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The applicant shall show that he is adequately prepared to manufacture and control the quality of any product for which he requests production certification, so that each article shall conform with the design provisions of the pertinent type certificate. A product manufactured under a production certificate may be required to undergo inspection by a representative of the Administrator to determine whether the individual product conforms to the type design. § 1.34-1 Quality control; general (FAA interpretations which apply to § 1.34).

(a) Section 1.34 is interpreted to mean that the applicant has established and can continue to maintain to the satisfaction of the Administrator an effective quality control system commensurate with the complexity of the type design, fabrication processes, and manufacturing techniques. The system must assure that acceptable quality is maintained throughout all phases of the manufacturing process from the time the materials are received until fabricated into the completed product, and provide a ready means for detection of significant discrepancies.

(b) The FAA will maintain general Surveillance of the manufacturer's quality control system to ascertain that the

prime objectives of conformity, airworthiness, and safety are assured. [CAM 1 Rev., 21 F. R. 8801, Nov. 14, 1956] § 1.34-2 Quality control (FAA policies which apply to § 1.34).

The prime manufacturer's quality control and/or inspection organization should report to management, independent of the manufacturing division, because of the emphasis on safety and the need for unbiased judgment. The quality control department should recognize, and work to, established schedules, but be free of bias due to production pressure. All phases of inspection and control activity, from receiving raw material to delivery of the finished product, should be under a centralized control. If such an arrangement is not possible because certain departments are engaged in highly specialized work, these departments should operate under a separate inspection system, and their activities should be coordinated under the general supervision of a quality control organization. The same procedure should apply in the case of dispersed or branch facilities of a main organization when inspection activity is divided.

(a) Inspection. The inspection system should be so organized that parts and materials will receive appropriate inspection while in an inspectable condition. All parts fabricated by the prime manufacturer or subsidiary manufacturer and appliances obtained from any other source shall receive sufficient inspection to assure conformity with the type design data, pertinent specifications and approved manufacturing standards.

(1) Statistical methods. Any statistical sampling plan which provides assurance that the materials and parts incorporated in the finished product meet the prime objectives of conformity with drawings, airworthiness, and safety for operation, will be considered acceptable. Sampling inspection techniques that are employed by the manufacturer to determine the acceptability of materials and parts should be based on a careful analysis of the quality requirements of the product tailored to the individual factory on the basis of this analysis. It should not be a "prepackaged" program lifted bodily from another factory or from published literature.

(2) Control of materials and purchased parts. Materials should be inspected or tested to determine compli

ance with the applicable specifications. The tests may be conducted by the prime manufacturer, subsidiary manufacturer, or independent laboratories which are suitably equipped. In case the material is accompanied by an affidavit or test report identifiable with the material, such evidence may be considered satisfactory in lieu of actual tests conducted by the manufacturer.

(i) Purchased parts, components, and appliances over which the prime manufacturer does not have design control, should be inspected and tested by the prime manufacturer to the extent necessary to assure that the purchased item will perform properly its intended function in the completed product. Normally, extensive disassembly, testing to destruction, etc., will not be necessary.

(3) Fabrication inspection. The prime manufacturer should establish and maintain inspection stations at appropriate locations in the manufacturing process to assure continued control of the quality of parts, components, and assemblies. The manufacturer should assure that quality workmanship and dimensional and functional characteristics which may adversely affect safety are listed or referenced on shop travelers, routing cards, check lists, or other media for the guidance of inspection personnel. Procedures should be established for delivering parts to the inspection stations and for removing and storing inspected parts to assure that unacceptable or rejected parts will not be installed in the completed product.

(4) Process control. Processes such as welding, gluing, heat treatment, plating, X-ray, magnetic inspection, and penetrant inspection, including the equipment and operating personnel, should be closely controlled and performed in accordance with established specifications and procedures satisfactory to the FAA.

(5) Preliminary materials review. Materials may be accepted by preliminary materials review, provided that specific methods and procedures for acceptance have been defined and adopted as a result of previous Materials Review Board procedure. When material is first found by the manufacturer's inspectors to depart from the specification and/or drawings, the material should be properly identified, and may be given a preliminary review and disposed of by authorized manufacturer's personnel as follows:

(i) Material obviously unfit for use or irreparable, should be disposed of in such manner as to preclude installation in the finished product.

(ii) Material not meeting requirements because of incomplete fabrication may be further processed by established methods to bring the material within specified requirements.

(iii) The FAA Aviation Safety Agent is authorized to approve certain variations or repairs found necessary after company inspection.

(iv) All questionable materials to be considered for use in the finished product which cannot be disposed of by preliminary review action should be designated for Materials Review Board action.

(6) Materials Review Board procedures. The Quality Control Department should be responsible for the effective operation of the Materials Review procedure. The FAA factory agent will spot check materials, review dispositions, as necessary, to verify that the product consistently meets a satisfactory level of quality and conformity.

(i) The established materials review procedures should provide that:

(a) All materials, parts, and components which are damaged or do not conform to design data and specifications will be withheld and isolated.

(b) All items submitted to the Materials Review Board should be reviewed to determine whether such items may be used safely in their present condition. whether rework or repair is feasible, or whether scrapping is necessary.

