[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 12 (Thursday, January 18, 2024)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 3364-3365]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00810]


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 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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  Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 12 / Thursday, January 18, 2024 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 3364]]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. FAA-2023-2437; Notice No. 25-24-01-SC]


Special Conditions: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Model GVIII-
G700 and GVIII-G800 Series Airplanes; Flight Envelope Protection: 
Takeoff Stall Protection

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed special conditions.

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SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for the Gulfstream 
Aerospace Corporation (Gulfstream) Model GVIII-G700 and GVIII-G800 
series airplanes. These airplanes 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 an envelope protection function to protect the airplane from 
over- and rapid-rotation on takeoff. 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: Send comments on or before February 7, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA-2023-2437 using 
any of the following methods:
    Federal eRegulations Portal: Go to 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.
    Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at 
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 Unit, AIR-621A, Technical Policy Branch, Policy and 
Standards 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:

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 proposed special conditions, 
explain the reason for any recommended change, and include supporting 
data.
    On December 31, 2019, Gulfstream applied for an amendment to Type 
Certificate No. T00015AT to include the new Model GVIII-G700 and GVIII-
G800 series airplanes. While the comment period provided by the FAA for 
proposed special conditions has typically been thirty days, the FAA is 
providing twenty days in this instance, due to the relative similarity 
of these conditions with the terms of previously issued special 
conditions, and due to the pendency of the anticipated delivery date 
for the affected airplane models, per the criteria in 14 CFR 11.38. The 
FAA will consider all comments received by the closing date for 
comments and will consider comments filed late if it is possible to do 
so without incurring delay. The FAA may change these special conditions 
based on the comments received.

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) 11.35, the FAA will post all 
comments received without change to 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 individual listed in the For Further 
Information Contact section above. Comments the FAA receives, which are 
not specifically designated as CBI, will be placed in the public docket 
for these special conditions.

Background

    As noted above, on December 31, 2019, Gulfstream applied for an 
amendment to Type Certificate No. T00015AT to include the new Model 
GVIII-G700 and GVIII-G800 series airplanes. These airplanes, which will 
be derivatives of the Model GVI currently approved under Type 
Certificate No. T00015AT, are twin-engine, transport-category 
airplanes, with seating for 19 passengers, and a maximum take-off 
weight of 107,600

[[Page 3365]]

pounds (GVIII-G700) and 105,600 pounds (GVIII-G800).

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 
CFR) 21.101, Gulfstream must show that the Model GVIII-G700 and GVIII-
G800 series airplanes meet the applicable provisions of the regulations 
listed in Type Certificate No. T00015AT, or the applicable regulations 
in effect on the date of application for the change, except for earlier 
amendments as agreed upon by the FAA.
    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 Gulfstream Model GVIII-G700 and 
GVIII-G800 series 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 Gulfstream Model GVIII-G700 and GVIII-G800 series 
airplanes must comply with the 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 14 CFR 11.38, and they become part of the type 
certification basis under Sec.  21.101.

Novel or Unusual Design Features

    The Gulfstream Model GVIII-G700 and GVIII-G800 airplanes will 
incorporate the following novel or unusual design feature:
    An envelope protection function within the electronic flight 
control system (EFCS) to protect the airplane from over- and rapid-
rotation on takeoff.

Discussion

    The Gulfstream Model GVIII-G700 and GVIII-G800 series airplanes are 
equipped with an envelope protection function within the EFCS that is 
designed to provide enhanced takeoff stall protection (TSP). This 
feature protects against excessive pitch rate and pitch attitude during 
takeoff using a limitation in the electronic flight controls. It is 
designed to provide conventional behavior using a normal takeoff 
technique, including ``performance'' takeoffs. The on-ground mode is a 
pitch rate command with a pitch attitude limit. The functionality in 
on-ground mode is that pitch rate command is proportional to stick 
input. The limit to pitch attitude will indirectly limit the angle of 
attack.
    The TSP involves a control law update in the on-ground control mode 
only. The Model GVIII-G700 and GVIII-G800 series airplane's pitch 
control behavior, with regard to rotation rates and attitudes for 
normal takeoffs, will be similar to other Gulfstream airplanes equipped 
with side sticks; however, takeoffs with rapid rotation rates and over-
rotation will be influenced by the TSP.
    The current regulations in Subpart B of 14 CFR part 25 do not 
address envelope protections for electronic flight control systems as 
this technology is novel or unusual for transport category airplanes. 
These special conditions are specific to the GVIII-G700 and GVIII-G800 
series airplanes. These conditions are necessary to ensure a smooth 
transition from normal flight to the TSP mode and adequate maneuver 
capability. These conditions also ensure that the structural limits of 
the airplane are not exceeded. Furthermore, failure of the TSP function 
must not create hazardous flight conditions.
    The proposed 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 GVIII-G700 and GVIII-G800 series airplanes. Should 
Gulfstream apply at a later date for a change to the type certificate 
to include another 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 apply to the other model 
as well.

Conclusion

    This action affects only a certain novel or unusual design feature 
on Gulfstream Model GVIII-G700 and GVIII-G800 series of airplanes. 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, and 
44704.

The Special Conditions

    Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me by the 
Administrator, the following special conditions are proposed as part of 
the type certification basis for the Gulfstream Model GVIII-G700 and 
GVIII-G800 series airplanes.
    For airplanes that employ a takeoff stall protection function:
    (a) The takeoff stall protection function must not unduly limit the 
maneuvering capability of the airplane nor interfere with its ability 
to perform maneuvers required for normal and emergency operations.
    (b) Onset characteristics of the takeoff stall protection function 
must be appropriate to the phase of flight and type of maneuver and 
must not conflict with the ability of the pilot to satisfactorily 
control the airplane flight path, speed, or attitude.
    (c) Excursions of a limited flight parameter beyond its nominal 
design limit value due to dynamic maneuvering, airframe and system 
tolerances, and non-steady atmospheric conditions must not result in 
unsafe flight characteristics or conditions.
    (d) Operation of the takeoff stall protection function must not 
adversely affect aircraft control during expected levels of atmospheric 
disturbances, nor impede the application of recovery procedures in case 
of windshear.
    (e) Activation of the takeoff stall protection function must not 
result in adverse coupling or adverse priority.
    (f) In case of abnormal attitude or excursion of any flight 
parameters outside the protected boundaries, operation of the takeoff 
stall protection functions must not hinder airplane recovery.

    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on January 11, 2024.
Patrick R. Mullen,
Manager, Technical Policy Branch, Policy and Standards Division, 
Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-00810 Filed 1-17-24; 8:45 am]
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