49 U.S.C. § 44504 — Improved aircraft, aircraft engines, propellers, and appliances

(a) Developmental Work and Service Testing. The FAA Administrator may run or oversee developmental work and service testing to improve aircraft, aircraft engines, propellers, and appliances. (b) Research. The Administrator must run or oversee research: (1) to develop technology and analyze information predicting how aircraft design, maintenance, testing, wear, and fatigue affect an aircraft's life — including nonstructural systems — and air safety; (2) to develop better ways to analyze and improve aircraft maintenance technology and practices, including nondestructive evaluation of aircraft structures; (3) to assess how fire- and smoke-resistant aircraft materials are; (4) to develop better fire- and smoke-resistant materials for aircraft interiors; (5) to develop and improve fire and smoke containment systems for in-flight aircraft fires; (6) to develop low-flammability aircraft fuels and technology that contains fuel to reduce post-crash fire risk; (7) to develop technology and methods to assess and prevent defects, failures, and malfunctions in products, parts, processes, and articles made for aircraft, engines, propellers, and appliances, that could cause a catastrophic aircraft failure; and (8) working with other federal agencies as needed, to develop technology and methods to assess and prevent defects, failures, and malfunctions in products, parts, and processes for all classes of unmanned aircraft systems, that could cause a catastrophic failure that endangers other aircraft in the national airspace system. (c) Authority To Buy Items Offering Special Advantages. To carry out this section, the Administrator may — by negotiation or another method — buy or trade experimental aircraft, engines, propellers, and appliances that the Administrator decides may offer special advantages to aeronautics.