Jamman,
Actually, the guidance was from a Fort Worth ACO Engineer and was accepted by the Atlanta ACO recently when I reviewed some data for approval in mid-2003.
A Cd of 1.0 would be the most UNCONSERVATIVE value to use on internal venting but most CONSERVATIVE on the damage opening size so I guess it would depend where LA was using the 1.0 value whether it made sense or not. Knowing the FAA, they were probably imposing it on the external opening thus making it a true worst case scenario. Lacking data, they like to do that.
This entire subject makes me think however, because the FAA has become so fastidious for things that used to be "obvious to the casual observer"....how does ANYONE certify to 25.307 (proof of structure) for decompression??? The ONLY test data I've ever seen dates back to L-1011 and is from the 1950's where they actually tested their decompression features FULL SCALE in a decompression chamber! As far as I'm concerned, most people since have done the cert. only via analysis with no real test basis. If they ever had a test basis, it was lost in the translation twenty or thirty years ago.
Oh well, guess it's not the first time there's a slight disconnect.