Airworthiness standards: Special conditions Bombardier Model BD-100-1A10 airplanes,
[Federal Register: February 3, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 22)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 5208-5210]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03fe03-2]
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 25
[Docket No. NM243; Special Conditions No. 25-226-SC]
Special Conditions: Bombardier Model BD-100-1A10 Airplanes; High- Intensity Radiated Fields (HIRF).
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Final special conditions; request for comments.
SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for Bombardier Model BD- 100-1A10 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. The airplane design includes four large liquid crystal display (LCD) electronic displays, an integrated electronic standby system, and full authority digital engine controls (FADEC) all of which perform critical functions. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for the protection of these systems from the effects of high-intensity-radiated fields (HIRF). 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 January 9, 2003. Comments must be received on or before March 5, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Comments on these special conditions may be mailed in duplicate to: Federal Aviation Administration, Transport Airplane Directorate, Attention: Rules Docket (ANM-113), Docket No. NM243, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, Washington 98055-4056; or delivered in duplicate to the Transport Airplane Directorate at the above address. All comments must be marked: Docket No. NM243.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Greg Dunn, FAA, Airplane and Flight Crew Branch, ANM-111, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, Washington 98055- 4056; telephone (425) 227-2799; facsimile (425) 227-1149.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
The FAA has determined that notice and opportunity for public comment in
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accordance with 14 CFR 11.38 are unnecessary, because the FAA has provided previous opportunities to comment on substantially identical special conditions and has fully considered and addressed all the substantive comments received. Based on a review of the comment history and the comment resolution, the FAA is satisfied that new comments are unlikely. The FAA, therefore, finds that good cause exists for making these special conditions effective upon issuance.
However, the FAA invites interested persons to participate in this rulemaking by submitting 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 ask that you send us two copies of written comments.
We will file in the docket all comments we receive, as well as a report summarizing each substantive public contact with FAA personnel concerning these special conditions. The docket is available for public inspection before and after the comment closing date. If you wish to review the docket in person, go to the address in the ADDRESSES section of this preamble between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
We will consider all comments we receive 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.
If you want the FAA to acknowledge receipt of your comments on these special conditions, include with your comments a pre-addressed, stamped postcard on which the docket number appears. We will stamp the date on the postcard and mail it back to you.
Background
On March 26, 1999, Bombardier Inc. submitted an application to Transport Canada for FAA type certification of its new Model BD-100- 1A10 airplane. The BD-100-1A10 airplane is a business jet powered by two Honeywell AS907 High Bypass turbo-fan engines. The airplane has a two-pilot cockpit and interior seating for sixteen passengers. The overall length of the Model BD-100-A10 is 68.7 feet, the height is 20.25 feet, and the wing span is 63.8 feet. The airplane has a maximum takeoff weight of 37,500 pounds, a maximum landing weight of 33,750 pounds, a maximum operating altitude of 45,000 feet, and a design range of 3,100 nautical miles at Mach 0.8 or 2,780 nautical miles at Mach 0.82. The Model BD-100-1A10 airplane will include four large LCD electronic displays, an integrated electronic standby system, and FADEC, all of which perform critical functions. These systems may be vulnerable to HIRF external to the airplane.
Type Certification Basis
Under the provisions of 14 CFR 21.17, Bombardier Inc. must show that Model BD-100-1A10 airplanes meet the applicable provisions in effect on the date of application for the type certificate or applicable provisions of 14 CFR part 25, as amended by Amendments 25-1 through 25-98. Subsequent changes have been made to Sec. 21.101 as part of Amendment 21-77, but those changes do not become effective until June 10, 2003.
If the Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness regulations (i.e., part 25, as amended) do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for Bombardier Model BD-100-1A10 airplanes because of a novel or unusual design feature, special conditions are prescribed under the provisions of Sec. 21.16.
In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special conditions, Model BD-100-1A10 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 pursuant to Sec. 611 of Public Law 92- 574, the ``Noise Control Act of 1972.''
Special conditions, as defined in 14 CFR 11.19, are issued in accordance with Sec. 11.38 and become part of the type certification basis in accordance with Sec. 21.101(a)(2).
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, these special conditions would also apply to the other model under the provisions of Sec. 21.101(a)(1), Amendment 21-69, effective September 16, 1991.
Novel or Unusual Design Features
As noted earlier, Model BD-100-1A10 airplanes will incorporate four LCD electronic displays, an integrated electronic standby system, and FADEC that will perform critical functions. These systems may be vulnerable to HIRF external to the airplane. The current airworthiness standards of part 25 do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for the protection of this equipment from the adverse effects of HIRF. Accordingly, these systems are considered to be novel or unusual designs.
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 avionics/electronics and electrical 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 Model BD-100-1A10 airplanes. These special conditions require that avionic/electronic and electrical systems that perform critical functions be designed and installed to preclude component damage and interruption of function due to both the direct and indirect effects of HIRF.
High-Intensity Radiated Fields (HIRF)
With the trend toward increased power levels from ground-based transmitters and the advent of space and satellite communications, coupled with electronic command and control of the airplane, the immunity of critical avionic/electronic and electrical 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 paragraph 1 or 2 below:
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A minimum threat of 100 volts rms (root-mean-square) per meter electric field strength from 10 KHz to 18 GHz.
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The threat must be applied to the system elements and their associated wiring harnesses without the benefit of airframe shielding.
-
Demonstration of this level of protection is established through system tests and analysis.
-
-
A threat external to the airframe of the field strengths identified in the table below for the frequency ranges indicated. Both peak and average field strength components from the table are to be demonstrated.
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Field strength (volts per meter) Frequency
Peak Average
10 kHz-100 kHz..................................
50
50 100 kHz-500 kHz.................................
50
50 500 kHz-2 MHz...................................
50
50 2 MHz-30 MHz....................................
100
100 30 MHz-70 MHz...................................
50
50 70 MHz-100 MHz..................................
50
50 100 MHz-200 MHz.................................
100
100 200 MHz-400 MHz.................................
100
100 400 MHz-700 MHz.................................
700
50 700 MHz-1 GHz...................................
700
100 1 GHz-2 GHz.....................................
2000
200 2 GHz-4 GHz.....................................
3000
200 4 GHz-6 GHz.....................................
3000
200 6 GHz-8 GHz.....................................
1000
200 8 GHz-12 GHz....................................
3000
300 12 GHz-18 GHz...................................
2000
200 18 GHz-40 GHz...................................
600
200
The field strengths are expressed in terms of peak of the root-mean- square (rms) over the complete modulation period.
The threat levels identified above are the result of an FAA review of existing studies on the subject of HIRF, in light of the ongoing work of the Electromagnetic Effects Harmonization Working Group of the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee.
Applicability
As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to Bombardier BD-100-1A10 airplanes. Should Bombardier 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, under the provisions of Sec. 21.101(a)(1), Amendment 21-69, effective September 16, 1991.
Conclusion
This action affects only certain novel or unusual design features on Bombardier Model BD-100-1A10 airplanes. It is not a rule of general applicability, and affects only the applicant which applied to the FAA for approval of these features on the airplane. The FAA has determined that notice and opportunity for public comment are unnecessary, because the FAA has provided previous opportunities to comment on substantially identical special conditions and has fully considered and addressed all the substantive comments received. The FAA is satisfied that new comments are unlikely and finds, therefore, that good cause exists for making these special conditions effective upon issuance.
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 Model BD-100-1A10 airplane.
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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.
-
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 January 9, 2003. Ali Bahrami, Assistant Director, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 03-2422 Filed 1-31-03; 8:45 am]
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