In the era of fuel power, the higher the power level and weight of the power unit, the higher the reliability, the easier it is to commercialize, and the lower the power level and weight of the power unit, the worse the reliability and more difficult to commercialize, which is why the power elevator class and LSA lack fate.
In today's era of electric propulsion, the situation has changed, with low-power level motors meaning performance and reliability easier to meet, and high-power level motors meaning performance and reliability more challenging, which makes for a certain opportunity for power lifts and LSAs to meet.
To sum up, the new relationship between weight and reliability levels in power electrification has led to new increments, which are likely to be the largest increments in the future, and of course there is a possibility of failure. In an effort to promote the integration of eVTOLs and LSAs, the FAA has launched a bold plan to boost the single and double EVTOL sports market by increasing take-off weights, which will undoubtedly bring some encouragement to many teams that are developing single or double eVTOLs, although the process is extremely difficult.
The FAA's proposed MOSAIC rules for light sport aircraft could dramatically cut the development costs of electric aircraft without spending hundreds of millions of dollars in certification fees.
With major changes such as electric propulsion, flight costs (such as operations and maintenance) will also be reduced. Electric propulsion is generally seen as less expensive to fly and maintain than traditional light sport aircraft that use piston-powered propulsion systems. The proposed amendment to the Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) Special Airworthiness Certification Modernization Rule program allows larger aircraft to be approved to fly under this category, which would make it much cheaper to certify, manufacture and purchase than existing type certified aircraft.
MOSAIC can dramatically accelerate the adoption of electric propulsion in small aircraft and help attract more fixed-wing and rotary-wing pilots to the industry. MOSAIC can open up new designs and technologies that are safer and cheaper than existing light sport aircraft, kit manufacturing, and ultralight designs.
The FAA is leaning towards pushing for such a gradual approach, allowing small aircraft to fly in the national airspace system. A Proposed Rulemaking Notice (NPRM) was issued on July 24 that would expand the definition of LSA and amend the rules for the manufacture, certification, operation, maintenance and modification of light sport aircraft. According to the proposal, the weight limit of the aircraft is based on the stall speed. (FAA paves the way for lightsport evtol certification).
By allowing aircraft to stall at speeds of up to 54 knots of calibrated airspeed (CAS), the proposal would put an aircraft weighing approximately 3,000 pounds into the LSA regulatory framework. This would more than double the weight of the aircraft under the current LSA definition of 1,320 pounds, making larger, stronger aircraft eligible for LSA.
Light aircraft are currently limited to 45 knots for maximum certified take-off weight and the most critical center of gravity at CAS. MOSAIC will retain a maximum stall speed of 45 knots for the glider and weight transfer control aircraft.
There are significant gaps in the current LSA regulatory framework established in 2004. At one end is a Part 103 ultralight electric vertical take-off and landing (EVTOL) aircraft that does not need to meet any criteria. At the other end of the spectrum is the 21st of the certification17b "Special Type", the process used to certify evtol empty** car rentals, has extensive bureaucratic requirements and very high certification costs. Mosaic will create a new middle ground between these two paths to the market, which will spur additional investment in product development and increased customer demand.
In addition, MOSAIC will reduce the cost of flying for EVTOLs and light sport aircraft, as the cost of bringing new products to market will be lower than with current architectures. As a result, manufacturers will not need to amortize as much of the development cost, thus providing consumers with more product choices.
This, in turn, will lead to more competition and lower **. If MOSAIC finalizes it in writing, it will see more products that will spark the interest of general aviation consumers, perhaps the most important of which is a true commuter evtol. Part 103 ultralight aircraft can't legally fly where people want to go, but light sport aircraft can fly to those places, which presents a huge opportunity for many evtol developers.
If the MOSAIC NPRM is accepted in writing, it could be the most positive regulatory change in the general aviation industry this century. 20 years of data have shown that LSA-approved aircraft are safer to fly than amateur-made kits and ultralight aircraft, suggesting that the LSA's "experiment" was successful and could be modified to include larger aircraft, small rotorcraft and electric aircraft.
MOSAIC would enable businesses to design evtols for personal private and recreational use, as the proposed rule would allow LSA pilots to fly for recreational purposes rather than to carry people or property for compensation or employment. Companies with smaller single- and two-seat evtoL aircraft will be able to sell their factory-built private or recreational aircraft in the United States, allowing some ultralight aircraft, which are subject to stricter speed and weight restrictions, to be approved to meet MOSAIC requirements. This will allow larger designs to have higher safety expectations.
If the rule is finalized in writing, EL AL plans to approve its AirOne two-seater airless winged multicopter in U.S. airspace under MOSAIC. According to Mosaic's approval, the company will offer aircraft in the United States faster than its competitors.
AIR also has aircraft in the process of type certification. The company plans to use the AirOne not only as a recreational and commuter aircraft, but also as a training platform. Air wants to use the Air One to train powered lift pilots, who will fly evtol aircraft developed by companies such as Jopy, Beta and Archer.
The FAA created the LSA category to establish rules for the manufacture, certification, operation, and maintenance of light sport aircraft such as aircraft, gliders, balloons, powered parachutes, weight transfer control aircraft, and gyroplanes weighing less than 1,320 pounds or 1,430 pounds (aircraft used for water operations). The FAA uses experimental aircraft built by hobbyists to meet safety continuity or requirements because of its similarity to the light sport class aircraft in MOSAIC's proposal.
Amateur-built aircraft are primarily used for recreational purposes and are flown by sports pilots and pilots with higher class certifications, often with the same flight envelope and occupancy restrictions. Amateur-built aircraft have no regulatory design requirements for the suitability of the materials used, structural integrity, or instruments, equipment, and systems. MOSAIC will specify design requirements for light sport aircraft for these projects.
Since 2004, the accident rate of light sport aircraft has been lower than that of amateur-built experimental aircraft. As of 2021, there were 984 accidents or incidents involving light sport aircraft, about half of which occurred during the landing phase. Of the 501 landing accidents, seven resulted in fatalities. The second highest number of accidents or incidents was 164, which occurred during the emergency descent.
Considering the durability issues that exist in the field for light sport aircraft due to weight restrictions in the existing definition, the safety record since the inception of the category is somewhat striking. The FAA now has data from the past 20 years showing that the process of declaring compliance with industry standards produces a safety record that is almost as good as a certified aircraft that goes through the more cumbersome FAA certification process.
According to the FAA, the safety record of light sport aircraft validates the certification requirements originally developed and supports the expansion of certification coverage for light sport aircraft and operations. The FAA intends to improve safety by encouraging aircraft owners who may decide between experimental aircraft or light sport aircraft to choose aircraft with greater safety continuity and thus meet higher mechanical certification requirements.
The proposal would also expand the types of aircraft that sport pilots can operate and allow them to use the aircraft for a wider range of operations, such as some aerial operations. If MOSAIC finalizes it, small EVTOLs and electric conventional take-off and landing (ECTOL) aircraft can be operated by sport pilots. Although sporty pilots can operate aircraft designed for up to four seats, they can still only serve one passenger.
Article **From: Aviation House