80 FR 49893 - Special Conditions: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Model GVII-G500 Airplanes; Electronic Flight Control System: Control Surface Position Awareness

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 159 (August 18, 2015)

These special conditions are issued for Gulfstream Model GVII- G500 airplanes. These airplanes have a novel or unusual design feature associated with control-surface awareness provided by the electronic flight-control system. 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.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 159 (Tuesday, August 18, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 49893-49895]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-20296]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. FAA-2015-0311; Special Conditions No. 25-592-SC]


Special Conditions: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Model GVII-
G500 Airplanes; Electronic Flight Control System: Control Surface 
Position Awareness

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final special conditions, request for comments.

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SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for Gulfstream Model GVII-
G500 airplanes. These airplanes have a novel or unusual design feature 
associated with control-surface awareness provided by the electronic 
flight-control system. 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 August 18, 2015. We 
must receive your comments by October 2, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2015-0311 
using any of the following methods:
     Federal eRegulations Portal: Go to http://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

[[Page 49894]]

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: The FAA will post all comments it receives, without 
change, to http://www.regulations.gov/, including any personal 
information the commenter provides. Using the search function of the 
docket Web site, anyone can find and read the electronic form of all 
comments received into any FAA docket, including the name of the 
individual sending the comment (or signing the comment for an 
association, business, labor union, etc.). DOT's complete Privacy Act 
Statement can be found in the Federal Register published on April 11, 
2000 (65 FR 19477-19478), as well as at http://DocketsInfo.dot.gov/.
    Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at 
http://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: Joe Jacobsen, FAA, Airplane and 
Flightcrew Interface Branch, ANM-111, Transport Airplane Directorate, 
Aircraft Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, 
Washington 98057-3356; telephone (425) 227-2011; facsimile (425) 227-
1320.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA has determined that notice of, and 
opportunity for prior public comment on, these special conditions is 
impracticable because these procedures would significantly delay 
issuance of the design approval and thus delivery of the affected 
airplanes.
    In addition, the substance of these special conditions has been 
subject to the public comment process in several prior instances with 
no substantive comments received. The FAA therefore finds that good 
cause exists for making these special conditions effective upon 
publication in the Federal Register.

Background

    On March 29, 2012, Gulfstream applied for a type certificate for 
their new Model GVII-G500 airplane. This airplane is a large-cabin 
business jet capable of accommodating up to 19 passengers. It will 
incorporate a low, swept-wing design with winglets and a T-tail. The 
powerplant will consist of two aft-fuselage mounted Pratt & Whitney 
turbofan engines. Avionics will include four primary display units and 
multiple touchscreen controllers. The flight-control system is a three-
axis, fly-by-wire system controlled through active control/coupled side 
sticks.
    The Model GVII-G500 airplane will have a wingspan of approximately 
87 ft. and a length of just over 91 ft. Maximum takeoff weight will be 
approximately 76,850 lbs and maximum takeoff thrust will be 
approximately 15,135 lbs. Maximum range will be approximately 5,000 nm 
and maximum operating altitude will be 51,000 ft.
    In airplanes with electronic flight-control systems, a direct 
correspondence between pilot-control position and the associated 
airplane control-surface position is not always apparent. Under certain 
circumstances, a commanded maneuver that may not involve a large 
flightcrew-control input may nevertheless require a large control-
surface movement to accomplish, possibly encroaching on a control-
surface or actuation-system limit without the flightcrew's knowledge. 
This situation can arise in both piloted (i.e., manual) and autopilot 
flight, and may be further intensified on airplanes where the pilot 
controls are not back-driven during autopilot system operation.
    These special conditions for control-surface awareness, applicable 
to Gulfstream Model GVII-G500 airplanes, require suitable flight-
control-position annunciation and control-system mode of operation to 
be provided to the flightcrew when a flight condition exists in which 
nearly full surface authority (not crew-commanded) is being utilized. 
Suitability of such a display must take into account that some pilot-
demanded maneuvers (e.g., rapid roll) are necessarily associated with 
intended full performance, which may saturate the surface. Therefore, 
simple alerting systems, which would function in both intended or 
unexpected control-limiting situations, must be properly balanced 
between needed crew awareness and nuisance features. A monitoring 
system that might compare airplane motion, surface deflection, and 
pilot side-stick controller (SSC) demand, could be useful for 
elimination of nuisance alerting.

Type Certification Basis

    Under Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) 21.17, 
Gulfstream must show that the Model GVII-G500 airplane meets the 
applicable provisions of 14 CFR part 25, as amended by Amendments 25-1 
through 25-137.
    In addition, the certification basis includes certain special 
conditions, exemptions, or later amended sections of the applicable 
part that are not relevant to these special conditions.
    If the Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness 
regulations (i.e., 14 CFR part 25) do not contain adequate or 
appropriate safety standards for the Model GVII-G500 airplane because 
of a novel or unusual design feature, special conditions are prescribed 
under 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 or similar 
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 GVII-G500 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; and the FAA 
must issue a finding of regulatory adequacy under Sec.  611 of Public 
Law 92-574, the ``Noise Control Act of 1972.''
    The FAA issues special conditions, as defined in 14 CFR 11.19, 
under Sec.  11.38, and they become part of the type certification basis 
under Sec.  21.17(a)(2).

Novel or Unusual Design Features

    The Gulfstream Model GVII-G500 airplane incorporates the following 
novel or unusual design features: Electronic flight-control system 
providing control-surface awareness to the flightcrew.

Discussion

    Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation is intending to utilize an 
electronic flight-control system (including side-stick controllers for 
pitch and roll control) in their new Model GVII-G500 airplane. With an 
electronic flight-control system and no direct coupling from the 
flightdeck controller to the control surface, the pilot may not be 
aware of the actual surface position utilized to fulfill the requested 
demand. Some unusual flight conditions, arising from atmospheric 
conditions, airplane malfunctions, or engine failures, may result in 
full or nearly full control-surface deflection. Unless the flightcrew 
is made aware of excessive deflection or impending control-surface 
limiting, piloted or auto-flight system control of the airplane might 
be inadvertently continued in such a manner as to cause loss of 
airplane control, or other unsafe stability or performance 
characteristics.

[[Page 49895]]

    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 apply to Gulfstream 
Model GVII-G500 airplanes. Should Gulfstream apply later for a change 
to the type certificate to include another model incorporating the same 
or similar novel or unusual design feature, these special conditions 
would apply to that model as well.

Conclusion

    This action affects only certain novel or unusual design features 
on Gulfstream Model GVII-G500 airplanes. It is not a rule of general 
applicability.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 25

    Aircraft, Aviation safety, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements.

    The authority citation for these special conditions is as follows:

    Authority:  49 U.S.C. 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 Gulfstream Model GVII-G500 airplanes.
    In addition to the requirements of Sec. Sec.  25.143, 25.671, 
25.672, and 25.1322, when a flight condition exists where, without 
being commanded by the crew, control surfaces are coming so close to 
their limits that return to the normal flight envelope, or continuation 
of safe flight, or both, requires a specific crew action, a suitable 
flight-control-position annunciation must be provided to the crew, 
unless other existing indications are found adequate or sufficient to 
prompt that action.

    Note:  The term ``suitable'' indicates an appropriate balance 
between necessary operation and nuisance factors.


    Issued in Renton, Washington, on August 7, 2015.
Michael Kaszycki,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-20296 Filed 8-17-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P