FAA Research, Development, and Airworthiness Compliance for General Aviation Aircraft

Aeronautical safety research and development work can provide a substantial contribution to the improvement in airworthiness standards and safety. Six representative Federal Aviation Agency research and development projects are described and the procedures employed to establish and conduct the work are outlined. The six projects deal with airframe strength, exhaust and heater systems, stability augmentation systems, a study of design features which may induce pilot error, new display and control configurations, and means of eliminating asymmetric thrust in light twin-engine airplanes.

The functions of the Federal Aviation Agency Engineering and Manufacturing Division in the development and application of airworthiness standards to type certification are discussed. Four current projects involving the development of standards for General Aviation aircraft, are considered. They are Oxygen Equipment and Supply, Minimum Performance Standards for Radio Navigation & Communications Equipment, Ice Protection Requirements, and Maximum Operating Altitude.