EVALUATION OF NOISE CONTROL TECHNOLOGY AND ALTERNATIVE NOISE CERTIFICATION PROCEDURES FOR PROPELLER-DRIVEN SMALL AIRPLANES

This report considers the effectiveness of current noise regulations in Appendix F of FAR Part 36, examines the potential effectiveness of future technology to achieve further noise reduction, and evaluates a number of new concepts for noise certification procedures for propeller-driven small aircraft. The latter were based, in part, on results of a flight test program carried out with Cessna Aircraft Company, to evaluate the utility of takeoff noise tests and the possible use of sound exposure level as a suitable metric for noise certification of the subject aircraft. The study indicates that existing regulations have been effective in stimulating development of quieter propellers for the existing fleet of propeller-driven small aircraft. However, it does not appear economically feasible to achieve more noise reduction in most of this fleet using existing technology with the possible exceptions of some of the two-engine aircraft. However, application of future noise reduction technology, primarily for quieter propellers, should allow a reduction in current noise limits by about 6 dB and should reduce levels of the noisiest aircraft in the current fleet by as much as 10 dB. A takeoff test is appropriate for all propeller aircraft except those equipped with cruise-optimized fixed-pitch propellers. For this test, the current level flyover test appears to represent the noisiest operating condition.

• Corporate Authors:

  Wyle Laboratories

  128 Maryland Street
  El Segundo, CA  United States  90245

  Federal Aviation Administration

  William J. Hughes Technical Center, Airport Technology Research and Development Branch
  Atlantic City International Airport
  Atlantic City, NJ  United States  08405
• Authors:
  • Brown, D
  • SUTHERLAND, L C
• Publication Date: 1982-5

Media Info

• Pagination: 224 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aircraft industry; Aircraft noise; Cavitation noise; Civil aircraft; Civil aviation; Data management; Feasibility analysis; Federal laws; Information processing; Measurement; Methodology; Noise; Noise control; Operations; Propellers; Regulations; Standards; Tables (Data); Takeoff; Test procedures
• Uncontrolled Terms: Aircraft engines; Noise reduction
• Old TRIS Terms: Operational effectiveness
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Aviation; Environment; Law;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00365412
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: WR-82-4, FAA/EE-82-14
• Contract Numbers: DTFA01-80-C-10133
• Files: NTIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Sep 30 2003 12:00AM