[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 101 (Thursday, May 23, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 25778-25780]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-13026]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 25
[Docket No. NM-125; Special Conditions No. 25-ANM-115]
Special Conditions: Dassault Aviation Model Falcon 900EX
Airplane; High-Intensity Radiated Fields
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Final special conditions; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for the Dassault Aviation
Model Falcon 900EX airplane. This airplane is a derivative of the Model
Mystere-Falcon 900, which is itself derived from the Mystere-Falcon 50,
and will utilize new avionics/electronic systems that provide critical
data to the flightcrew. The applicable regulations do not contain
adequate or appropriate safety standards for the protection of these
systems from the effects of high-intensity radiated fields. 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: The effective date of these special conditions is May 14, 1996.
Comments must be received on or before June 24, 1996.
ADDRESSES: Comments on this proposal may be mailed in duplicate to:
Federal Aviation Administration, Office of the Assistant Chief Counsel,
Attn: Rules Docket (ANM-7), Docket No. NM-125, 1601 Lind Avenue SW.,
Renton, Washington, 98055-4056; or delivered in duplicate to the Office
of the Assistant Chief Counsel at the above address. Comments must be
marked: Docket No. NM-125. Comments may be inspected in the Rules
Docket weekdays, except Federal holidays, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00
p.m.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Thomas Groves, FAA, Standardization Branch, ANM-113, Transport Airplane
Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW.,
Renton, Washington, 98055-4056; telephone (206) 227-1503; facsimile
(206) 227-1149.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
The FAA has determined that good cause exists for making these
special conditions effective upon issuance; however, interested persons
are invited to submit such written data, views, or arguments as they
may desire. Communications should identify the regulatory docket and
special condition number and be submitted in duplicate to the address
specified above. All communications received on or before the closing
date for comments will be considered by the Administrator. These
special conditions may be changed in light of the comments received.
All comments submitted will be available in the Rules Docket for
examination by interested persons, both before and after the closing
date for comments. A report summarizing each substantive public contact
with FAA personnel concerning this rulemaking will be filed in the
docket. Persons wishing the FAA to acknowledge receipt of their
comments submitted in response to this request must submit with those
comments a self-addressed, stamped postcard on which the following
statement is made: ``Comments to Docket No. NM-125.'' The postcard will
be date stamped and returned to the commenter
Background
On March 3, 1993, Dassault Aviation, B.P 24--33701 Merignac CEDEX,
[[Page 25779]]
France, applied for an amendment to type certificate A46EU to include
the Model Falcon 900EX airplane. The Falcon 900EX is a modified version
of the Model Mystere-Falcon 900, which is itself a derivative of the
Model Mystere-Falcon 50. The Falcon 900EX is intended to be used as a
twelve passenger executive airplane with a maximum takeoff weight of
49,000 pounds and a maximum operating altitude of 51,000 feet.
Type Certification Basis
Under the provisions of Sec. 21.101, Dassault Aviation must show
that the Model Falcon 900EX meets the applicable provisions of the
regulations incorporated by reference in Type Certificate A46EU, or the
applicable regulations in effect on the date of application for change
to the Model Mystere-Falcon 900. The regulations incorporated by
reference in the type certificate are commonly referred to as the
``original type certification basis.'' The regulations incorporated by
reference in Type Certificate No. A46EU are as follows: 14 CFR part 25,
as amended by Amendments 25-1 through 25-34, and certain special
conditions and later amended sections of part 25 that are not relevant
to these special conditions. These special conditions will form an
additional part of the type certification basis. In addition, the
certification basis may include other special conditions that are not
relevant to these special conditions.
In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special
conditions, the Falcon 900EX must comply with the fuel vent and exhaust
emission requirements of part 34 and the noise certification
requirements of part 36.
If the Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness
regulations (i.e., part 25, as amended) do not contain adequate or
appropriate safety standards for the Model Falcon 900EX because of a
novel or unusual design feature, special conditions are prescribed
under the provisions of Sec. 21.16 to establish a level of safety
equivalent to that established in the regulations.
Special conditions, as appropriate, are issued in accordance with
Title 14 CFR Sec. 11.49 after public notice, as required by Secs. 11.28
and 11.29, and become part of the type certification basis in
accordance with Sec. 21.101(b)(2).
Special conditions are initially applicable to the model for which
they are issued. Should the type certificate for that model be further
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, the special conditions would also
apply to the other model under the provisions of Sec. 21.101(a)(1).
