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A 10-foot-long fuselage section from a Boeing 737-100 airplane was dropped from a height of 14 feet generating a final impact velocity of 30 feet per second. The fuselage section was configured to simulate the load density at the maximum takeoff weight condition. The final weight of 8870 pounds included cabin seats, dummy occupants, overhead stowage bins with contents, and cargo compartment luggage. The fuselage section was instrumented with strain gages, accelerometers, and high-speed cameras. The fuselage sustained severe deformation of the cargo compartment. The luggage influenced the manner in which the fuselage crushed, affecting the gravitational (g) forces experienced by the test section. The seat tracks experienced 15 g's vertical deceleration. Although numerous fuselage structural members fractured during the test, a habitable environment was maintained for the occupants, and the impact was considered survivable.

The rapid growth in digital computer technology and display systems has impacted most aerospace disciplines. The designer manufacturer operator and even airplane passengers are all affected by this technology boom. The FAA in its role of certifying new aerospace products is no exception. This paper will emphasize the changing methodology of the FAA certification process with some specific examples of recent flight test programs.

This paper describes the recently established Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuel Initiative (CAAFI), including its goals and objectives, as well as presents an alternate fuel roadmap that was originally generated by industry and refined by the CAAFI stakeholders. CAAFI is designed to coordinate the development and commercialization of “drop-in” alternate fuels (i.e. fuels that can directly supplement or replace crude oil derived jet fuels), as well as exploring the long-term potential of other fuel options. The ultimate goal is to ensure an affordable and stable supply of environmentally progressive aviation fuels that will enable continued growth of commercial aviation. This initiative is organized into four sub-groups: Research and Development (R&D), certification, environment, and economics & business. The R&D group seeks to identify promising new drop-in alternate fuels, and to foster coordination of development efforts.

In 2021 the Federal Aviation Administration in collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada performed research on altitude ice crystal icing of aircraft engines using the modular compressor rig, ICE-MACR, in an altitude wind tunnel. The aim of the research campaign was to address research needs related to ice crystal icing of aircraft engines outlined in FAA publication Engine Ice Crystal Icing Technology Plan with Research Needs. This paper reports the findings on ice accretion from a configuration of ICE-MACR with two compression stages. Inherent in two-stage operation is not just additional fracturing and heating by the second stage but also higher axial velocity and potentially greater centrifuging of particles. These factors influence the accretion behavior in the test article compared to single stage accretion.

Recent changes in DoD procurement directives have encouraged the purchase of civilian products for use in certain military applications. One such application is the upgrade of avionics suites with the Global Positioning System (GPS) in military air transport aircraft to meet joint civil-military operational requirements. This paper reviews the Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) concept and the proper use of TSOs, ACs, and FARs in both the design and integration process.

Important provisions are highlighted with respect to the additional airworthiness standards being considered by the Federal Avaiation Administration for small airplanes capable of carrying more than 10 occupants which are intended for use in air taxi and commercial operations. Information is presented on the background leading to these provisions and on their impact on manufacturers and operators. These new standards would result in a significant increase in the level of safety which is more commensurate with the class of operation, the increased occupant capacity, and the expanded volume of operations anticipated for these airplanes.

Average continuous flow rates for each type of aircraft exit were examined in 89 full-scale evacuation demonstrations. Passengers tend to form continuous lines at available exits when evacuating an airplane. The study concludes that, with rare exception, the passenger rates of egress from the same type exit on different make and model airplanes are not significantly different. Passenger cabin configuration, seat pitch, and aisle width have no significant bearing on the egress rates provided the aircraft certification requirements for minimum aisle width and exit accessibility are met. Injuries resulting from actual emergency evacuations and evacuation demonstrations are also examined.