# Special Conditions: Dassault Aviation Model Falcon 6X Airplane; Flight Envelope Protection: Normal Load-Factor (g) Limiting
**AGENCY:**
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
**ACTION:**
Final special conditions; request for comments.
**SUMMARY:**
These special conditions are issued for the Dassault Aviation (Dassault) Model Falcon 6X 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 an electronic flight-control system (EFCS) that incorporates full-time, normal load-factor limiting, designed to prevent the pilot from inadvertently or intentionally exceeding the positive or negative airplane limit load factor. 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 Dassault on August 8, 2022. Send comments on or before September 22, 2022.
**ADDRESSES:**
Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA-2021-0631 using any of the following methods:
• *Federal eRegulations Portal:* Go to *https://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:* Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as described in the following paragraph, and other information as described in title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) 11.35, the FAA will post all comments received without change to *https://www.regulations.gov/,* including any personal information you provide. The FAA will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact received about these special conditions.
*Confidential Business Information:* Confidential Business Information (CBI) is commercial or financial information that is both customarily and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public disclosure. If your comments responsive to these special conditions contain commercial or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to these special conditions, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission containing CBI as “PROPIN.” The FAA will treat such marked submissions as confidential under the FOIA, and the indicated comments will not be placed in the public docket of these special conditions. Send submissions containing CBI to Troy Brown, Performance and Environment Section, AIR-625, Technical Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and Innovation Division, Aircraft Certification Service, Federal Aviation Administration, 1801 S Airport Rd., Wichita, KS 67209-2190; telephone and fax 405-666-1050; email *[email protected].* Comments the FAA receives, which are not specifically designated as CBI, will be placed in the public docket for these special conditions.
*Docket:* Background documents or comments received may be read at *https://www.regulations.gov/* at any time. Follow the online instructions for accessing the docket or go 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.
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Troy Brown, Performance and Environment Section, AIR-625, Technical Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and Innovation Division, Aircraft Certification Service, Federal Aviation Administration, 1801 S Airport Rd., Wichita, KS 67209-2190; telephone and fax 405-666-1050; email *[email protected].*
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
The substance of these special conditions has been published in the *Federal Register* for public comment in several prior instances with no substantive comments received. Therefore, the FAA finds that, pursuant to § 11.38(b), new comments are unlikely, and notice and comment prior to this publication are unnecessary.
**Comments Invited**
The FAA invites 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.
The FAA will consider all comments received by the closing date for comments. The FAA may change these special conditions based on the comments received.
**Background**
On July 1, 2012, Dassault Aviation applied for a type certificate for its new Model Falcon 5X airplane. However, Dassault has decided not to release an airplane under the model designation Falcon 5X, instead choosing to change that model designation to Falcon 6X.
In February of 2018, due to engine supplier issues, Dassault extended the type certificate application date for its Model Falcon 5X airplane under new Model Falcon 6X. This airplane is a twin-engine business jet with seating for 19 passengers, and has a maximum takeoff weight of 77,460 pounds.
**Type Certification Basis**
Under the provisions of 14 CFR 21.17, Dassault must show that the Model Falcon 6X airplane meets the applicable provisions of 14 CFR part 25, as amended by amendments 25-1 through 25-146.
If the Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness regulations ( *e.g.,* 14 CFR part 25) do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for the Dassault Model Falcon 6X airplane 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, these special conditions would also apply to the other model under § 21.101.
In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special conditions, the Dassault Model Falcon 6X airplane 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.
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 Dassault Aviation Model Falcon 6X airplane will incorporate the following novel or unusual design feature:
An EFCS that incorporates full-time, normal load-factor limiting, designed to prevent the pilot from inadvertently or intentionally exceeding the positive or negative airplane limit load factor.
**Discussion**
The normal load-factor limit on the Model Falcon 6X is unique in that traditional airplanes with conventional, mechanical-linkage flight-control systems are limited, in the pitch axis, only by the elevator surface area and deflection limit. The elevator control power is normally derived for adequate controllability and maneuverability at the most critical longitudinal pitching moment. The result is that for conventional, mechanical-linkage airplanes, a significant portion of the flight envelope maneuverability, in excess of limit structural design values, is possible. With the normal load-factor limit engaged, the Dassault Model Falcon 6X airplane will not exhibit this excess maneuverability.
Part 25 does not specify requirements nor does any FAA policy require the applicant to demonstrate maneuver control that impose any handling qualities requirements beyond the design limit structural loads. Nevertheless, some pilots are accustomed to the availability of this excess maneuver capacity in case of extreme emergencies, such as upset recoveries or collision avoidance.
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.
**Applicability**
As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the Dassault Model Falcon 6X airplane. Should Dassault 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 a certain novel or unusual design feature 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.
**Authority Citation**
The authority citation for these special conditions is as follows:
**Authority:**
49 U.S.C. 106(f), 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 Dassault Model Falcon 6X airplanes.
In addition to the requirements of § 25.143(a), and in the absence of other limiting factors, the following apply:
(a) The positive limiting load factor must not be less than:
(1) 2.5g for the electronic flight-control system (EFCS) normal state with the high-lift devices retracted up to V <sub>MO</sub> /M <sub>MO</sub> . The positive limiting load factor may be gradually reduced down to 2.25g above V <sub>MO</sub> /M <sub>MO</sub> .
(2) 2.0g for the EFCS normal state with the high-lift devices extended.
(b) The negative limiting load factor must be equal to or more negative than:
(1) Minus 1.0g for the EFCS normal state with the high-lift devices retracted.
(2) 0.0g for the EFCS normal state with high-lift devices extended.
(c) Maximum, reachable, positive load-factor wings level may be limited by flight-control system characteristics or flight envelope protections (other than load-factor protection) provided that:
(1) The required values are readily achievable in turns, and
(2) Wings level pitch-up responsiveness is satisfactory.
(d) Maximum achievable negative load factor may be limited by flight-control system characteristics or flight envelope protections (other than load-factor protection) provided that:
(1) Pitch-down responsiveness is satisfactory
(2) From level flight, 0g is readily achievable or, alternatively, a satisfactory* trajectory change is readily achievable at operational speeds.
* For the FAA to consider a trajectory change as satisfactory, the applicant should propose and justify a pitch rate that provides sufficient maneuvering capability in the most critical scenarios.
(e) Compliance demonstration with the above requirements may be performed without ice accretion on the airframe.
Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on August 2, 2022.
Patrick R. Mullen,
Manager, Technical Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and Innovation Division, Aircraft Certification Service.