(c) All items which are reworked or repaired in accordance with materials review dispositions will be reinspected for conformity therewith. Any item accepted after this inspection will thereafter be treated as an approved item.

(d) All items accepted through materials review action will be so identified.

(e) The Materials Review Board should maintain accurate records which will provide at least the following:

14 Effective operation of the Materials Review procedure should materially minimize discrepancies and errors which may otherwise become chronic, and furthermore, may serve as a yardstick by means of which the adequacy and acceptability of the produc tion and quality control systems may be evaluated. However, the materials review system should not be used in place of the inspection or quality control system to deter mine acceptability of parts and materials.

(1) Name, part number, date, and quantity of parts involved.

(2) The quantity of parts in the lot or order.

Board

(3) Description of the discrepancy. (4) The materials review disposition, including rework instructions, if any. (5) The results of reinspection. (ii) The Materials Review should not accept parts which deviate to the extent that mating is adversely affected. Parts or assemblies involving mating should conform to drawing tolerances to the extent that installation, removal, or replacement may be accomplished without misalignment or damage to other components. In assembling parts under these circumstances, no fabrication operations such as cutting, hammering, bending, prying, or forcing should be permitted, or, when final installation has been completed, the parts should not be temporarily or permanently subjected to deformation or distortion of a nature which would cause any undesirable tensions, compressions, stresses, or strains. Where deviating parts, in themselves, are found acceptable, they must not jeopardize the airworthiness or performance of other parts when installed in the assembly. In general, parts which do not conform with the approved technical data should not be accepted when such parts can be reworked to conform with the approved design data.

(7) Inspection records. The manufacturer should maintain adequate records of all inspections and tests performed. Such records as are applicable should be identifiable with the completed product or group of products. These records should be retained in the manufacturer's files for at least two years. All inspection records should be available for review by FAA representatives.

(8) Inspection status of parts. The manufacturer should indicate by means of stamps, tags, or other means, whether parts, components, and assemblies are to be accepted, rejected, or withheld for Materials Review Board action. The indication of inspection status may be applied to the individual parts, components, or assemblies; to the container of a group of like parts, components, or assemblies; or, to the shop traveler or routing card for the parts. Materials that are subjected to certain processes, such as heat treat, hardness test, pressure test, X-ray, etc., as required by the drawings or specification, should be iden

tified with a suitable process stamp. Such stamps, which are obliterated by subsequent processing, need not be reapplied if the manufacturer has satisfactory control of the finished parts. All parts inspected and approved should indicate, when practicable, the individual inspector responsible.

(9) Inspectors required. The number of inspectors should be sufficient to adequately check all materials, manufacturing processes, and the product to the extent necessary to provide reasonable assurance of conformity, quality, and acceptability of the finished product. Inspection personnel should be vested with sufficient authority to permit them to perform their assigned duties in a manner which will warrant the issuance or continuation of a production certificate, provided other requirements are complied with.

(10) Inspection tools and testing equipment. The manufacturer should provide and maintain suitable measuring and testing devices necessary to conduct all phases and types of inspection and tests essential to the continued production of duplicate products. Such devices should be checked at established periods to assure continued accuracy. The manufacturer should establish a schedule of such checks as a portion of his inspection procedure, based on type, purpose, and degree of usage, and should maintain records or other evidence that proper control is being maintained. The tools used by the production department in constructing the part, if used by inspection, should be periodically checked to determine that the results obtained are within approved tolerances and that conformity with approved design data is maintained.

(11) Inspection-subsidiary manufacturer. When parts, components, and assemblies over which the prime manufacturer retains design control are fabricated by a subsidiary manufacturer, they should undergo the same type and degree of inspection and testing as if fabricated by the prime manufacturer. If these items cannot be completely inspected when received at the prime manufacturer's facilities, inspections should be conducted at the subsidiary manufacturer's plant to assure that such items are acceptable for installation on the completed product. When items have been inspected at the subsidiary manufacturer's plant, the prime manufacturer should conduct a receiving inspec

tion to detect any damage resulting from transit.

(i) The prime manufacturer holds basic responsibility for the conformity, airworthiness, and acceptability of the finished product. Acceptance of a subsidiary manufacturer's quality control system by the FAA does not relieve the prime manufacturer of this responsibility. FAA inspections to be conducted at the subsidiary manufacturer's plant will be arranged through the prime manufacturer who should notify the authorized Aviation Safety Agent when the subsidiary's facilities are ready for FAA inspection. If these facilities and the quality control system are found acceptable, the subsidiary will be granted the same privileges regarding acceptance of items manufactured as though they were produced by the prime manufacturer. Prior to FAA approval of a subsidiary manufacturer's quality control system, parts and assemblies should be subjected to a complete inspection for conformity and quality at the prime manufacturer's plant, or arrangements should be made for suitable inspection at the subsidiary manufacturer's plant by the prime manufacturer's inspection personnel and, as repaired, by FAA representative. Subsequent to the approval of the subsidiary manufacturer's quality control or inspection system, FAA representative will maintain general inspection surveillance at the subsidiary's facilities to ascertain that parts, assemblies, etc., produced are in conformity with the approved drawings and data forming the basis for the fabrication of the product.

