Ron Natalie wrote in message om...
psyshrike wrote:
How does FAA type certification relate to intellectual property
rights?

SNIP


It doesn't relate to the intellectual property rights, really. There's
nothing that keeps you from type certiciating a device you don't own the
rights to.

What the certification does is show that you have demonstrated via tests
and a preponderance of paperwork that your engine meets the FAA requirements
and your ancillary stuff: manufacturing, service tracking, etc... is up
to snuff.

Someone could start making 235 clones, but they couldn't use Lycoming's
certification to do it. The "proof" of the design is only one part of
the manufacturer's certification, they need to continually meet the other
regulatory standards as well.


From the FAA's standpoint is a type certificate issued per
application, or per device? Does a type certificate care who filed it
from a regulatory standpoint? (Not being flip, just trying to
understand how this works) By the sounds of it their are quality
control requirements that are also part of the TC. Obviously those
would have to be met independently.

To go back to the engine hypothetical, say I reverse engineered the
235. As a result my engineers have generated a lot of drafting data, I
also have fits and tolerances information (published by the OEM) and a
material analysis that gives us an alloy specification. I then write a
shop practice SOP for manufacture. I _reference_ the OEM's TC for the
flight testing portion of my TC, plus maybe a short suppliment to
impirically confirm identicle performance characteristics.

If a field mechanic and an FAA expert couldn't tell the difference
between engine A and engine B, is there any regulatory reason this
wouldn't work?


Start by reading Part 21.

I read portions of it a while ago. My copy of the FAR is packed away
right now. Is this on the net somewhere?

-Thanks
-Matt