This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains notices to the public of the proposed

issuance of rules and regulations. The

purpose of these notices is to give interested

persons an opportunity to participate in the

rule making prior to the adoption of the final

rules.

Proposed Rules Federal Register

66936 

Vol. 77, No. 217 

Thursday, November 8, 2012 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 33 

[Docket No. FAA–2012–1085; Notice No. 33– 

12–02–SC1] 

Special Conditions: Turbomeca 

Ardiden 3K Turboshaft Engine 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed special 

conditions. 

SUMMARY: This action proposes special 

conditions for the Turbomeca Ardiden 

3K model engines. This engine model 

will have a novel or unusual design 

feature which is a 30-minute all engines 

operating (AEO) power rating for 

hovering at increased power (HIP). This 

rating is primarily intended for highpower hovering operations that are 

normal mission functions. The 

applicable airworthiness regulations do 

not contain adequate or appropriate 

safety standards for this design feature. 

These proposed special conditions 

contain the additional safety standards 

that the FAA considers necessary to 

establish a level of safety equivalent to 

that established by the existing 

airworthiness standards. 

DATES: Send your comments on or 

before December 10, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified 

by docket number FAA–2012–1085 

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 of 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 8 

a.m., and 5 p.m., Monday through 

Friday, except Federal holidays. 

• Fax: Fax comments to Docket 

Operations at 202–493–2251. 

Privacy: Docket Operations will post 

all comments it receives, without 

change, to http://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: You may read background 

documents or comments received 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: Tara 

Fitzgerald, ANE–111, Engine and 

Propeller Directorate, Aircraft 

Certification Service, 12 New England 

Executive Park, Burlington, 

Massachusetts 01803–5299; telephone 

(781) 238–7130; facsimile (781) 238– 

7199; email tara.fitzgerald@faa.gov. For 

legal questions concerning this 

proposed rule, contact Vincent Bennett, 

ANE–7 Engine and Propeller 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification 

Service, 12 New England Executive 

Park, Burlington, Massachusetts 01803– 

5299; telephone (781) 238–7044; 

facsimile (781) 238–7055; email vincent.

bennett@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited 

We invite interested people to take 

part in this rulemaking by sending 

written comments, data, or views to the 

docket. 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 

received in the docket on or before the 

closing date for comments. We will 

consider comments filed late if it is 

possible to do so without incurring 

expense or delay. We may change these 

special conditions based on the 

comments we receive. 

Background 

On September 15, 2010, Turbomeca 

S.A. (Turbomeca) applied for a type 

certificate for their new Ardiden 3K 

turboshaft engine. The Ardiden 3K 

engine is the first variant in the new 

Ardiden 3 series. This engine 

incorporates a two-stage centrifugal 

compressor that is driven by a singlestage high-pressure turbine. A two-stage 

power turbine drives the engine output 

shaft. The control system includes a 

dual-channel full-authority digitalelectronic control. 

The engine will incorporate a novel or 

unusual design feature, which is a 30- 

minute hovering at increased power 

(HIP) rating. The applicant requested 

this rating to support extended hover 

operations at high power. 

A special condition is necessary to 

apply additional requirements for rating 

definition, instructions for continued 

airworthiness (ICA), instrumentation, 

and endurance testing because the 

applicable airworthiness standards do 

not contain adequate or appropriate 

airworthiness standards to address this 

design feature. The ICA requirement 

addresses the unknown nature of actual 

rating usage and associated engine 

deterioration. The applicant is expected 

to make an assessment of the expected 

usage, and publish ICAs and 

Airworthiness Limitations Section 

limits in accordance with those 

assumptions, such that engine 

deterioration is not excessive. The 

instrumentation requirement is to 

ensure that operators use this highpower rating within its limits, and that 

engine integrity is maintained. The 

endurance test requirement of 25 hours 

operation at 30-minutes HIP is similar to 

other special conditions recently issued. 

Because the Ardiden 3K model has a 

continuous one-engine inoperative (OEI) 

rating with limits equal to or higher 

than the proposed 30-minute HIP rating, 

the applicant may credit the test time 

performed at the continuous OEI rating 

toward the 25-hour requirement. 

However, test time spent at other rating 

elements of the test, such as takeoff or 

other OEI ratings (that are equal to or 

higher than HIP rating values), cannot 


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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 217 / Thursday, November 8, 2012 / Proposed Rules 66937 

be counted toward the 25 hours of 

required running. 

These special conditions contain the 

additional airworthiness standards 

necessary to establish a level of safety 

equivalent to the level intended by the 

applicable standards of airworthiness in 

effect on the date of application. 

Type Certification Basis 

Under the provisions of 14 CFR 21.17 

and 21.101(a), Turbomeca must show 

that the model Ardiden 3K turboshaft 

engine meets the provisions of the 

applicable regulations in effect on the 

date of application, or later amendment 

if so elected. Accordingly, the 

certification basis for the Ardiden model 

turboshaft engine is determined to be 

part 33, effective February 1, 1965, as 

amended by Amendments 33–1 through 

33–31. 