(12) Final inspection and functional test. The completed product should be inspected for completeness and quality of workmanship. As a final check on the airworthiness of the completed product, each aircraft, aircraft engine, and variable pitch propeller produced under the terms of a production certificate will be subjected to the following tests:

(i) In addition to the manufacturer's production flight test, aircraft produced under a production certificate will be flight tested periodically by the FAA. (See § 1.15-2 for flight authorization and § 1.15-3 concerning logging flight test time.) The number or percentage of aircraft which will be flight tested by the FAA will be dependent upon the complexity and size of the aircraft, and upon experience gained while conducting functional and reliability tests of prototype and production aircraft prior to is

suance of the production certificate. The manufacturer should formulate a flight test schedule that is acceptable to FAA representatives conducting the tests.

(a) Aircraft may be delivered unassembled to an authorized distributor prior to initial assembly and flight test, provided the manufacturer will advise the distributor of the established flight test procedure and furnish him with copies of the approved flight test checkoff form. Flight test procedures employed by a distributor must be equivalent to those established by the manufacturer, and include the use of an identical flight test check-off form. These forms, when prepared by the manufacturer, will be filed as part of the aircraft inspection record, and, when prepared by a distributor, should be retained by him for at least two years.

(ii) Each aircraft engine, either reciprocating or turbine, produced under the terms of a production certificate should be subjected to a satisfactory test run consisting of a break-in run, which should include at least the determination of each engine's fuel and oil consumption and maximum power characteristics. These tests may be conducted with the engine appropriately mounted and utilizing the current types of power and/or thrust measuring equipment (i. e., integral torque meter, thrust meter, dynamometer, calibrated test club or propeller, reaction stand, etc.). Rocket type engines should be checked periodically by an established sampling technique. Sufficient internal examination of each engine should be accomplished to reasonably ascertain that no unsafe condi tions exist.

(iii) Each variable pitch propeller pro duced under the terms of a productio certificate should be subjected to a satis factory functional test to determine tha the propeller will operate proper] throughout the normal range of opera tion, as a final check on its operationa characteristics.

[CAM 1 Rev., 21 F. R. 8801, Nov. 14, 1956] § 1.34-3 Quality control; special pr cedure (FAA policies which apply § 1.34).

(a) Standard empty weight and c for production aircraft. The followir procedure applies only to newly manu factured aircraft (except helicopters ar transport category aircraft) which a produced under the terms of a produ tion certificate.

(1) Manufacturers desiring to establish an average empty weight and empty c. g., in lieu of actually weighing each aircraft, should prepare a detailed proposal regarding the procedure to be followed. This material should be furnished to the assigned Aviation Safety Agent for approval. Any proposal which will provide an accurate determination of average empty weight and c. g. will be considered acceptable.

(2) The following example outlines an acceptable method for effecting this system.

(i) Actually weigh and determine the empty weight and c. g. of ten aircraft of the model, on the basis of each having the same "basic" equipment of the same weight(s) and same arm(s). Each aircraft may be weighed with its own "special" equipment installed, provided the weights and arms of those special equipment items are determined before installation. In such cases the effect of the "special" equipment on empty weight and c. g. should be computed, and adjustments made to determine the basic weight and c. g. position of each individual airplane. If the weight and c. g. of none of these ten airplanes deviate by more than 1 percent or 2 percent MAC, respectively, from the average for the entire ten, then that average may be considered acceptable for subsequent aircraft of identical equipment, subject to the periodic spot check specified in subdivision (ii) of this subparagraph.

(ii) Subsequently, with respect to identical aircraft, weigh an individual aircraft at regular intervals; e. g., each tenth aircraft for the purpose of determining continued accuracy of the initial empty weight and empty c. g., established. If this weighing indicates a variation in empty weight which is in excess of 1 percent of the initially established weight, or a variation in the empty c. g. which exceeds one-half percent of the MAC, sufficient identical aircraft should be checked to determine if the change in weight and/or c. g. is chronic. If it is determined to be an isolated case, the actual weight and c. g. shall be utilized for that one airplane. If the change is found to be chronic and consistent, a new average weight should be established in accordance with procedures followed in establishing the initial average empty weight and c. g. conditions.

(3) A weight and balance report is required in connection with each aircraft presented for airworthiness certif

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The applicant shall submit for approval by the Administrator, as evidence of his ability to control the quality of any product for which he requests a production certificate, data describing the inspection and test procedures necessary to insure that each article produced is in conformity with the type design and is in a condition for safe operation. The data submitted shall include such of the following as are applicable to the product involved:

(a) A statement describing assigned responsibilities and delegated authority of the quality control organization, together with a chart indicating the functional relationship of the quality control organization to management and to other organizational components and indicating the chain of authority and responsibility within the quality control organization.

(b) A description of inspection procedures applying to raw materials, outside purchased items, and parts and assemblies produced by subsidiary manufacturers. The information shall include the methods used to insure acceptable quality of parts and assemblies which cannot be completely inspected for conformity and quality when

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