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.

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new books are listed in the first FEDERAL

REGISTER issue of each week.

Rules and Regulations Federal Register

47399 

Vol. 80, No. 152 

Friday, August 7, 2015 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 25 

[Docket No. FAA–2015–2567; Special 

Conditions No. 25–588–SC] 

Special Conditions: Bombardier Inc., 

Models BD–700–2A12 and BD–700– 

2A13 Series Airplanes; Side Stick 

Controllers: Pilot Strength, Pilot 

Control Authority, and Pilot Control 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final special conditions; request 

for comments. 

SUMMARY: These special conditions are 

issued for the Bombardier Inc. Models 

BD–700–2A12 and BD–700–2A13 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 side 

stick controllers for pitch and roll 

control instead of conventional wheels 

and columns. 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 

Bombardier Inc. on August 7, 2015. We 

must receive your comments by 

September 21, 2015. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified 

by docket number FAA–2015–2567 

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 

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 the 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 

425–227–1149. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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. 

Comments Invited 

We invite 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. 

We will consider all comments we 

receive on or before the closing date for 

comments. We may change these special 

conditions based on the comments we 

receive. 

Background 

Bombardier Inc. located in Montreal, 

Canada, applied to Transport Canada 

Civil Aviation (TCCA) on January 7, 

2012, and May 30, 2012, for two 

amended type certificates in the 

transport airplane category for two new 

airplane models designated as the BD– 

700–2A12 and BD–700–2A13. The BD– 

700–2A12 and BD–700–2A13 airplanes 

are 19-passenger, twin-engine, ultra 

long-range large airplanes targeting the 

executive interior business jet market. 

These airplanes share an identical 

supplier base and significant common 

design elements. 

The BD–700–2A12 and BD–700–2A13 

airplanes will use side stick controllers 

for pitch and roll control. Regulatory 

requirements pertaining to conventional 

wheel and column, such as pilot 

strength and controllability, are not 

directly applicable for the side stick. In 

addition, pilot control authority may be 

uncertain because the side sticks are not 

mechanically interconnected as with 

conventional wheel and column 

controls. 

Type Certification Basis 

Under the provisions of Title 14, Code 

of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) 21.17, 

Bombardier Inc. must show that the BD– 

700–2A12 and BD–700–2A13 airplanes 

meet the applicable provisions of 14 

CFR part 25 as amended by 

Amendments 25–1 through 25–138 

except for Amendment 25–137. 

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 BD–700–2A12 and BD–700– 

2A13 airplanes because of a novel or 

unusual design feature, special 

conditions are prescribed under the 

provisions of § 21.16. 


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47400 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 152 / Friday, August 7, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 

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, the special 

conditions would also apply to the other 

model under § 21.101. 

In addition to the applicable 

airworthiness regulations and special 

conditions, the BD–700–2A12 and BD– 

700–2A13 airplanes 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 

§ 611 of Public Law 92–574, the ‘‘Noise 

Control Act of 1972.’’ 

The FAA issues special conditions, as 

defined in 14 CFR 11.19, in accordance 

with § 11.38, and they become part of 

the type-certification basis under 

§ 21.17(a)(2). 

Novel or Unusual Design Feature 

The BD–700–2A12 and BD–700–2A13 

airplanes will incorporate the following 

novel or unusual design feature: Side 

stick controllers for pitch and roll 

control, which are not mechanically 

interconnected as with conventional 

wheel and column controls. These 

airplanes also have a fly-by-wire 

electronic flight control system. This 

system provides an electronic interface 

between the pilot’s flight controls and 

the flight control surfaces for both 

normal and failure states, and it 

generates the actual surface commands 

that provide for stability augmentation 

and control about all three airplane 

axes. In addition, pilot control authority 

may be uncertain, because the side 

sticks are not mechanically 

interconnected as with conventional 

wheel and column controls. 

Discussion 

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/

requirements of the BD–700–2A12 and 

BD–700–2A13 airplanes special 

conditions and other part 25 stability, 

control, and maneuverability 

requirements, including the effects of 

turbulence. 

2. General ergonomics: Arm rest 

comfort and support, local freedom of 

movement, displacement angle 

suitability, and axis harmony. 

3. Inadvertent input in turbulence. 

4. Inadvertent pitch-roll cross talk. 

These special conditions elaborate on 

these requirements and 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. 

The FAA Handling Qualities Rating 

Method (HQRM) in appendix 5 of 

Advisory Circular 25–7C, ‘‘Flight Test 

Guide for Certification of Transport 

Category Airplanes,’’ may be used to 

show compliance. 

Applicability 

As discussed above, these special 

conditions are applicable to the 

Bombardier Inc. Models BD–700–2A12 

and BD–700–2A13 series airplanes. 

Should Bombardier Inc. 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 certain novel 

or unusual design features on two 

model series of airplanes. It is not a rule 

of general applicability. 

The substance of these special 

conditions has been subjected to the 

notice and comment period 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. Therefore, the FAA 

has determined that prior public notice 

and comment are unnecessary, and good 

cause exists for adopting these special 

conditions upon publication in the 

Federal Register. The FAA is requesting 

comments to allow 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 Bombardier Inc. Models 

BD–700–2A12 and BD–700–2A13 series 

airplanes. 

■ In the absence of specific 

requirements for side stick controllers, 

the following apply: 

1. Pilot strength: In lieu of the 

‘‘strength of pilots’’ limits shown in 

§ 25.143(d) for pitch and roll, and in 

lieu of specific pitch force requirement 

of §§ 25.143(i)(2), 25.145(b), and 

25.175(d), Bombardier must show 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: Bombardier must 

show 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. 

Issued in Renton, Washington, on June 17, 

2015. 

Jeffrey E. Duven, 

Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–19459 Filed 8–6–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 25 

[Docket No. FAA–2015–2566; Special 

Conditions No. 25–587–SC] 

Special Conditions: Bombardier Inc., 

Models BD–700–2A12 and BD–700– 

2A13 Series Airplanes; Electronic 

Flight Control System: Control Surface 

Awareness and Mode Annunciation 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final special conditions; request 

for comments. 

SUMMARY: These special conditions are 

issued for the Bombardier Inc. Models 

BD–700–2A12 and BD–700–2A13 series 

airplanes. These airplanes will have 


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