Misplaced Pages

Dassault Falcon 7X

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
(Redirected from Falcon 8X) Executive aircraft by Dassault
Falcon 7X/8X
A Falcon 7X, landing gear down, flaps deployed
General information
TypeIntercontinental business jet
National originFrance
ManufacturerDassault Aviation
StatusIn production
Primary usersAir Alsie Flying Group
Volkswagen AG
Shell Oil
Number built289 (7X, Q1 2020),
~50 (8X, 2018)
History
Manufactured2005–present
Introduction date7X: 15 June 2007
8X: 5 October 2016
First flight7X: 5 May 2005
8X: 6 February 2015
Developed fromFalcon 900

The Dassault Falcon 7X is a large-cabin, 5,950-nautical-mile (11,019 km; 6,847 mi) range business jet manufactured by Dassault Aviation, the second largest of its Dassault Falcon line. Unveiled at the 2001 Paris Air Show, its first flight took place on 5 May 2005 and it entered service on 15 June 2007. The Falcon 8X, first delivered on 5 October 2016, is derived from the 7X and has an extended range of 6,450 nmi (11,945 km; 7,423 mi) made possible through engine optimization, aerodynamic refinements as well as an increase in fuel capacity. Featuring an S-duct central engine, the 7X, 8X and the Falcon 900 are the only trijets still in production, as of 2024.

Falcon 7X

Dassault Falcon 7X assembly line at Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport

Development

Dassault launched the FNX at the 2001 Paris Air Show, aiming for a 10,500km (5,700nm) range at Mach 0.88, up from the Falcon 900EX's 8,300 km at Mach 0.84. Its new high-speed wing is 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) longer with 5° higher wing sweep than the 900 wing; while its fuselage is 20% longer, it keeps the same cabin cross-section but with a new curved windscreen. The trijet has a combined thrust of 18,000lb (80kN) provided by Honeywell FX5s, a new design, or a Pratt & Whitney Canada PW306 growth version. Based on Honeywell Primus Epic avionics, its EASy cockpit is developed for the Falcon 2000EX and 900EX and controls are fly-by-wire. Scheduled to fly in 2004, first deliveries were planned for mid-2006.

With 41 deposits, it was named 7X in November with first flight slipping from late 2004 to early 2005 and certification planned for mid-2006. With a simplified structure to reduce cost and weight, the optimised high-transonic wing improves the lift-to-drag ratio by 10% over the supercritical wing of the Falcon 50 shared by previous Falcons. The cabin is 2.4m (8ft) longer than the 900 and has a lower 6,000ft (1,800m) cabin altitude. the 6,100 lbf (27.1 kN) PW307A was finally selected, among other risk-sharing partners: Honeywell for avionics architecture, auxiliary power unit, air management system; with Parker Hannifin for the power generation system and wheels brakes; and TRW Aeronautical Systems for the hydromechanical flap and airbrake systems.

Falcon 7X on taxiway, 14 cabin windows

With over 50 firm orders, it completed its first flight on 5 May 2005, flying for 1h 36min from Bordeaux-Merignac, starting a 1,200h flight test programme over 15 month: it climbed to 10,000 ft (3,000 m) for hydraulic, fuel, air data and landing gear extraction/retraction systems tests, then climbed to 25,000 ft for acceleration/deceleration tests and basic autopilot and autothrottle operations. The second Falcon 7X was planned to join in June of that year, and the third with a full interior in September that year for long-range, endurance tests and interior sound level validation: Dassault aims for a 52dB sound level in the cabin, 4dB lower than other Falcons. Certification slipped to late 2006 and first deliveries to early 2007.

It was first presented to the public at the 2005 Paris Air Show. The aircraft has received its type certification from both the Federal Aviation Administration and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on 27 April 2007. The first 7X, MSN05, entered service on 15 June 2007. The hundredth was delivered in November 2010. It conducted high altitude airport tests at 4,400 m (14,500 ft) in Daocheng in 2014.

Price

In 2001, the Falcon 7X, at approximately $35 million (preproduction order price), was nearly $10 million cheaper than its nearest competitors in the long-range, large cabin market segment, including the Gulfstream G550 and Bombardier Global Express. It was targeted to be priced for 2004 at 12% more than the $33 million top-of-the-range Falcon 900EX equipped: $39.6 million. Its price was $37 million in 2005, and $41 million in 2007. In 2017, its list price was $54M, a 3-4-year-old 7X was worth $27-34m and a 7-9 year old one cost $19-24M. The latest market data for Q1 2020 shows 287 out of 289 aircraft currently in operation with an asking price range of $18,495,000 - $24,800,000. In 2022, its equipped price was $54.2M.

Design

Planform view showing the 34.5° wing sweep
Falcon 7X Cockpit

The Falcon 7X is a three-engined cantilever monoplane with a low-positioned, highly swept wing. It has a horizontal stabiliser at mid-height and a retractable tricycle landing gear, and three rear-mounted Pratt & Whitney PW307A turbofan engines: two on the side of the fuselage and one in a center position, and room for 19 passengers and 3 crew. It is the first production Falcon jet with winglets.

It is the first fully fly-by-wire business jet and is 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", using Dassault Systèmes' CATIA and PLM products.

Falcon 7X interior

In February 2010, Dassault Falcon and BMW Designworks were awarded the 2009 Good Design Award by the Chicago Athenaeum and the European Centre for Architecture Art Design for their collaboration on the new Falcon 7X interior option. Due to special engine mounts and cabin isolators, the cabin is extremely quiet, below 50 dBA, and is available with a shower.

Pitch trim incident

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. The aircraft pitched up to 41 degrees, with the load factor increasing to 4.6g, it climbed from 13,000 to 22,500 ft and the airspeed went from 300 to 125 kn.

"This condition, if occurring again, could lead to loss of control of the aeroplane," the EASA notice said. 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. Dassault Aviation developed modifications in June 2011 to allow a return to flight.

After four years of investigation, the Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile published its final report in June 2016. It was found that incorrect nose-up commands to the trimmable horizontal stabilizer were caused by a soldering defect on the pin of its electronic control unit provided by Rockwell Collins.

Teterboro-London City record

On May 2, 2014, Dassault set a new speed record for the Falcon 7X on a 5 h 54 min flight from New York Teterboro Airport to London City Airport.

Falcon 8X

Falcon 8X in flight (Paris Air Show 2019)

The 6,450 nmi (11,945 km; 7,423 mi) range Falcon 8X was announced at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in May 2014. Its cabin is 1.1 m (3.5 ft) longer than the 7X. With improvements to wing design and improved Pratt & Whitney Canada PW300, the 8X is up to 35% more fuel efficient than its competitors.

The prototype, registered F-WWQA, first flew from Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport on 6 February 2015. The Falcon 8X was added as a subtype of the Falcon 7X on the EASA type certificate on 24 June 2016 as modification M1000 for S/N 0401 and ongoing. Dassault delivered the first Falcon 8X on 5 October 2016 to Greek business aviation operator Amjet Executive. By October 2018, the Falcon 8X FalconEye EFVS was approved by the FAA and EASA for approaches down to 100 ft (30 m), and dual HUD FalconEye will allow EVS-to-land in 2020, without using natural vision.

The three PW307D turbofans gained 320 lbf (1.4 kN) each, and are 1.5% more fuel efficient. MTOW is increased from 70,000 to 73,000 lb (31.8 to 33.1 t) and fuel capacity is increased by 3,200 lb (1.5 t) for 500 nmi (926 km; 575 mi) more range. The wing structure is 600 lb (270 kg) lighter, and more flexible for comfort, while operating empty weight is 200 lb (91 kg) heavier than the 7X despite the 3.5 ft (1.1 m) stretch. A strict weight control allows most operators to match or best Dassault's 36,800 lb (16.7 t) estimate BOWs for a fully equipped aircraft with three crewmembers. Its unmatched structural efficiency, with a OEW only half of MTOW, allow a superior fuel efficiency while its MTOW is less than a 4,100 nmi (7,593 km; 4,718 mi) Gulfstream IV-SP. The first hour fuel burn is 4,000 lb (1.8 t) while average cruise fuel burn is 2,250 lb (1.02 t) per h. The 47 db average cabin sound level is 2-3 db lower than the Falcon 7X. In 2022, its equipped price was $62.5M.

Falcon 8X Archange

The Falcon Archange is a militarized variant of the Falcon 8X under development for the French Air and Space Force. Launched under the ARCHANGE (Avion de Renseignement à CHArge utile de Nouvelle GEnération) strategic intelligence aircraft program in December 2019, it is intended for SIGINT and electronic warfare. The aircraft will be equipped with a Universal Electronic Warfare Capability (Capacité Universelle de Guerre Électronique or CUGE) developed by Thales. The system will notably be able to detect and analyze radio emissions and radar signals simultaneously. Thales will supply multi-polarization antennas, as well as artificial intelligence technologies to enhance automatic processing. The information gathered by the systems will then be analyzed by eavesdropping and intelligence specialists and fed into the French Armed Forces' databases. The program also includes a ground training platform. Two Falcon 8X Archange are on order, with an additional unit planned. Delivery of the first aircraft is expected in 2028.

Operators

Civil operators

More than 260 Falcon 7X have been delivered between mid-2007 to March 2016 and the type has flown more than 440,000 hours. Europe has 117 aircraft, 45% of the fleet: 18 in Switzerland, 13 in France, eight in Luxembourg, seven in Belgium, Denmark, Germany and Portugal, six in Russia, four in Ukraine among others. Antwerp's Flying Group operates five aircraft, Shell Oil has four in Rotterdam and Dassault Falcon Service at Paris-Le Bourget manages four, as does Volkswagen AG in Wolfsburg. 20% of the fleet is in North America: more than 50 in the U.S., six in Canada and five in Mexico. In Asia-Pacific, 14 are in Hong Kong and 11 in China among others. Planet Nine Private Air LLC, a premium ultra long range charter based in Los Angeles, operates five Falcon 7X. Jet charter and management company Clay Lacy Aviation operates Falcon 7X aircraft on both U.S. coasts.

Corporate and charter operators use their Falcon 8Xs 600 to 850 hours per year, while individual operators fly theirs 300 to 400 hours per year. Air Alsie in Denmark operates five Falcon 8Xs and six Falcon 7Xs, five 8Xs are based in Switzerland while Volkswagen, Global Jet Luxembourg and ExecuJet Europe each fly two 8Xs. Other operators have a single 8X: Shell, Flying Group, Aviaservice Air in Kazan, Russia, NetJets Europe, TAG Aviation in Geneva, Switzerland, Abelag Aviation and the Egyptian Air Force. Six are based in the US including with Bechtel, Citrus Products, Energy Transfer Partners, Honeywell, Sony. Three are based in China, two in São Paulo, and others are registered in San Marino, Malta and Monaco, throughout the Mediterranean, Middle East and India.

Private owners of Falcon 7X aircraft include Bernie Ecclestone and Taylor Swift.

Government and military operators

Nigerian Air Force Falcon 7X
 Australia
Royal Australian Air Force: three Falcon 7X leased for VVIP missions.
 Belgium
Belgian Air Force: 2x Falcon 7X in military service (OO-LUM & OO-FAE) dry leased from Luxaviation (former Abelag Aviation).
 Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo used a Falcon 7X as a presidential transport until 2023, when the aircraft was auctioned off to pay construction debts.
 Ecuador
Ecuadorian Air Force : One Falcon 7X (ID: FAE 052) for long-distance travel. Delivered November 4, 2013; first official trip November 25, 2013.
 Egypt
Egyptian Air Force: four Falcon 7X on order
 France
French Air and Space Force
  • 2 Falcon 7X ordered and delivered. In service since 2009, the two aircraft are part of the French presidential fleet (a fleet of 7 aircraft dedicated to presidential and government transport).
  • 2 Falcon 8X Archange SIGINT/EW aircraft on order to succeed the Air and Space Force's Transall C-160 Gabriel, with 1 additional unit to be purchased.
 Greece
Hellenic Air Force: One Falcon 7X
 Hungary
Hungarian Air Force: Two Falcon 7X (HuAF606) (HuAF607)
 Indonesia
Indonesian Air Force: Two Falcon 8X, delivered as part of the first batch of the Indonesian Dassault Rafale contract. Previously the Indonesian Air Force operated one Falcon 7X and one Falcon 8X as interim planes for familiarization and training, stationed in 17th Air Squadron for VVIP transport.
 Monaco
Albert II, Prince of Monaco: one Falcon 7X since 2013.
 Namibia
Namibian government: one Falcon 7X
 Nigeria
Nigerian Air Force: Two Falcon 7X
 Russia
Two such aircraft (with registration numbers RA-09007, RA-09009) use the Russian special flight squad based on the state-owned Rossiya Airlines to transport the highest officials of the state.
 Zimbabwe
President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe took delivery of a Falcon 7X in March 2023.

Specifications

Variant 7X 8X
Cockpit crew Two
Capacity 12 to 16 passengers
Cabin section 2.34 m (7.67 ft) width, 1.88 m (6.17 ft) headroom
Cabin length 11.91 m (39.07 ft) 13 m (42.67 ft)
Length 23.38 m (76.08 ft) 24.46 m (80.2 ft)
Height 7.83 m (25.67 ft) 7.94 m (26.1 ft)
Wingspan 26.21 m (86 ft) 26.29 m (86.25 ft)
Wing area 70.7 m (761 sq ft)
Wing loading 449 kg/m (92 lb/sq ft) 468 kg/m (96 lb/sq ft)
MTOW 31,751 kg (70,000 lb) 33,113 kg (73,000 lb)
Max payload 1,996 kg (4,400 lb) 2,223 kg (4,900 lb)
Fuel capacity 14,488 kg (31,940 lb) 15,830 kg (34,900 lb)
BOW 16,601 kg (36,600 lb) 16,375 kg (36,100 lb)
Turbofans (×3) P&WC PW307A P&WC PW307D
Thrust 28.48 kN (6,402 lbf) 29.9 kN (6,722 lbf)
Range (8 passengers) 5,950 nmi (11,019 km; 6,847 mi) 6,450 nmi (11,945 km; 7,423 mi)
Ceiling 15,545 m (51,000 ft)
Max speed Mach 0.9 (516 kn; 956 km/h; 594 mph)
Cruise speed Mach 0.8 (459 kn; 850 km/h; 528 mph)
Takeoff BFL 1,740 m (5,710 ft) 1,829 m (6,000 ft)
Landing 631 m (2,070 ft) 656 m (2,150 ft)
Avionics Falcon Enhanced Avionics System (EASy) Flight Deck

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

References

  1. "Falcon 7X Market Data". AvBuyer.
  2. ^ "Dassault Falcon 8X: A Trijet Honed To Perfection". Business & Commercial Aviation. Aviation Week. September 19, 2019.
  3. ^ "Falcon 7X enters service". Flight Global. June 15, 2007.
  4. ^ "Dassault delivers first Falcon 8X to Greece's Amjet Executive". Flight Global. October 6, 2016.
  5. ^ "Falcon 7X completes its first flight". Flight International. 17 May 2005.
  6. ^ "MAIDEN FLIGHT: "Smooth" sortie opens Falcon 8X test campaign". Flight Global. 6 February 2015.
  7. William Garvey (May 19, 2014). "Dassault Expands Falcon Family With 8X". Aviation Week.
  8. "Dassault unveils long-range Falcon". Flight International. 26 June 2001.
  9. ^ "Dassault unveils Falcon 7X long-range business jet". Flight International. 6 Nov 2001.
  10. "Dassault Falcon 7X Earns EASA and FAA Certification" (Press release). Dassault Falcon. April 27, 2007. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  11. "Dassault scores a century with 7X". Flight Global. 26 November 2010.
  12. Sarsfield, Kate (23 September 2014), "Dassault Falcon 7X set to operate from world's highest commercial airport", Flightglobal, Reed Business Information
  13. "Falcon 7X Trades Unwanted Range For a Price Tag Lower by $10 Million". Business & Commercial Aviation. 2001. Archived from the original on 2009-01-31.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  14. Murdo Morrison (May 2, 2007). "Onboard the 7X..." Flight International. Archived from the original on 2009-06-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  15. "The Costs to Own and Operate a Falcon 7X". SherpaReport. 13 June 2017.
  16. "The Dassault-Falcon 7x Price-Guide", AvBuyer.com, 22 January 2020
  17. "Purchase planning handbook - Jets table". Business & Commercial Aircraft. Second Quarter 2023.
  18. ^ "type certificate data sheet" (PDF). EASA. 24 June 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 August 2016.
  19. "Pilot Report On Falcon 7X Fly-By-Wire Control System". Aviation Week & Space Technology. May 3, 2010.
  20. "Dassault Aviation and Dassault Systèmes Make Industry History -- Falcon 7X Jet Becomes First Aircraft Entirely Developed on Virtual Platform" (Press release). Dassault Systèmes. May 24, 2004.
  21. "Dassault's Falcon 7X BMW Interior Option Wins Design Award" (Press release). February 5, 2010. Archived from the original on July 1, 2014. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  22. Mark Huber (May 2017). "Dassault Falcon 7X". Business Jet Traveler.
  23. Sarsfield, Kate (26 May 2011). "EASA grounds Dassault Falcon 7X after pitch trim incident". Flight Global.
  24. "EASA Grounds Falcon 7X Fleet". Aviation Week. May 26, 2011.
  25. ^ "Serious incident to a Dassault Falcon 7X, registered HB-JFN on 05/24/2011 at Subang (Malaisie)". Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile. June 13, 2016.
  26. "Emergency Airworthiness Directive No. 2011-0102-E". EASA. May 26, 2011.
  27. "Emergency Airworthiness Directive 2011-0114-E". EASA. 16 June 2011.
  28. "Dassault says Falcon 7x is now back in the air". Reuters. June 16, 2011.
  29. Haria, Rupa. "Falcon 7X Sets New Speed Record". Aviation Week. Archived from the original on 2018-01-16.
  30. "Dassault Aviation Reveals First Falcon 8X" (Press release). Dassault Aviation. December 17, 2014. Archived from the original on September 29, 2019. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  31. Matt Thurber (October 9, 2018). "FAA, EASA OK Dassault 8X EFVS Down to 100 Feet". AIN online.
  32. "Purchase planning handbook - Ultra long-range Jets table". Business & Commercial Aircraft. Second Quarter 2022.
  33. "Défense : Archange décolle, les armées espionneront les théâtres d'opérations". 14 January 2020.
  34. "Le Falcon 8X Archange au service de l'armée de l'Air". 14 January 2020.
  35. "Défense : Archange décolle, les armées espionneront les théâtres d'opérations". 14 January 2020.
