Dassault Aviation today lifted the (smoke) veil on the highly anticipated Falcon 5X, the long-awaited ‘Super Mid-Size’ bizjet due to become a benchmark in the large cabin, long range business aviation market.
Presented at Dassault’s Bordeaux-Mérignac ‘Charles Lindbergh’ final assembly facility before an audience of 400 customers, operators, suppliers and certification authority representatives, the Falcon 5X will offer the largest cabin cross-section of any purpose built business jet. And its 5,200 nm (9,630 km) range will permit it to connect the majority of the world’s most heavily travelled city pairs.
Yet the new twinjet will be more fuel efficient than any other business jets in its category, thanks to its novel Snecma Silvercrest turbofans, and will feature an approach speed of 105 knots – down in the turboprop range – offering more airport options for business jet operators.
First announced at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Convention in Las Vegas in October 2013, the Falcon 5X will be equipped with a new ultra-efficient wing, an advanced digital flight control system derived from the Rafale fighter jet and Silvercrest engines offering 15% better fuel efficiency than any other powerplant in its thrust class.
Other new features include a redesigned cockpit equipped with the third generation of Dassault’s award winning EASy flight deck conceived with Honeywell and state of the art aircraft and engine health monitoring systems. “The Falcon 5X was designed to answer operator demand for an aircraft in the 5,000 nm range that could provide more space and comfort than existing large body jets while combining the handling qualities, the low speed performance and operating economics which are the hallmark of Falcons,” said Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation. “Customers have already responded to the new aircraft with enthusiasm and we expect it to become every bit as popular as the 7X, the fastest selling Falcon we’ve ever built.”
Final assembly and testing of the Falcon 5X is taking place at the Mérignac facility near Bordeaux (France), which has seen the delivery of more than 8,000 Dassault civil and military aircraft, including 2,380 Falcons, since the launch of the Falcon 20 trailblazer some five decades ago.
A first hop for the Falcon 5X is expected for this late summer and possibly only early autumn as Snecma is now just clearing part of the Silvercrest’s teething problems with the hot section of the brand new French-made turbofan.
