General. The rotor drive system includes any part necessary to transmit power from the engines to the rotor hubs. This includes gear boxes, shafting, universal joints, couplings, rotor brake assemblies, clutches, supporting bearings for shafting, any attendant accessory pads or drives, and any cooling fans that are a part of, attached to, or mounted on the rotor drive system.

Design assessment. A design assessment must be performed to ensure that the rotor drive system functions safely over the full range of conditions for which certification is sought. The design assessment must include a detailed failure analysis to identify all failures that will prevent continued safe flight or safe landing and must identify the means to minimize the likelihood of their occurrence.

Arrangement. Rotor drive systems must be arranged as follows:

Each rotor drive system of multiengine rotorcraft must be arranged so that each rotor necessary for operation and control will continue to be driven by the remaining engines if any engine fails.

For single-engine rotorcraft, each rotor drive system must be so arranged that each rotor necessary for control in autorotation will continue to be driven by the main rotors after disengagement of the engine from the main and auxiliary rotors.

Each rotor drive system must incorporate a unit for each engine to automatically disengage that engine from the main and auxiliary rotors if that engine fails.

If a torque limiting device is used in the rotor drive system, it must be located so as to allow continued control of the rotorcraft when the device is operating.

If the rotors must be phased for intermeshing, each system must provide constant and positive phase relationship under any operating condition.

If a rotor dephasing device is incorporated, there must be means to keep the rotors locked in proper phase before operation.