The second half of 2003 will mark the end of the detailed definition of the Falcon 7X's-for both Dassault Falcon and its design partners-representing an important milestone in this exciting new program. The 7X is now entering production.

"The scope of this project is enormous," said Dassault Falcon Jet Corp. President and CEO John Rosanvallon. "We have twenty-seven companies from seven countries partnering with us on the aircraft. We're using entirely new digital processes, such as the virtual and physical plateaus, and employing new tools and new technologies provided by Dassault Systemes-all based on the incredible experience of our teams."

This year has been devoted to completing and validating the design of the Falcon 7X. Several wind tunnel test programs took place in Europe this summer in order to validate the aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft. The last two programs, in Switzerland, confirmed the efficiency of the new wing at low speed. Ground effect was tested in Holland on a new, highly precise model, and three high-speed tests were conducted at the wind tunnel in Modane, France. Each time, the results all pointed to the successful aerodynamic design of the 7X's new wing. "The design of the 7X is now frozen, based on confirmation of cruise speed and the approach performance of the aircraft during testing," declared Jean-Louis Cuvillier, head of new Falcon programs for Dassault Aviation's Falcon Division.

At the same time, the design office has made significant progress in the development of the aircraft's flight controls. The Falcon Simulation Bench (BSF) in St. Cloud provided test pilots and engineers with the ability to fly hundreds of simulated flight hours. By 2004, the Falcon 7X simulation bench will have been progressively converted into a full, fly-by-wire simulator. It will be linked to a Global Test Bench (BTG), which will represent the 7X's entire flight control system, including hydraulic and electrical power generation. As it did with previous test programs (such as the Rafale), the BTG will enable tests to properly validate the control laws prior to the 7X's first flight in 2005.

Another major step in the program was the construction of the bird-strike test article; built last March in Argenteuil. The latest CAD/CAM assembly techniques were utilized for the construction of the test article, combining drilling and machining activities in the same process, thereby eliminating the need for additional adjustment tooling. Successful bird-strike tests were performed in May.

Falcon 7X Partners

System suppliers of the 7X (ABSC, Goodrich, Messier Dowty, Intertechnique, Latelec, Parkers, etc.) made significant progress in their development projects as well. Among others, Pratt & Whitney Canada began intensive in-flight engine testing on the P&WC flight test aircraft after the bird-strike tests, with FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) testing on the horizon. Since its first run in December 2002, the PW307C has run several hundred hours and performed well in both cruise thrust and low fuel consumption.

The partnership with Pratt & Whitney Canada benefits from the best practices and lessons learned from the 2000EX and the development of the PW308C. In addition, Honeywell finalized development of the APU and performed several hundred hours of function on their test bench.

The Falcon 7X Enters Production

Production of the Falcon 7X has already begun, and primary parts have already been built in the various facilities of both Dassault Aviation and its partners. All of the new production processes developed for the Falcon 7X are based on the use of the digital mock-up. The production teams involved from the start of the program share the same, common, digital baseline with the design office. Each part of the aircraft is processed continuously, with no interruption in the digital chain from its definition by the design office.

The first development aircraft, soon in production, will be equivalent in quality and substance to each subsequent aircraft. The new industrialization process results in unmatched quality in the end product, combined with a dramatic reduction in manufacturing cycle time and cost.

Simulation processes on CATIA have also been used to create hot-forming tools, which are exclusive to Dassault, used for the first upper wing planks of the 7X in Seclin. The main facility in Argenteuil has already started manufacturing most of the metal parts used for the first subassemblies, including the unique vertical, nose-section assembly process, which will occur in the first quarter of 2004. Last summer, the Biarritz plant, in the south of France, delivered the first composite vertical stabilizer for resistance tests.

Airframe suppliers including CASA (horizontal stabilizer), Latecoere (rear fuselage section), P&WC (IPPS), Socata (body fairings, mid-fuselage section), Sonaca (slats), Stork-Fokker (moveable surfaces) have almost completed their industrialization process, with most of the tools already built. Socata has already manufactured the center skin panel for the top of the fuselage.
All of these parts or sub-assemblies will be delivered next year to the Bordeaux-Merignac facility, which is responsible for the final assembly of the aircraft. Each of these significant steps confirms that the Falcon 7X is on track for its first flight, scheduled in 2005.

Dassault Falcon Jet Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dassault Aviation, and is responsible for selling and supporting Falcon business jets throughout North America, South America, and the Pacific Rim countries of Asia (including China). It employs a workforce of more than 2300 professionals who service, support and meet the needs of Falcon operators in the Western Hemisphere. Since the rollout of the first Falcon 20 in 1963, over 1600 Falcon jets have been delivered to more than 65 countries worldwide. The family of Falcon jets currently in production includes four tri-jets-the Falcon 50EX, 9000, 900EX EASy, and the new 7X-as well as the twin-engine Falcon 2000 and 2000EX.

FMI: www.dassault-aviation.com