AIRCRAFT CERTIFICATION

Abstract

The Airworthiness Certification program ensures flight safety and safe operation of Army aircraft and aviation systems by means of technical design approval and qualification of systems to appropriate airworthiness standards. It provides independent airworthiness qualification of all assigned developmental and in-production Army aircraft, both manned and unmanned, as required by AR 70-62, and is essential for ensuring the safe operation of Army aircraft. This program, when fully funded, performs all engineering functions (design, analysis, testing, demonstrations, and system specification compliance) essential for certifying the airworthiness of assigned Army aircraft, to include performing safety-of-flight investigations/assessments, evaluating system risks, developing Airworthiness Impact Statements, developing Airworthiness Flight Releases, and evaluating Safety of Flight Messages and Aviation Safety Action Messages for new and upgraded aircraft systems. This program also provides management/execution of the Army's Aeronautical Design Standards (ADS) program; management/execution of airworthiness approval for new systems and materiel changes for all assigned Army aircraft systems; airworthiness engineering support to the Program Executive Office for Aviation (PEO Avn) and the Technology Applications Program Office (TAPO, the Army's Special Operations Aircraft program office) in developing requirements for major development/modification and for any future systems/subsystems; and management of the test and evaluation process in support of the airworthiness qualification process. The Airworthiness Certification program also performs general research and development in support of aircraft qualification and overarching airworthiness projects that involve multiple aircraft models. Current ongoing programs requiring airworthiness qualification are PEO Aviation and TAPO Future Force systems including Longbow Apache Block II and III; Chinook F-model; Blackhawk M-model and M-model upgrade; Special Operations MH-47G and MH-60M; Armed Aerial Scout (AAS); Light Utility Helicopter; Extended Range/Multi Purpose (ER/MP) Grey Beard unmanned aircraft system (UAS); Enhanced Multi-sensor Airborne Reconnaissance and Sensor System (EMARSS); and Shadow-C UAS. Additionally the Airworthiness Certification program supports application of other critical aviation subsystems onto Army aircraft, including Aircraft Survivability Equipment (e.g. Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures (ATIRCM), Common Missile Warning System (CMWS)), Aviation Mission Equipment (e.g. advanced multiband radios like the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS), digital data links), Common Sensor (electro-optical multi-spectrum visual sensor), and Blue Force Tracker. The D092 funding profile for the FY11 President's Budget Submission marginally funds the airworthiness certification program and hence the effort will be limited to resourcing civil derivative aircraft technical qualifications through the Federal Aviation Administration's Military Certification Office; development of airworthiness procedures, specifications, critical standards, and other design and qualification documents; participation in airworthiness related tri-service activities (e.g. National Airworthiness Council, Joint Aviation Commanders Group) and international airworthiness related activities mandated by treaty (e.g. Flight Into Non-segregated Airspace (FINAS)); and limited early airworthiness involvement in Technology Transition projects (e.g. Joint Heavy Lift (JHL) aircraft, Joint Multi Role (JMR) helicopter, and other Office of the Secretary of Defense initiatives).

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2012
• Source ID: 092_0605606A_6_2040_PB_2012

Tags

Fields of Study

• Business
• Engineering

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering

Technology Areas

• Autonomy
• Space