Novel or Unusual Design Features
The Model Falcon 900EX incorporates new avionic/electronic
installations, including a digital Electronic Flight Instrument System
(EFIS), Air Data Computers, Autothrottle, Engine Instrument Display
(EID), Bleed Air System Computer (BASC), and a Digital Electronic
Engine Control (DEEC) system that controls critical engine parameters.
These systems may be vulnerable to high-intensity radiated fields
(HIRF) external to the airplane.
Discussion
There is no specific regulation that addresses protection
requirements for electrical and electronic systems from HIRF. Increased
power levels from ground-based radio transmitters and the growing use
of sensitive electrical and electronic systems to command and control
airplanes have made it necessary to provide adequate protection.
To ensure that a level of safety is achieved equivalent to that
intended by the regulations incorporated by reference, special
conditions are needed for the Model Falcon 900EX, which require that
new technology electrical and electronic systems, such as the EFIS,
DEEC, etc., be designed and installed to preclude component damage and
interruption of function due to both the direct ant indirect effects of
HIRF.
With the trend toward increased power levels from ground-based
transmitters, plus the advent of space and satellite communications,
coupled with electronic command and control of the airplane, the
immunity of critical digital avionics systems to HIRF must be
established.
It is not possible to precisely define the HIRF to which the
airplane will be exposed in service. There is also uncertainty
concerning the effectiveness of airframe shielding for HIRF.
Furthermore, coupling of electromagnetic energy to cockpit-installed
equipment through the cockpit window apertures is undefined. Based on
surveys and analysis of existing HIRF emitters, an adequate level of
protection exists when compliance with the HIRF protection special
condition is shown with either paragraphs 1 or 2 below:
1. A minimum threat of 100 volts per meter peak electric field
strength from 10 KHz to 18 GHz.
a. The threat must be applied to the system elements and their
associated wiring harnesses without the benefit of airframe shielding.
b. Demonstration of this level of protection is established through
system tests and analysis.
2. A threat external to the airframe of the following field
strengths for the frequency ranges indicated.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Frequency Peak (V/ Average
M) (V/M)
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10 KHz--100 KHz....................................... 50 50
100 KHz--500 KHz...................................... 60 60
500 KHz--2000 KHz..................................... 70 70
2 MHz--30 MHz......................................... 200 200
30 MHz--100MHz........................................ 30 30
100 MHz--200 MHz...................................... 150 33
200 MHz--400 MHz...................................... 70 70
400 MHz--700 MHz...................................... 4,020 935
700 MHz--1000 MHz..................................... 1,700 170
1 GHz--2 GHz.......................................... 5,000 990
2 GHz--4GHz........................................... 6,680 840
4 GHz--6 GHz.......................................... 6,850 310
6 GHz--8 GHz.......................................... 3,600 670
8 GHz--12 GHz......................................... 3,500 1,270
12 GHz--18 GHz........................................ 3,500 360
18 GHz--40 GHz........................................ 2,100 750
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As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable
initially to the Dassault Aviation Model Falcon 900EX. Should Dassault
Aviation apply at a later date for further amendment to the type
certificate to include another model incorporating the same novel or
unusual design feature, the special conditions would apply to that
model as well under the provisions of Sec. 21.101(a)(1).
Conclusion
This action affects only certain design features on the Dassault
Aviation Model Falcon 900EX airplane. It is not a rule of general
applicability and affects only the manufacturer who applied to the FAA
for approval of these features on the airplane.
The substance of the special conditions for this airplane has been
subjected to the notice and comment procedure in several prior
instances and has been derived without substantive change from those
previously issued. It is unlikely that prior public comment would
result in a significant change from the substance contained herein. For
this reason, and because a delay would significantly affect the
certification of the airplane, which is imminent, the FAA has
determined that prior public notice and comment are unnecessary and
impracticable, and good cause exists for adopting this special
condition immediately. Therefore, this special condition is being made
effective upon issuance. The FAA is requesting comments to allow
[[Page 25780]]
interested persons to submit views that may not have been submitted in
response to the prior opportunities for comment described above.
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 the Dassault Aviation Model Falcon
900EX series airplanes.
1. Protection From Unwanted Effects of High-Intensity Radiated
Fields (HIRF). Each electrical and electronic system that performs
critical functions must be designed and installed to ensure that the
operation and operational capability of these systems to perform
critical functions are not adversely affected when the airplane is
exposed to high-intensity radiated fields.
2. For the purpose of these special conditions, the following
definition applies: Critical Functions: Functions whose failure would
contribute to or cause a failure condition that would prevent the
continued safe flight and landing of the airplane.
Issued in Renton, Washington, on May 14, 1996.
James V. Devany,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification
Service, ANM-100.
[FR Doc. 96-13026 Filed 5-22-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M
