Dassault Falcon 7X

Falcon 7X
A Falcon 7X on finals into Vnukovo International Airport (April 2013)
Role Business jet
Manufacturer Dassault Aviation
First flight 5 May 2005
Status In production
Produced 2005-present
Number built 200+
Unit cost
ca. US$ 52.3 million (2008)

The Dassault Falcon 7X is a large-cabin, long range trijet manufactured by Dassault Aviation, the flagship offering of their business jet line. It was first presented to the public at the 2005 Paris Air Show.

Development

The aircraft has over 200 orders to date. It has received its type certification from both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on 27 April 2007.[1] The first 7X, MSN05, entered service on 15 June 2007;[2] the hundredth was delivered in November 2010.[3]

In 2001, the Falcon 7X, at approximately $35 million (pre-production order price), was nearly $10 million cheaper than its nearest competitors in the long range, large cabin market segment, the Gulfstream G550 and Bombardier Global Express.[4] Its 2007 cost was $41 million.[5] As of 2008, the approximate unit cost of the 7X is $50 million[6] (which was no longer less expensive than the Global Express, at $40M).[7] It conducted high altitude airport tests at 14,500 ft in Daocheng in 2014.[8]

Design

Dassault Falcon 7X at Paris—Le Bourget.

It is the first fully fly-by-wire business jet.[9] It is also equipped with the same avionics suite, the Honeywell Primus Epic "Enhanced Avionics System" (EASy), that was used on the Falcon 900EX and later on the Falcon 2000EX.

The Falcon 7X is notable for its extensive use of computer-aided design, the manufacturer claiming it to be the "first aircraft to be designed entirely on a virtual platform",[10] using Dassault Systemes' CATIA and PLM products.

It is also unusual in having an S-duct central engine, and is one of only two trijets currently in production, the other being the Dassault Falcon 900. It was also the first production Falcon jet to offer winglets.

In February 2010, Dassault Falcon and BMW Group DesignworksUSA were awarded the 2009 "Good Design” award by The Chicago Athenaeum and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design for their successful collaboration on the new Falcon 7X interior option.[11][12]

Speed record

On May 2, 2014, Dassault Falcon pilots Philippe Deleume and Olivier Froment set a new speed record for the Falcon 7X on a 5 hr 54 min flight from Teterboro airport to London City airport with three passengers on board.[13]

Grounding

Falcon 7X at salon du bourget 2011

EASA grounded the Falcon 7X fleet after a report from Dassault Aviation regarding “an uncontrolled pitch trim runaway during descent” in one of its jets in May 2011.[14][15][16] "This condition, if occurring again, could lead to loss of control of the aeroplane," the EASA notice said.[17] Initial results of investigation showed that there was a production defect in the Horizontal Stabilizer Electronic Control Unit which could have contributed to the cause of the event.[18] Dassault Aviation developed modifications in June 2011 to allow a return to flight.[19][20]

Operators

Civil operators

Two Falcon 7X at Zurich International Airport (May 2012)
 Saudi Arabia
 Finland

Government and military operators

 Ecuador
A Falcon 7X was purchased by the Ecuadorian Air Force (FAE) to aid in long distance travel to the presidential aircraft, an Embraer Legacy 600. Its identification number is FAE 052. The aircraft was delivered November 4, 2013 and had its first official trip November 25, 2013.
 France
Two Falcon 7X were bought by the French government to serve in the ETEC unit responsible for the air transport of the government members.[21] Being used primarily by then-president Nicolas Sarkozy, the first shipped airplane was nicknamed "Carla One" by the French newspapers,[22][23] in reference to Carla Bruni, then French First Lady.
 Monaco
Albert II, Prince of Monaco - 1. Since 2013.[24]
 Namibia
Namibian government - 1.[25]
 Nigeria
Nigerian Air Force - 1.[26]
 Belgium
Abelag Aviation

Specifications

Data from Flight 2007 Pocket Guide to Business Aircraft ISBN 0-9554195-0-6

General characteristics

Performance

Avionics

See also

Related development

Similar aircraft


References

  1. ↑ Deagel.com news. "Falcon 7X Gets Full EASA and FAA Type Certification", April 27, 2007. Accessed 6 February 2009.
  2. ↑ "Falcon 7X enters service". Flight Daily News. June 18, 2007.
  3. ↑ "Dassault scores a century with 7X". Retrieved 2010-11-28.
  4. ↑ "Falcon 7X Trades Unwanted Range For a Price Tag Lower by $10 Million". Business & Commercial Aviation. 2001.
  5. ↑ Murdo Morrison (2007-05-02). "Onboard the 7X...". Flight International.
  6. ↑ J. Mac McClellan (2008-09-28). "Falcon 7X". Flying Magazine.
  7. ↑ Bombardier Global 5000 - Sitting pretty, Flight International Magazine, 7–13 October 2008, p.49
  8. ↑ Sarsfield, Kate (23 September 2014), "Dassault Falcon 7X set to operate from world's highest commercial airport", Flightglobal (Reed Business Information), retrieved 25 September 2014
  9. ↑ "http://www.aerospace-technology.com/projects/dassault-7x/"
  10. ↑ "Falcon 7X Jet Becomes First Aircraft Entirely Developed on Virtual Platform", edmpdm.de, 24 May 2004.
  11. ↑ http://www.bmwblog.com/2009/05/15/bmw-designworks-creates-the-interior-cabin-of-the-new-falcon-7x-business-jet/
  12. ↑ http://www.dassaultfalcon.com/en/MediaCenter/Newsd/Pages/PR%202010/Dassault's-Falcon-7X-BMW-Interior-Option-Wins-Design-Award.aspx
  13. ↑ Haria, Rupa. "Falcon 7X Sets New Speed Record". Aviation Week.
  14. ↑ Sarsfield, Kate (26 May 2011). "EASA grounds Dassault Falcon 7X after pitch trim incident". Flight Global (flightglobal.com). Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  15. ↑ "EASA Grounds All Dassault Falcon 7X Executive Jets". WSJ.com. 2011-05-26. Retrieved 2011-06-18.
  16. ↑ "Falcon 7X Fleet Grounded By EASA". Aviation Week. 2011-05-27. Retrieved 2011-06-18.(subscription required)
  17. ↑ ""Flight Controls – Horizontal Stabilizer Pitch Trim Runaway –Suspension of Flight Operations" EASA AD No. 2011-0102-E" (PDF). EASA. 2011-05-26. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
  18. ↑ "Flight Controls — Horizontal Stabilizer Pitch Trim — Suspension of Flight Operations / Modification / Operational Limitations EASA EAD 2011-0114-E" (PDF). EASA. 2011-06-16. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
  19. ↑ "Dassault Develops 7X Modification". Aviation Week. 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2011-06-18.(subscription required)
  20. ↑ "Dassault says Falcon 7x is now back in the air". Reuters. 2011-06-16. Retrieved 2011-06-18.
  21. ↑ "Le Falcon 7X de Nicolas Sarkozy fait des vols d'essais". 2009-07-15. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
  22. ↑ "Voici "Carla one", le nouvel avion de Sarkozy". Le Parisien. 2009-07-10. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
  23. ↑ "Le nouvel avion de Nicolas Sarkozy". Le Point. 2009-07-09. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
  24. ↑ "Prince of Monaco takes delivery of new Falcon 7X". Retrieved 2013-10-20.
  25. ↑ "Government defends new Falcon". Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  26. ↑ "Falcon 7X (5N-FGU) Nigerian Air Force". Retrieved 2013-09-21.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dassault Falcon 7X.

Official website