[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 20 (Tuesday, January 30, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 5765-5766]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-01741]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. FAA-2023-2442; Special Conditions No. 25-850-SC]


Special Conditions: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Model GVIII-
G700 and GVIII-G800 Series Airplanes; Limit Pilot Forces for Side-Stick 
Controllers

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final special conditions; request for comments.

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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 a side-stick controller for one-hand operation requiring 
wrist motion only, not arms. 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 on January 30, 2024. Send 
comments on or before March 15, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA-2023-2442 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: Todd Martin, Airframe Section, AIR-
622, Technical Policy Branch, Aircraft Certification Service, Federal 
Aviation Administration, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines, 
Washington 98198; telephone 206-231-3210; 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 title 14, Code of Federal 
Regulations (14 CFR) 11.38(b), that new comments are unlikely, and 
notice and comment prior to this publication are unnecessary.

Privacy

    Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as described in 
the following paragraph, and other information as described in title 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 Todd Martin, Airframe Section, AIR-622, 
Technical Policy Branch, Aircraft Certification Service, Federal 
Aviation Administration, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines, 
Washington 98198;

[[Page 5766]]

email [email protected]. Comments the FAA receives, which are not 
specifically designated as CBI, will be placed in the public docket for 
these special conditions.

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 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.

Background

    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 are derivatives of the 
Model GVI currently approved under Type Certificate No. T00015AT, are 
twin-engine, transport-category airplanes, with maximum seating for 19 
passengers, and a maximum take-off weight of 107,600 pounds (GVIII-
G700) and 105,600 pounds (GVIII-G800).

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of 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 Feature

    The Gulfstream Model GVIII-G700 and GVIII-G800 series airplanes 
will incorporate the following novel or unusual design feature:
    A side-stick controller for one-hand operation requiring wrist 
motion only, not arms.

Discussion

    The Gulfstream Model GVIII-700 and GVIII-800 series airplanes are 
equipped with side-stick controllers instead of conventional wheel or 
control stick controllers. Side-stick controllers are designed to be 
operated using only one hand. The requirements of Sec.  25.397(c), 
which define limit pilot forces and torques for conventional wheel or 
stick controllers, are not adequate for side-stick controllers because 
pilot forces are applied to side-stick controllers with only the wrist, 
not arms. Special conditions are necessary to specify the appropriate 
loading conditions for side-stick controllers.
    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 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 that model as 
well.

Conclusion

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

    [ssquf] Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me by 
the Administrator, the following special conditions are issued, in lieu 
of the aileron-control and elevator-control forces specified in Sec.  
25.397(c), as part of the type certification basis for Gulfstream 
Aerospace Corporation Model GVIII-G700 and GVIII-G800 series airplanes.
    For Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Model GVIII-G700 and GVIII-
G800 series airplanes equipped with side-stick controls designed for 
forces to be applied by one wrist and not arms, the limit pilot forces 
are as follows.
    (a) For all components between and including the side-stick 
control-assembly handle and its control stops:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   Pitch                                Roll
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nose up, 200 lbs force....................  Nose left, 100 lbs force.
Nose down, 200 lbs force..................  Nose right, 100 lbs force.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (b) For all other components of the side-stick control assembly, 
but excluding the internal components of the electrical sensor 
assemblies, to avoid damage to the control system as the result of an 
in-flight jam:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   Pitch                                Roll
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nose up, 125 lbs force....................  Nose left, 50 lbs force.
Nose down, 125 lbs force..................  Nose right, 50 lbs force.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on January 24, 2024.
Patrick R. Mullen,
Manager, Technical Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and Innovation 
Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-01741 Filed 1-29-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P