60028 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 192 / Monday, October 5, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 

• General ergonomics: Armrest 

comfort and support, local freedom of 

movement, displacement-angle 

suitability, and axis harmony. 

• Inadvertent pilot input in 

turbulence. 

• Inadvertent pitch and roll crosstalk 

from pilot inputs on the side-stick 

controller. 

Discussion of Comments 

Notice of proposed special conditions 

no. 25–15–07–SC for the Gulfstream 

Model GVII–G500 airplane was 

published in the Federal Register on 

August 18, 2015 [80 FR 49934]. No 

comments were received, and the 

special conditions are adopted as 

proposed. 

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, the 

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 the Gulfstream Model GVII– 

G500 airplane, in lieu of §§ 25.143(d), 

25.143(i)(2), 25.145(b), 25.173(c), 

25.175(b), and 25.175(d): 

Pilot strength: In lieu of the controlforce limits shown in § 25.143(d) for 

pitch and roll, and in lieu of specific 

pitch-force requirements of 

§§ 25.143(i)(2), 25.145(b), 25.173(c), 

25.175(b), and 25.175(d), Gulfstream 

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 nonnormal. 

Pilot-control authority: The electronic 

side-stick-controller coupling design 

must provide for corrective and 

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. 

Pilot control: Gulfstream 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 

and tasks, and turbulence. In addition, 

pitch and roll control force and 

displacement sensitivity must be 

compatible, so that normal pilot inputs 

on one control axis will not cause 

significant unintentional inputs 

(crossover) on the other. 

Issued in Renton, Washington, September 

25, 2015. 

Michael Kaszycki, 

Acting Manager, Transport Airplane 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–25276 Filed 10–2–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 25 

[Docket No. FAA–2015–1482; Special 

Conditions No. 25–600–SC] 

Special Conditions: Gulfstream Model 

GVII–G500 Airplanes, Automatic Speed 

Protection for Design Dive Speed 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final special conditions. 

SUMMARY: These special conditions are 

issued for the Gulfstream Model GVII– 

G500 airplane. This airplane 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 associated with 

a reduced margin between design 

cruising speed, VC/MC, and design 

diving speed, VD/MD, based on the 

incorporation of a high-speed protection 

system that limits nose-down pilot 

authority at speeds above VC/MC. 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: Effective November 4, 2015. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Walt 

Sippel, FAA, Airframe and Cabin Safety 

Branch, ANM–115, Transport Airplane 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification 

Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., 

Renton, Washington 98057–3356; 

telephone 425–227–2774; facsimile 

425–227–1232. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

On March 29, 2012, Gulfstream 

Aerospace Corporation applied for a 

type certificate for their new Model 

GVII–G500 airplane. The Model GVII– 

G500 airplane will be a large-cabin 

business jet with seating for 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. 

The Model GVII–G500 will have a 

wingspan of approximately 87 feet and 

a length of just over 91 feet. Maximum 

takeoff weight will be approximately 

76,850 pounds and maximum takeoff 

thrust will be approximately 15,135 

pounds. Maximum range will be 

approximately 5,000 nautical miles, and 

maximum operating altitude will be 

51,000 feet. 

Type Certification Basis 

Under the provisions of Title 14, Code 

of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) 21.17, 

Gulfstream must show that the Model 

GVII–G500 airplane meets the 

applicable provisions of part 25 as 

amended by Amendments 25–1 through 

25–137. 

In addition, the certification basis 

includes other regulations, special 

conditions, and exemptions 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 Model GVII–G500 airplanes because 

of a novel or unusual design feature, 

special conditions are prescribed under 

the provisions of § 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 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 Model GVII–G500 

airplane must comply with the fuel-vent 

and exhaust-emission requirements of 

14 CFR part 34, and the noisecertification requirements of 14 CFR 

part 36; and the FAA must issue a 

finding of regulatory adequacy under 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with RULES

Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 192 / Monday, October 5, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 60029 

§ 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 Features 

The Gulfstream Model GVII–G500 

airplane will incorporate the following 

novel or unusual design feature: 

For this airplane, Gulfstream will 

reduce the margin between VC/MC and 

VD/MD, required by 14 CFR 25.335(b), 

based on the incorporation of a highspeed protection system in the 

airplane’s flight-control laws. The highspeed protection system limits nosedown pilot authority at speeds above 

VC/MC, and prevents the airplane from 

performing the maneuver required 

under § 25.335(b)(1). 

Discussion 

Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations 

(14 CFR) 25.335(b)(1) is an analytical 

envelope condition which was 

originally adopted in Part 4b of the Civil 

Air Regulations to provide an acceptable 

speed margin between design cruise 

speed and design dive speed. Flutter 

clearance design speeds and airframe 

design loads are impacted by the design 

dive speed. While the initial condition 

for the upset specified in the rule is 1g 

level flight, protection is afforded for 

other inadvertent overspeed conditions 

as well. Section 25.335(b)(1) is intended 

as a conservative enveloping condition 

for potential overspeed conditions, 

including non-symmetric ones. To 

establish that potential overspeed 

conditions are enveloped, Gulfstream 

must demonstrate that any reduced 

speed margin based on the high-speed 

protection system in the Model GVII– 

G500 airplane will not be exceeded in 

inadvertent or gust-induced upsets 

resulting in initiation of the dive from 

non-symmetric attitudes; or that the 

airplane is protected by the flightcontrol laws from getting into nonsymmetric upset conditions. Gulfstream 

must conduct a demonstration that 

includes a comprehensive set of 

conditions as described below. 

