[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 129 (Wednesday, July 3, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34922-34923]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-16960]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee; Transport Airplane and 
Engine Issues--New Task

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of a new task assignment for the Aviation Rulemaking 
Advisory Committee (ARAC).

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SUMMARY: Notice is given of a new task assigned to and accepted by the 
Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC). This notice informs the 
public of the activities of ARAC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
 Stewart R. Miller, Manager, Transport Standards Staff, ANM-110, FAA, 
Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service, 1601 
Lind Ave. SW., Renton, WA 98055-4056, telephone (206) 227-2190, fax 
(206) 226-1320.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The FAA has established an Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee 
to provide advice and recommendations to the FAA Administrator, through 
the Associate Administrator for Regulation and Certification, on the 
full range of the FAA's rulemaking activities with respect to aviation-
related issues. This includes obtaining advice and recommendations on 
the FAA's commitment to harmonize its Federal Aviation Regulations 
(FAR) and practices with its trading partners in Europe and Canada.
    One area ARAC deals with is Transport Airplane and Engine issues. 
These issues involve the airworthiness standards for transport category 
airplanes in 14 CFR parts 25, 33, and 35 of the FAR and parallel 
provisions in 14 CFR parts 121 and 135 of the FAR. The corresponding 
European airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes are 
contained in Joint Aviation Requirements (JAR)-25, JAR-E and JAR-P, 
respectively. The corresponding Canadian Standards are contained in 
Chapters 525, 533 and 535 respectively.

The Task

    This notice is to inform the public that the FAA has asked ARAC to 
provide advice and recommendation on the following harmonization task:

    Engine Windmilling Imbalance Loads. Define criteria for 
establishing the maximum level of engine imbalance that should be 
considered, taking into account fan blade failures and other likely 
causes of engine imbalance. Develop an acceptable methodology for 
determining the dynamic airframe loads and accelerations resulting 
from an imbalanced windmilling engine. Validate the proposed 
methodology with a demonstrative ground or flight test program (as 
deemed appropriate by ARAC) that has the objective of establishing 
confidence in the proposed methodology. The validation process 
should answer the following questions: (1) What are the parameters 
to consider in determining the minimum degree of dynamic structural 
modeling needed to properly represent the imbalanced condition; (2) 
Is the proposed analytical methodology taken in conjunction with the 
traditional ground vibration tests, flight flutter tests, and tests 
performed under Sec. 33.94 of 14 CFR sufficient, or are there 
additional tests and measurements that need to be made to address 
this condition?
    Within 12 months from the date of the published notice of new 
task in the Federal Register, complete the above tasks and submit a 
report to the FAA with recommendations detailing the criteria and 
methodology.

ARAC Acceptance of Task

    ARAC has accepted this task and has chosen to assign it to the 
existing Loads and Dynamics Harmonization Working Group. The working 
group will serve as staff to ARAC to assist ARAC in the analysis of the 
assigned task. Working group recommendations must be reviewed and 
approved by ARAC. If ARAC accepts the working group's recommendations, 
it forwards them to the FAA as ARAC recommendations.

Working Group Activity

    The Loads and Dynamics harmonization Working Group is expected to 
comply with the procedures adopted by ARAC. As part of the

[[Page 34923]]

procedures, the working group is expected to:
    1. Recommend a work plan for completion of the tasks, including the 
rational supporting such a plan, for consideration at the meeting of 
ARAC to consider Transport Airplane and Engine Issues held following 
publication of this notice.
    2. Give a detailed conceptual presentation of the proposed 
recommendations, prior to proceeding with the work stated in item 3 
below.
    3. For each task, draft appropriate documents with supporting 
analyses, and/or any other related guidance material or collateral 
documents the working group determines to be appropriate.
    4. Provide a status report at each meeting of ARAC held to consider 
Transport Airplane and Engine Issues.

Participation in the Working Goup

    The Loads and Dynamics Harmonization Working Group is composed of 
experts having an interest in the assigned task. A working group member 
need not be a representative of a member of the full committee.
    An individual who has expertise in the subject matter and wishes to 
become a member of the working group should write to the person listed 
under the caption FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT expressing that 
desire, describing his or her interest in the tasks, and stating the 
expertise he or she would bring to the working group. The request will 
be reviewed by the assistant chair, the assistant executive director, 
and the working group chair, and the individual will be advised whether 
or not the request can be accommodated.
    The Secretary of Transportation has determined that the formation 
and use of ARAC are necessary and in the public interest in connection 
with the performance of duties imposed on the FAA by law.
    Meetings of ARAC will be open to the public, except as authorized 
by section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Meetings of the 
Loads and Dynamics harmonization Working Group will not be open to the 
public, except to the extent that individuals with an interest and 
expertise are selected to participate. No public announcement of 
working group meetings will be made.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on June 26, 1996.
Chris A. Christie,
Executive Director, Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee.
[FR Doc. 96-16960 Filed 7-2-96; 8:45 am]
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