The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced the availability of, and requests comments on, the proposed airworthiness criteria for the Joby Aero, Inc. (Joby) Model JAS4-1 powered-lift. The document proposes airworthiness criteria the FAA finds to be appropriate and applicable for the powered-lift design and is available on the Federal Register public inspection website pending publication tomorrow.
Among the FAA’s proposals:
“The proposed airworthiness criteria include new or modified definitions to explain the unique capabilities and flight phases of the Joby Model JAS4-1 and the meaning of certain terms used in regulations that have been incorporated by reference. In the event of a loss of engine power, airplanes and rotorcraft inherently have the ability to glide or autorotate, respectively. Although the aircraft may sustain damage, the ability to glide or autorotate allows the aircraft to reasonably protect the occupants. However, not all powered-lift have these capabilities. To address this, the FAA proposes a definition for “continued safe flight and landing,” unique for the Model JAS4-1, that modifies language from the existing definition in § 23.2000; the FAA also proposes a new definition for “controlled emergency landing” to capture the level of performance the Model JAS4-1 must meet, equivalent to a glide or autorotation.
“In addition, because many of the proposed airworthiness criteria are performance-based, like the regulations found in part 23, the FAA has proposed to adopt § 23.2010 by reference, which would require that the means of compliance used to comply with these proposed airworthiness criteria be accepted by the Administrator. Because no powered-lift consensus standards are currently accepted by the Administrator, the means of compliance for the Joby Model JAS4-1 aircraft will be accepted through the issue paper process.”
The FAA must receive comments by December 8, 2022.
For more information
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/11/08/2022-23962/airworthiness-criteria-special-class-airworthiness-criteria-for-the-joby-aero-inc-model-jas4-1
(Image: Joby)