These special conditions are in lieu of 

§ 25.335(b)(1). Section 25.335(b)(2), 

which also addresses the design dive 

speed, is applied separately (Advisory 

Circular (AC) 25.335–1A provides an 

acceptable means of compliance to 

§ 25.335(b)(2)). 

Special conditions are necessary to 

address the Model GVII–G500 airplane 

high-speed protection system. These 

special conditions identify various 

symmetric and non-symmetric 

maneuvers that will ensure that an 

appropriate design dive speed, VD/MD, 

is established. 

Special Condition 2 of these special 

conditions references AC 25–7C, section 

8, paragraph 32, ‘‘Gust Upset,’’ included 

here for reference: 

In the following three upset tests, the 

values of displacement should be 

appropriate to the airplane type and 

should depend upon airplane stability 

and inertia characteristics. The lower 

and upper limits should be used for 

airplanes with low and high 

maneuverability, respectively. 

(i) With the airplane trimmed in 

wings-level flight, simulate a transient 

gust by rapidly rolling to the maximum 

bank angle appropriate for the airplane, 

but not less than 45 degrees nor more 

than 60 degrees. The rudder and 

longitudinal control should be held 

fixed during the time that the required 

bank is being attained. The rolling 

velocity should be arrested at this bank 

angle. Following this, the controls 

should be abandoned for a minimum of 

3 seconds after VMO/MMO, or after 10 

seconds, whichever occurs first. 

(ii) Perform a longitudinal upset from 

normal cruise. Airplane trim is 

determined at VMO/MMO using power 

and thrust required for level flight, but 

with not more than maximum 

continuous power and thrust. This is 

followed by a decrease in speed, after 

which an attitude of 6 to l2 degrees nose 

down, as appropriate for the airplane 

type, is attained with the power, thrust, 

and trim initially required for VMO/MMO

in level flight. The airplane is permitted 

to accelerate until 3 seconds after VMO/ 

MMO. The force limits of § 25.143(d) for 

short term application apply. 

(iii) Perform a two-axis upset, 

consisting of combined longitudinal and 

lateral upsets. Perform the longitudinal 

upset, as in paragraph (ii) above, and 

when the pitch attitude is set, but before 

reaching VMO/MMO, roll the airplane to 

between 15 and 25 degrees. The 

established attitude should be 

maintained until 3 seconds after VMO/

MMO. 

Special Conditions 3 and 4 of these 

special conditions indicate that failures 

of the high-speed protection system 

must be improbable and must be 

annunciated to the pilots. If these two 

criteria are not met, then the probability 

that the established dive speed will be 

exceeded, and the resulting risk to the 

airplane, are too great. On the other 

hand, if the high-speed protection 

system is known to be inoperative, then 

dispatch of the airplane may be 

acceptable as allowed by Special 

Condition 5 of these special conditions. 

Dispatch would only be acceptable if 

appropriate reduced operating speeds, 

VMO/MMO, as well as the overspeed 

warning for exceeding those speeds, are 

provided in both the airplane flight 

manual and on the flightdeck display, 

and are equivalent to that of the normal 

airplane with the high-speed protection 

system operative. 

We do not believe that application of 

the ‘‘Interaction of Systems and 

Structures’’ Special Conditions 

(reference GVI Issue Paper A–2), or 

EASA Certification Specification 

25.302, are appropriate in this case, 

because design dive speed is, in and of 

itself, part of the design criteria. 

Stability and control, flight loads, and 

flutter evaluations all depend on the 

design dive speed. Therefore, a single 

design dive speed should be established 

that will not be exceeded, taking into 

account the performance of the highspeed protection system as well as its 

failure modes, failure indications, and 

accompanying flight-manual 

instructions. 

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. 

Discussion of Comments 

Notice of proposed special conditions 

no. 25–15–08–SC for the Gulfstream 

Model GVII–G500 airplane was 

published in the Federal Register on 

August 18, 2015 [80 FR 49936]. No 

comments were received, and the 

special conditions are adopted as 

proposed. 

Applicability 

As discussed above, these special 

conditions are applicable to the 

Gulfstream Model GVII–G500 airplane. 

Should Gulfstream apply at a later date 

for a change 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. 

Conclusion 

This action affects only certain novel 

or unusual design features on one model 

of airplane. 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. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with RULES

60030 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 192 / Monday, October 5, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 

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. 

1. In lieu of compliance with 

§ 25.335(b)(1), if the flight-control 

system includes functions that act 

automatically to initiate recovery before 

the end of the 20-second period 

specified in § 25.335(b)(1), VD/MD must 

be determined from the greater of the 

speeds resulting from conditions (a) and 

(b) of these special conditions. The 

speed increase occurring in these 

maneuvers may be calculated if reliable 

or conservative aerodynamic data are 

used. 

