FAR 21.24 — Primary Category Type Certificate
FAR 21.24 explains how the FAA issues a type certificate for primary category aircraft, including weight, seating, powerplant, and certification requirements.
In Plain English
FAR 21.24 sets the rules for getting a type certificate for an aircraft in the primary category — a class of simple, light aircraft intended for personal use.
To qualify, the aircraft must be:
- Unpowered, a single naturally aspirated engine airplane with a Vstall of 61 knots or less (per Part 23), or a rotorcraft with a 6 lb/sq ft main rotor disc loading limit at sea level standard day
- 2,700 lbs or less (3,375 lbs for seaplanes)
- Four seats or fewer, including the pilot
- Unpressurized
The applicant must submit a signed statement of compliance, a flight manual (per §21.5(b)), instructions for continued airworthiness (per §21.50(b)), and a compliance report listing drawings, documents, and engineering tests. The FAA must find that the aircraft meets the airworthiness standards under §21.17(f) and has no unsafe features.
Why it matters: this is the certification path behind many simple trainers and personal aircraft you'll see on the ramp. Knowing the limits helps you recognize what category an aircraft falls under and what its operating limitations imply.
Regulation Text
14 CFR § 21.24§ 21.24 Issuance of type certificate: primary category aircraft.
(a) The applicant is entitled to a type certificate for an aircraft in the primary category if—
(1) The aircraft—
(i) Is unpowered; is an airplane powered by a single, naturally aspirated engine with a 61-knot or less Vstall speed as determined under part 23 of this chapter; or is a rotorcraft with a 6-pound per square foot main rotor disc loading limitation, under sea level standard day conditions;
(ii) Weighs not more than 2,700 pounds; or, for seaplanes, not more than 3,375 pounds;
(iii) Has a maximum seating capacity of not more than four persons, including the pilot; and
(iv) Has an unpressurized cabin.
(2) The applicant has submitted—
(i) Except as provided by paragraph (c) of this section, a statement, in a form and manner acceptable to the FAA, certifying that: the applicant has completed the engineering analysis necessary to demonstrate compliance with the applicable airworthiness requirements; the applicant has conducted appropriate flight, structural, propulsion, and systems tests necessary to show that the aircraft, its components, and its equipment are reliable and function properly; the type design complies with the airworthiness standards and noise requirements established for the aircraft under § 21.17(f); and no feature or characteristic makes it unsafe for its intended use;
(ii) The flight manual required by § 21.5(b), including any information required to be furnished by the applicable airworthiness standards;
(iii) Instructions for continued airworthiness in accordance with § 21.50(b); and
(iv) A report that: summarizes how compliance with each provision of the type certification basis was determined; lists the specific documents in which the type certification data information is provided; lists all necessary drawings and documents used to define the type design; and lists all the engineering reports on tests and computations that the applicant must retain and make available under § 21.49 to substantiate compliance with the applicable airworthiness standards.
(3) The FAA finds that—
(i) The aircraft complies with those applicable airworthiness requirements approved under § 21.17(f) of this part; and
(ii) The aircraft has no feature or characteristic that makes it unsafe for its intended use.
(b) An applicant may include a special inspection and preventive maintenance program as part of the aircraft's type design or supplemental type design.
(c) For aircraft manufactured outside of the United States in a country with which the United States has a bilateral airworthiness agreement for the acceptance of these aircraft, and from which the aircraft is to be imported into the United States—
(1) The statement required by paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this section must be made by the civil airworthiness authority of the exporting country; and
(2) The required manuals, placards, listings, instrument markings, and documents required by paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section must be submitted in English.
[Doc. No. 23345, 57 FR 41367, Sept. 9, 1992, as amended by Amdt. 21-75, 62 FR 62808, Nov. 25, 1997; Doc. No. FAA-2015-1621, Amdt. 21-100, 81 FR 96689, Dec. 30, 2016]
Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask
Q1What are the basic size and powerplant limits for an aircraft certificated in the primary category?
Per FAR 21.24, it must be unpowered, a single naturally aspirated engine airplane with a 61-knot or less Vstall, or a rotorcraft with 6 lb/sq ft disc loading; weigh 2,700 lbs or less (3,375 for seaplanes); seat no more than four including the pilot; and have an unpressurized cabin.
Q2What documents must an applicant submit to receive a primary category type certificate?
FAR 21.24(a)(2) requires a signed statement of compliance, the flight manual under §21.5(b), instructions for continued airworthiness under §21.50(b), and a compliance report listing drawings, documents, and engineering test reports retained under §21.49.
Q3How does the certification process differ for a primary category aircraft manufactured abroad?
Under FAR 21.24(c), if the aircraft comes from a country with a bilateral airworthiness agreement, the compliance statement must be made by that country's civil airworthiness authority, and all required manuals and documents must be submitted in English.
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Related Sections in Part 21