On the back of a strong order-book, Dassault Aviation is ramping up production of its Falcon 7X long range business jet to three aircraft a month next year, despite a three-month delay to certification after opting for winglets as standard.
With 30 aircraft in production, the decision to increase the aircraft’s range to 11,100km (6,000nm), by fitting winglets and increasing fuel capacity,
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| Dassault will fit winglets as standard on the Falcon 7X |
“We could not be more pleased with the design and performance of the wing,” says Olivier Villa, Dassault senior vice president of civil aircraft.
To accommodate an increased maximum take-off weight, the 7X’s three Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307A engines will be uprated to 28.5kN (6,400lb) of thrust.
Due to better-than-expected natural damping, a secondary rudder on the lower fin has been removed in order to optimise its shape and simplify the fly-by-wire (FBW) system. A late change requested by the US Federal Aviation Administration also led to a bleed-air system re-design to regulate temperature below 20°C (68°F), with the addition of independent pre-coolers on all three engines.
Three aircraft in the 1,200h flight-test programme have now clocked up 450h over 150 flights. Orders for the long-range business jet stand at 80.
Speaking at Dassault’s annual results presentation in Paris last week, chief executive Charles Edelstenne said feasibility studies were well underway into a possible new super mid-sized business jet. “We’re starting by studying the engine options,” he said.
Villa said: “A composite wing is a close call at this stage. We will also be looking at FBW, but will be taking into account the fact that it represents a very significant increase in cost and depends ultimately on how ambitious your performance levels are.”
AIMEE TURNER / PARIS
Source: Flight International