(a) From an initial condition of 

stabilized flight at VC/MC, the airplane 

is upset so as to take up a new flight 

path 7.5 degrees below the initial path. 

Control application, up to full authority, 

is made to try to maintain this new 

flight path. Twenty seconds after 

initiating the upset, manual recovery is 

made at a load factor of 1.5g (0.5 

acceleration increment), or such greater 

load factor that is automatically applied 

by the system with the pilot’s pitch 

control neutral. Power, as specified in 

§ 25.175(b)(1)(iv), is assumed until 

recovery is initiated, at which time 

power reduction, and the use of pilotcontrolled drag devices, may be used. 

(b) From a speed below VC/MC, with 

power to maintain stabilized level flight 

at this speed, the airplane is upset so as 

to accelerate through VC/MC at a flight 

path 15 degrees below the initial path 

(or at the steepest nose-down attitude 

that the system will permit with full 

control authority if less than 15 

degrees). The pilot’s controls may be in 

the neutral position after reaching VC/

MC and before recovery is initiated. 

Recovery may be initiated 3 seconds 

after operation of the high-speed 

warning system by application of a load 

of 1.5g (0.5 acceleration increment), or 

such greater load factor that is 

automatically applied by the system 

with the pilot’s pitch control neutral. 

Power may be reduced simultaneously. 

All other means of decelerating the 

airplane, the use of which is authorized 

up to the highest speed reached in the 

maneuver, may be used. The interval 

between successive pilot actions must 

not be less than 1 second. 

2. The applicant must also 

demonstrate that the speed margin, 

established as above, will not be 

exceeded in inadvertent or gust-induced 

upsets resulting in initiation of the dive 

from non-symmetric attitudes, unless 

the airplane is protected by the flightcontrol laws from getting into nonsymmetric upset conditions. The upset 

maneuvers described in Advisory 

Circular 25–7C, ‘‘Flight Test Guide for 

Certification of Transport Category 

Airplanes,’’ section 8, paragraph 32, 

sub-paragraphs c(3)(a), (b), and (c), may 

be used to comply with this 

requirement. 

3. The probability of any failure of the 

high-speed protection system, which 

would result in an airspeed exceeding 

those determined by Special Conditions 

1 and 2, must be less than 10¥5 per 

flight hour. 

4. Failures of the system must be 

annunciated to the pilots. Flight manual 

instructions must be provided that 

reduce the maximum operating speeds, 

VMO/MMO. With the system failed, the 

operating speed must be reduced to a 

value that maintains a speed margin 

between VMO/MMO and VD/MD, and that 

is consistent with showing compliance 

with § 25.335(b) without the benefit of 

the high-speed protection system. 

5. The applicant may request that the 

Master Minimum Equipment List relief 

for the high-speed protection system be 

considered by the FAA Flight 

Operations Evaluation Board, provided 

that the flight manual instructions 

indicate reduced maximum operating 

speeds as described in Special 

Condition 4. In addition, the flightdeck 

display of the reduced operating speeds, 

as well as the overspeed warning for 

exceeding those speeds, must be 

equivalent to that of the normal airplane 

with the high-speed protection system 

operative. Also, the applicant must 

show that no additional hazards are 

introduced with the high-speed 

protection system inoperative. 

Issued in Renton, Washington, September 

25, 2015. 

Michael Kaszycki, 

Acting Manager, Transport Airplane 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–25275 Filed 10–2–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2015–3877; Directorate 

Identifier 2015–SW–039–AD; Amendment 

39–18284; AD 2015–18–51] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Airbus 

Helicopters 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Final rule; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: We are publishing a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for Airbus 

Helicopters Model AS332C, AS332C1, 

AS332L, and AS332L1 helicopters, 

which was sent previously to all known 

U.S. owners and operators of these 

helicopters. This AD requires inspecting 

certain tail rotor (T/R) blades, replacing 

the set of T/R blades if there is damage, 

deactivating the rotor de-icing system, 

revising the rotorcraft flight manual 

(RFM), and installing a placard. This AD 

is prompted by a report of a T/R deicing system power supply box stuck in 

a ‘‘closed’’ position providing an 

uncontrolled and un-annunciated power 

supply to the system. These actions are 

intended to detect and prevent 

structural damage to the T/R blades 

caused by overheating, and subsequent 

loss of control of the helicopter. 

DATES: This AD becomes effective 

October 20, 2015 to all persons except 

those persons to whom it was made 

immediately effective by Emergency AD 

2015–18–51, issued on September 11, 

2015, which contains the requirements 

of this AD. 

We must receive comments on this 

AD by December 4, 2015. 

ADDRESSES: You may send comments by 

any of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Docket: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

online instructions for sending your 

comments electronically. 

• Fax: 202–493–2251. 

• Mail: Send comments to the U.S. 

Department of Transportation, Docket 

Operations, M–30, West Building 

Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, 

DC 20590–0001. 

• Hand Delivery: Deliver to the 

‘‘Mail’’ address between 9 a.m. and 

5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with RULES