| Falcon 50 | |
|---|---|
| Dassault Falcon 50M of the French Navy | |
| Role | Business jet |
| Manufacturer | Dassault Aviation |
| First flight | 7 November 1976 |
| Produced | 1976 - 2008[1] |
| Number built | 352 |
| Developed from | Dassault Falcon 20 |
| Variants | Dassault Falcon 900 |
The Dassault Falcon 50 is a French-built super mid-sized, long-range corporate jet, featuring a three jet engine layout with an S-duct central engine. It has the same fuselage cross section and similar capacity as the earlier Falcon 20 but is a completely new design, with as well as the third engine, a more advanced wing design and conformance with the Area rule.[2]
The first prototype flew on 7 November, 1976, with French airworthiness certification on 27 February 1979, followed by U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certification on 7 March, 1979.[2] Dassault developed a maritime surveillance and environmental protection version as the Gardian 50[3]
The Falcon 50 was later replaced by the Falcon 50EX, the first of which flew in 1996,[4] and the last of which was delivered in 2008.[5] The Falcon 50EX features improved engines and other enhancements to give further range improvements to an already long-legged jet. It remains a very popular corporate jet for its long-range, luxury, and for the recognition of status for owning a fast three-engined jet.
The last Falcon 50EX was built in late 2007 and delivered in early 2008.
Successors of the Falcon 50 are the Falcon 7X[6] and the Falcon 900 featuring a larger fuselage and the same three-engine arrangement. Dassault announced in January 2008 what is essentially a replacement aircraft for the Falcon 50, codenamed the "SMS" (Super Mid Size). The basic design process, including engine select was supposed to be completed by the early 2009. However, in a June 2009 press conference, CEO Charles Edelstenne said that all design choices had been reopened and the goal was intended to the end of the year.
Dassault and Aviation Partners Inc. have announced that High Mach blended winglets were being developed for the Falcon 50 as a retrofit kit.
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Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana, Burundian President Cyprien Ntaryamira, the Chief of Staff of the Rwandan military, two Burundian ministers, and 7 others were killed when Habyarimana's Dassault Falcon 50 was shot down over Kigali airport on 6 April 1994.[7] The assassination of Habyarimana triggered the Rwandan genocide. The plane crashed on the grounds of the presidential residence.[8]
Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1988-89 [9]
General characteristics
Performance
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