

    a. Onset characteristics of each flight-envelope protection feature 
must be smooth, appropriate to the phase of flight and type of 
maneuver, and not in conflict with the ability of the pilot to 
satisfactorily change airplane flight path, speed, or attitude as 
needed.
    b. Limit values of protected flight parameters (and, if applicable, 
associated warning thresholds) must be compatible with the following:
    1. Airplane structural limits,
    2. Required safe and controllable maneuvering of the airplane, and
    3. Margins to critical conditions. Unsafe flight characteristics/
conditions must not result if dynamic maneuvering, airframe, and system 
tolerances (both manufacturing and inservice), and non-steady 
atmospheric conditions, in any appropriate combination and phase of 
flight, can produce a limited flight parameter beyond the nominal 
design limit value.
    c. The airplane must be responsive to intentional dynamic 
maneuvering to within a suitable range of the parameter limit. Dynamic 
characteristics such as damping and overshoot must also be appropriate 
for the flight-maneuver and limit parameter in question.
    d. When simultaneous envelope limiting is engaged, adverse coupling 
or adverse priority must not result.

Failure States

    a. Electronic flight-control system (EFCS) failures, including 
sensors, must not result in a condition where a parameter is limited to 
such a reduced value that safe and controllable maneuvering is no 
longer available.
    b. The crew must be alerted by suitable means if any change in 
envelope limiting or maneuverability is produced by single or multiple 
failures of the EFCS not shown to be extremely improbable.

    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on February 8, 2022.
Patrick R. Mullen,
Manager, Technical Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and Innovation 
Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-03025 Filed 2-11-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P