Assessment of Aircraft Certification Procedures for Emerging Technologies
Identification of gaps that may exist due to emerging technologies in both new certification rules and existing standards that are used as means of compliance to these rules balances a very fine line between avoiding the suffocation of new technologies with regulations built for legacy technologies on one hand, and naïvely pushing new technologies without concern for their safety implications or inferences on the other.
What are the key elements to consider?
Identify the Appropriate Engineering Certification Regulations for the Advanced Vehicle (in the U.S., the Federal Aviation Regulations, in the EU, the EASA.)
Identify the Technology Innovations
Compare the Certification Regulations with the Technology Innovations
Grade the Regulations and Standards as Unchanged, Needs Tailoring, Requires Revision or Should Be Removed as Either Inapplicable or a Gap
Engage Early with the FAA’s Policy & Innovation Division (AIR-600) in the U.S., or with your own Civil Aviation Authority
Engage with the General Aviation Manufacturers’ Association
Participate in the ASTM International Standards Committees
HS Advanced Concepts LLC has published three NASA reports supporting the NASA X-57 Distributed Electric Propulsion flight demonstrator’s primary objectives associated with airworthiness certification:
Certification Gap Analysis, “…describes a generic method for addressing any new technology to its associated set of regulations and certification criteria. The result is a framework under which a detailed assessment can be conducted. Using just such a framework, the report maps the detailed updated regulations and evolving ASTM standards to the particular technology planning and tests. As a result, a roadmap of NASA technology is documented that shows clear transfer of technology data to industry (standards developers, as well as technology developers) and the FAA regulatory policy and certification staff upon whom certification and policy will be data-driven. A clear description of benefits and gaps are identified, as well.”
Certification Rules and Standards Review, “…characterizes the certification practices for electric propulsion systems by modeling changes to current engine and propeller certification practices (14 CFR 23, 33 and 35 and means of compliance in standards developed by ASTM Committee F39 and F44). Industry technology paths are varied, so this report focuses on insights from the NASA X-57 Maxwell Distributed Electric Propulsion flight demonstrator system technology project. There are 122 sections of the regulation reviewed, where 28 needed tailoring or revision. A second report will examine the regulations to the X-57 system development products. A final report will describe a general regulatory gaps method for new vehicle concepts.”
Certification Coordination Roadmap, “Innovative technology has to prove itself in the context of legacy regulations. The knowledgeable technologist must engage standards process and regulating authorities to understand their roles and to advise the effect of new technology, and with manufacturers to demonstrate technology benefit. A model for Innovative Technology Environment relating NASA to industry, standards and regulation is described. The needs of the standards community of the X-57 are identified, and a NASA standards structure is described. No NASA project works with standards and regulatory organizations like the X-57.”