Rule2022-03866
Special Conditions: Dassault Aviation Model Falcon 6X Airplane; Side Stick Controllers-Controllability and Maneuverability.
Primary source
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Published
February 25, 2022
Effective
February 25, 2022
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Aviation Administration
Abstract
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 side-stick controllers for pitch and roll control. 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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 38 (Friday, February 25, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 38 (Friday, February 25, 2022)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 10710-10712]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-03866]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 25
[Docket No. FAA-2020-1041; Special Conditions No. 25-805-SC]
Special Conditions: Dassault Aviation Model Falcon 6X Airplane;
Side Stick Controllers--Controllability and Maneuverability.
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
(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 side-stick controllers for pitch and
roll control. 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 25, 2022. Send
comments on or before April 11, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA-2020-1041 using
any of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal eRegulations Portal: Go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/">https://www.regulations.gov/</a> and follow the online instructions for sending
your comments electronically.
<bullet> 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.
<bullet> 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.
[[Page 10711]]
<bullet> 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) 11.35, the
FAA will post all comments received without change to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/">https://www.regulations.gov/</a>, 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
this rulemaking.
Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov/">https://www.regulations.gov/</a> 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 <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2054524f590e410e42524f574e604641410e474f56"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="fc888e9385d29dd29e8e938b92bc9a9d9dd29b938a">[email protected]</span></a>.
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 feature:
Side-stick controllers for pitch and roll control.
Discussion
Current part 25 airworthiness regulations account for conventional
wheel-and-column airplane controls. Regulatory requirements pertaining
to conventional wheel-and-column controls, such as pilot strength and
controllability, are not directly applicable to side-stick controls. In
addition, pilot-control authority may be uncertain because the side
sticks are not mechanically interconnected to controlled surfaces, as
are conventional wheel and column controls.
Current FAA regulations do not specifically address the use of
side-stick controllers for pitch and roll control. The unique features
of the side stick must therefore be demonstrated through flight and
simulator tests to have suitable handling and control characteristics
when considering the following:
1. The handling-qualities tasks and requirements of the Dassault
Falcon Model 6X airplane Special Conditions and other 14 CFR part 25
requirements for stability, control, and maneuverability, including the
effects of turbulence.
2. General ergonomics: Armrest comfort and support, local freedom
of movement, displacement angle suitability, and axis harmony.
3. Inadvertent input in turbulence.
4. Inadvertent pitch-roll crosstalk.
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.
Conclusion
This action affects only a certain novel or unusual design feature
on one
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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 the Dassault Aviation Model Falcon 6X
airplane.
1. Pilot strength: In lieu of the control force limits shown in
Sec. 25.143(d) for pitch and roll, and in lieu of specific pitch force
requirements of Sec. Sec. 25.143(i)(2), 25.145(b), 25.173(c),
25.175(b), and 25.175(d), it must be shown that the temporary and
maximum prolonged force levels for the side stick controllers are
suitable for all expected operating conditions and configurations,
whether normal or non-normal.
2. Pilot-control authority: The electronic side-stick-controller
coupling design must provide for corrective and/or overriding control
inputs by either pilot with no unsafe characteristics. Annunciation of
the controller status must be provided, and must not be confusing to
the flightcrew.
3. Pilot control: It must be shown by flight tests that the use of
side-stick controllers does not produce unsuitable pilot-in-the-loop
control characteristics when considering precision path control/tasks
and turbulence. In addition, pitch and roll control force and
displacement sensitivity must be compatible, so that normal inputs on
one control axis will not cause significant unintentional inputs on the
other.
4. Autopilot quick-release control location: In lieu of compliance
with 25.1329(d), autopilot quick-release (emergency) controls must be
on both side-stick controllers. The quick-release means must be located
so that flight crew can readily and easily use the release mechanism.
Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on February 17, 2022.
Patrick R. Mullen,
Manager, Technical Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and Innovation
Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-03866 Filed 2-24-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on February 25, 2022.
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