If the FAA finds that the applicable 

airworthiness regulations in part 33, as 

amended, do not contain adequate or 

appropriate safety standards for the 

Turbomeca model Ardiden 3K 

turboshaft engine, because of a novel or 

unusual design feature, special 

conditions are prescribed under the 

provisions of § 21.16. 

The FAA issues special conditions, as 

defined by 14 CFR 11.19, under 14 CFR 

11.38, which become part of the type 

certification basis as specified in 

§ 21.17(a)(2). 

Special conditions are initially 

applicable to the model for which they 

are issued. If the type certificate for that 

model is amended later to include 

another related model that incorporates 

the same or similar novel or unusual 

design feature, or if any other model 

already included on the same type 

certificate is modified to incorporate the 

same or similar novel or unusual design 

feature, the special conditions would 

also apply to the other model. 

Novel or Unusual Design Features 

The Turbomeca model Ardiden 3K 

turboshaft engine will incorporate a 30- 

minute HIP rating, for use up to 30 

minutes at any time between take-off 

and landing. The 30 minute time limit 

applies to each instance the rating is 

used; however there is no limit to the 

number of times the rating can be used 

during any one flight, and there is no 

cumulative time limitation. Special 

conditions for a 30-minute HIP rating 

are proposed to address this novel and 

unusual design feature. The special 

conditions are discussed below. 

Discussion 

The Turbomeca model Ardiden 3K 

turboshaft engine is a free turbine 

turboshaft designed for a transport 

category twin-engine helicopter. The 

helicopter manufacturer anticipates that 

extended hovering maneuvers may 

require more than maximum continuous 

power for up to 30 minutes. Turbomeca 

has requested a 30-minute HIP rating for 

use up to 30 minutes at any time 

between the take-off and landing phases 

of a flight. Turbomeca has indicated that 

the number of times this rating can be 

accessed in one flight is not limited, and 

there is no cumulative time limitation. 

Applicability 

As discussed above, these special 

conditions are applicable to TM model 

Ardiden 3K turboshaft engines. If TM 

applies later for a change to the type 

certificate to include another closely 

related 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 the 

Turbomeca Model Ardiden 3K 

turboshaft engine. It is not a rule of 

general applicability, and it affects only 

Turbomeca, who applied to the FAA for 

approval of these features on the engine. 

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 33 

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation 

safety, Safety. 

The authority citation for these 

special conditions continues to read as 

follows: 

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701– 

44702, 44704. 

The Proposed Special Conditions 

Accordingly, the FAA proposes the 

following special conditions as part of 

the type certification basis for the 

Turbomeca model Ardiden 3K 

turboshaft engine. 

1. PART 1 DEFINITIONS 

Unless otherwise approved by the 

Administrator and documented in the 

appropriate manuals and certification 

documents, the following definition 

applies to this special condition: ‘‘Rated 

30-Minute Hover at Increased Power 

(HIP),’’ means the approved shaft 

horsepower developed under static 

conditions at the specified altitude and 

temperature, and within the operating 

limitations established under part 33, 

and limited in use to periods not 

exceeding 30 minutes. 

2. PART 33 REQUIREMENTS 

(a) §§ 33.1 Applicability and 33.3 

General. As applicable, all 

documentation, testing and analysis 

required to comply with the part 33 

certification basis must account for the 

30-minute HIP rating, limits and usage. 

(b) § 33.4, Instructions for Continued 

Airworthiness (ICA). In addition to the 

requirements of § 33.4, the ICA must: 

(1) Include instructions to ensure that 

in-service engine deterioration due to 

rated 30-minute HIP usage will not be 

excessive, meaning that all approved 

ratings, including One Engine 

Inoperative (OEI), are available (within 

associated limits and assumed usage) for 

each flight; and that deterioration will 

not exceed that assumed for declaring a 

Time Between Overhaul period. 

(2) Validate the adequacy of the 

maintenance actions required under 

paragraph (b)(1) of this section. 

(3) Include in the Airworthiness 

Limitations section, any mandatory 

inspections and serviceability limits 

related to the use of the 30-minute HIP 

rating. 

(c) § 33.29, Instrument Connection. 

The engine must have a means or a 

provision for a means, which alerts the 

pilot when the 30-minute HIP rating 

time limit has expired. 

(d) § 33.87, Endurance Test. In 

addition to the applicable requirements 

of §§ 33.87(a), 33.87(d) and 33.87(e) (for 

engines that combine 2.5 minute and 

continuous OEI ratings): 

(1) The overall test run must include 

a minimum of 25 hours of operation at 

30-minute HIP rating and limits, 

divided into periods of not less than 30 

minutes but not more than 60 minutes, 

with alternate periods at maximum 

continuous power or less. 

(2) Each § 33.87(d)(3) continuous OEI 

rating test period of 60 minutes duration 

run at power and limits equal to or 

higher than the 30-minute HIP rating, 

may be credited toward this 

requirement. Note that the test time 

required for the takeoff or other OEI 

ratings may not be counted toward the 

25 hours of testing required at the 30- 

minute HIP rating. 

Issued in Burlington, Massachusetts on 

September 17, 2012. 

Colleen M. D’Alessandro, 

Assistant Manager, Engine and Propeller 

Directorate Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–25214 Filed 11–7–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS