Dassault Aviation is close to selling its delivery slots for the Falcon 7X, its newest generation business jet, for the first two years of production, with deliveries due to start in 2006, says Jean Rosanvallon, Dassault Falcon Jet president.
The manufacturer is only taking new orders for 2008 after converting enough of the 41 letters of intent announced at last year's Paris air show to firm orders for the first two years of production. The company expects to produce more than 15 aircraft annually in 2006-07.
"This aircraft, which is still virtual, is proving a great success and has made our new aircraft business more active than our used aircraft, which is a totally new trend," says Rosanvallon. Most 7X orders, he says, are in the USA, "but Europe is also very strong, and there has been a great deal of activity from Brazil and Mexico", he adds.
The 7X, formerly the FNX, is designed to compete against Gulfstream's GV and Bombardier's Global Express. It has attracted "very loyal" existing Falcon customers, he says. The initial 41 customers will pay $37.5 million for the tri-jet, after which the price is expected to be around $40 million.
The 7X "is 50% more expensive than the [Falcon] 2000EX, but has a cabin which is 50% bigger, and will enable customers to fly non-stop from Paris to Los Angeles, for example", Rosanvallon says.
The 7X, due to fly in 2005, will have a 10,500km (5,700nm) range, a fly-by-wire systems and be powered by three Pratt & Whitney PW307As. Rosanvallon says Dassault hopes to sell at least 500 by 2026. "Anything less than 200 will be considered a failure," he says.
Meanwhile, the Falcon 2000EX has flown 180h since its first flight in October and has completed extreme weather tests. Deliveries are due from the second quarter of 2003, says vice-chairman Bruno Revellin-Falcor.
Dassault is striving to bolster product support, an area it says it has neglected. Earlier this year, it launched four products aimed at European Falcon operators.
Source: Flight International
