§ 27.143 - Controllability and maneuverability.

§ 27.143 Controllability and maneuverability.

(a) The rotorcraft must be safely controllable and maneuverable -

(1) During steady flight; and

(2) During any maneuver appropriate to the type, including -

(i) Takeoff;

(ii) Climb;

(iii) Level flight;

(iv) Turning flight;

(v) Autorotation;

(vi) Landing (power on and power off); and

(vii) Recovery to power-on flight from a balked autorotative approach.

(b) The margin of cyclic control must allow satisfactory roll and pitch control at V_NE with -

(1) Critical weight;

(2) Critical center of gravity;

(3) Critical rotor r.p.m.; and

(4) Power off (except for helicopters demonstrating compliance with paragraph (f) of this section) and power on.

(c) Wind velocities from zero to at least 17 knots, from all azimuths, must be established in which the rotorcraft can be operated without loss of control on or near the ground in any maneuver appropriate to the type (such as crosswind takeoffs, sideward flight, and rearward flight) -

(1) With altitude, from standard sea level conditions to the maximum takeoff and landing altitude capability of the rotorcraft or 7000 feet density altitude, whichever is less; with -

(i) Critical Weight;

(ii) Critical center of gravity;

(iii) Critical rotor r.p.m.;

(2) For takeoff and landing altitudes above 7000 feet density altitude with -

(i) Weight selected by the applicant;

(ii) Critical center of gravity; and

(iii) Critical rotor r.p.m.

(d) Wind velocities from zero to at least 17 knots, from all azimuths, must be established in which the rotorcraft can be operated without loss of control out-of-ground-effect, with -

(1) Weight selected by the applicant;

(2) Critical center of gravity;

(3) Rotor r.p.m. selected by the applicant; and

(4) Altitude, from standard sea level conditions to the maximum takeoff and landing altitude capability of the rotorcraft.

(e) The rotorcraft, after

(1) failure of one engine in the case of multiengine rotorcraft that meet Transport Category A engine isolation requirements, or

(2) complete engine failure in the case of other rotorcraft, must be controllable over the range of speeds and altitudes for which certification is requested when such power failure occurs with maximum continuous power and critical weight. No corrective action time delay for any condition following power failure may be less than -

(i) For the cruise condition, one second, or normal pilot reaction time (whichever is greater); and

(ii) For any other condition, normal pilot reaction time.

(f) For helicopters for which a V_NE (power-off) is established under § 27.1505(c), compliance must be demonstrated with the following requirements with critical weight, critical center of gravity, and critical rotor r.p.m.:

(1) The helicopter must be safely slowed to V_NE (power-off), without exceptional pilot skill, after the last operating engine is made inoperative at power-on V_NE.

(2) At a speed of 1.1 V_NE (power-off), the margin of cyclic control must allow satisfactory roll and pitch control with power off.

(Secs. 313(a), 601, 603, 604, and 605 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 (49 U.S.C. 1354(a), 1421, 1423, 1424, and 1425); and sec. 6(c) of the Dept. of Transportation Act (49 U.S.C. 1655(c)))

[Doc. No. 5074, 29 FR 15695, Nov. 24, 1964, as amended by Amdt. 27-2, 33 FR 963, Jan. 26, 1968; Amdt. 27-14, 43 FR 2325, Jan. 16, 1978; Amdt. 27-21, 49 FR 44433, Nov. 6, 1984; Amdt. 27-44, 73 FR 10999, Feb. 29, 2008]