  36. "Défense : Archange décolle, les armées espionneront les théâtres d'opérations". 14 January 2020.
  37. "Le Falcon 8X Archange au service de l'armée de l'Air". 14 January 2020.
  38. ^ "Operators Survey: Dassault Falcon 7X". Business & Commercial Aviation. Aviation Week. March 24, 2016. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  39. "G650ER, Falcon 7X And Pilatus PC-24 Join Clay Lacy's Northeastern Charter Fleet | Aero-News Network". www.aero-news.net.
  40. "UBS sells Credit Suisse jet used by Horta-Osório during Covid breaches". www.ft.com. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
  41. Waldron, Greg (8 April 2019). "RAAF to lease three Dassault 7X for VVIP mission". Flight Global. Singapore. Archived from the original on 8 April 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  42. "Dassault Falcon 7X". Royal Australian Air Force. 25 March 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  43. "België stuurt vliegtuigen naar Kaboel na oproep van tientallen Belgen in Afghanistan". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 16 August 2021.
  44. Odhiambo, Victor Shalton (2023-10-09). "Republic of Congo's Presidential Jet Sold at Auction for a Fraction of Its Value". Airspace Africa. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
  45. "Egypt to buy 4 Falcon 7X from Dassault for $337M". www.ecofinagency.com. 18 August 2016.
  46. "Dassault Aviation vend quatre Falcon 7X à l'Egypte" (in French). La Tribune. 20 August 2016.
  47. "La flotte présidentielle française de 1947 à nos jours". 24 April 2022.
  48. "Escadron de transport 60" (in French). French Air and Space Force. 11 August 2016.
  49. "IV.– LE SUIVI DU TRANSPORT AU PROFIT DES AUTORITÉS PUBLIQUES". 12 October 2011.
  50. "La flotte présidentielle française de 1947 à nos jours". 24 April 2022.
  51. "Défense : Archange décolle, les armées espionneront les théâtres d'opérations". 14 January 2020.
  52. "Le Falcon 8X Archange au service de l'armée de l'Air". 14 January 2020.
  53. Chapman, Khalem (March 2020). "France awards ARCHANGE contract". Air International. Vol. 98, no. 3. p. 12. ISSN 0306-5634.
  54. "Καλοτάξιδο! Η Dassault παραχώρησε δωρεάν το Falcon 7X στην Πολεμική μας Αεροπορία" (in Greek). pentapostagma. October 19, 2021.
  55. "Egy harmadik Airbust és további repülőket vesz a honvédség" (in Hungarian). Euronews. 12 December 2018.
  56. "Business jettel fokozta légiszállító képességét a honvédség". 2018-08-05.
  57. "Dassault Falcon 7X, a légiszállítási képességfejlesztés második fázisa". legiero.blog.hu (in Hungarian).
  58. "The plane of the Hungarian Defense Forces carrying members of the government flew to Moscow, it is a mystery who was traveling on it and why". 23 August 2022.
  59. "Pesawat Falcon 8X A-0802 Kedua TNI AU Tiba Di Indonesia". tni.mil.id (in Indonesian). 31 August 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  60. ^ "Menhan Prabowo Tinjau Pesawat Interim Falcon 7X dan 8X TNI AU". www.kemhan.go.id (in Indonesian). 28 December 2022.
  61. "Prabowo Serahkan Dua Unit Pesawat Falcon Untuk Perkuat Skadron Udara 17 TNI AU". merdeka.com (in Indonesian). 2022-12-28. Retrieved 2022-12-28.
  62. "Albert s'offre l'avion de ses rêves" (in French). Paris Match. 5 March 2013.
  63. "Government defends new Falcon". The Namibian. March 18, 2009. Archived from the original on September 23, 2013. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  64. "Государственный визит президента России в Армению (фоторепортаж)". regnum.ru.
  65. "Mnangagwa buys swanky US$54 million presidential jet". Zimbabwe News Now. 2023-04-28. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
  66. "Falcon 7X". Dassault Aviation.
  67. "Falcon 8X". Dassault Aviation.
  68. "Business Airplanes Purchase Planning Handbook" (PDF). Business & Commercial Aviation. Aviation Week. May 2016.
  1. excluding cockpit and baggage
  2. MTOW, SL, ISA
  3. typical landing weight

External links

Dassault Falcon family
Names
Falcon
Other
Military
Accidents and
incidents
Dassault aircraft
Numeric
Military
Civil
Categories: