New Concepts in Developing Flight Airworthiness Requirements 720306
The FAA Flight Test Branch is now actively engaged in several regulatory development programs using resources made available by NASA, FAA, USAF, and others in industry. These resources include advanced flight simulators, variable stability aircraft, and current aircraft. These tools are in use now to develop standards proposals for supersonic transports, V/STOL, transports, and general aviation aircraft.
Critical control and stability parameters may now be explored by FAA flight standards pilots in concert with other government and industry experts to the extent and with fidelity never before possible. An example of this approach may be found in the latest issue of the “Tentative Airworthiness Standards for Supersonic Transports.” The SST performance standards therein resulted from an investigation of several aircraft models in the NASA Ames Flight Simulator for Advanced Aircraft and a small delta-winged fighter loaned by the Air Force.
