[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 161 (Friday, August 22, 2025)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 40957-40958]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-16081]
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Rules and Regulations
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains regulatory documents
having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed
to and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations, which is published
under 50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.
The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by the Superintendent of Documents.
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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 161 / Friday, August 22, 2025 / Rules
and Regulations
[[Page 40957]]
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 25
[Docket No. FAA-2025-1293; Special Conditions No. 25-881-SC]
Special Conditions: Dassault Aviation Model Falcon 10X Airplane;
Limit Pilot Forces
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 Dassault Aviation
Falcon Model 10X 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 electronic flight control system
with a side stick controller instead of a conventional control column
and wheel. This kind of controller is designed for one hand only
operation. 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 Aviation on August 22,
2025. Send comments on or before October 6, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA-2025-1293 using
any of the following methods:
Federal e-Regulations 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, Policy and Standards Division, Aircraft
Certification Service, Federal Aviation Administration, 2200 S 216th
St., Des Moines, WA 98198; telephone phone no. 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 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 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 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 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
proposed 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 proposed 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. The FAA may change these special conditions based on the
comments received.
Background
On September 11, 2019, Dassault Aviation applied for a new type
certificate for its Falcon 10X model. Dassault Aviation filed for an
extension of this application date to December 18, 2023. The Dassault
Model Falcon 10X is a twin-engine, transport-category airplane with a
maximum passenger seating for 19 passengers and a maximum takeoff
weight of 110,000 pounds.
Type Certification Basis
Under the provisions of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14
CFR) 21.17, Dassault Aviation must show that the Model Falcon 10X
series airplanes meet the applicable provisions of 14 CFR part 25. 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 Aviation Falcon 10X
[[Page 40958]]
model 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 Aviation Model Falcon 10X 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 Sec. 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 Aviation Model Falcon 10X series airplanes will
incorporate the following novel or unusual design feature:
The Dassault Aviation Falcon 10X model is equipped with an
electronic flight control system that utilizes a side stick controller
instead of a conventional control column and wheel. This kind of
controller is designed for one hand only operation.
Discussion
The requirements of Sec. 25.397(c), which define limit pilot
forces and torques for conventional wheel or stick controls, are not
adequate for a side stick controller. Current regulations reference
pilot effort loads for the cockpit pitch and roll controls that are
based on a two-handed effort. Pilot forces are applied to side stick
controllers with only the wrist, not arms. Therefore, special
conditions are necessary to specify the appropriate loading conditions
for this kind of controller.
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 Aviation Model Falcon 10X series airplanes. Should Dassault
Aviation apply later 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 Model Falcon 10X 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
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 Dassault
Aviation Model Falcon 10X series airplanes. For Dassault Aviation Model
Falcon 10X 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.
1. For all components between and including the side-stick control-
assembly handle and its control stops:
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Pitch Roll
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Nose up, 200 lbs. force................... Nose left, 100 lbs. force.
Nose down, 200 lbs. force................. Nose right, 100 lbs. force.
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2. 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:
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Pitch Roll
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Nose up, 125 lbs. force................... Nose left, 50 lbs. force.
Nose down, 125 lbs. force................. Nose right, 50 lbs. force.
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Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on August 19, 2025.
Patrick R. Mullen,
Manager, Technical Policy Branch, Policy and Standards Division,
Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-16081 Filed 8-21-25; 8:45 am]
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