Since the first flight of the Falcon 7X on May 5th, the airplane has been flying on a near daily basis. Five flights during the following seven days were conducted accumulating 13 hours and 20 minutes of flight time. The aircraft was relocated to the Dassault Flight Test Center in Istres the day following first flight.

“Real time flight data analysis and excellent reliability have allowed us to move forward faster than expected,” said Yves “Bill” Kerherve, Senior Chief Test Pilot for Dassault Aviation. “First results of the flight test program have confirmed Dassault’s predictions: the aircraft is incredibly stable and the fly-by-wire controls are extremely precise. In fact, the development simulator we used prior to the first flight accurately replicated the performance of the real aircraft. This is a clear indication that Dassault’s engineers created a near perfect model of the Falcon 7X and it is paying off.”

The first five flights have been dedicated to progressive flight envelope expansion. “So far, we have opened up the flight envelope to 41,000 feet, Mach 0.82 and 280 knots Indicated Air Speed,” said Philippe Deleume, Falcon Chief Test Pilot. “We have completed turns with bank angles of 80 degrees to test buffet and handling qualities. Also, we tested the aircraft’s slow speed performance down to 105 knots and pulled 2 g’s during various maneuvers.”

The aircraft is typically flown with 15,000 lb of fuel, giving it a takeoff weight of 54,000 lb with flight test equipment. At that weight, takeoff distance has been typically around 2,450 feet. Climb rates of up to 5,000 feet per minute have been demonstrated and descent rates of 7,000 feet per minute have been performed to check the pressurization system.

During the fifth flight, the pilots voluntarily shut down engine number three in flight to check test relighting. The Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307A turbofan performed as expected. The PW307A received its type certificate from Transport Canada on April 15th, just 28 months after the first engine run.

“Engine response from idle to maximum power is just amazing and is much faster than on all previous Falcons,” said Deleume. “Overall airport performance is excellent. On landing, the brakes proved to be extremely powerful promising to give the Falcon 7X a crucial advantage on short field landings.”

Testing for all of the modes of the fly-by-wire controls including reversionary modes have been accomplished. The airplane was also landed using fly-by-wire back up modes. Cockpit comfort has received high marks from the flight test team with visibility from the cockpit said to be ‘fantastic’. “The sidestick controls are truly pilot friendly. I am totally at ease when flying from the right seat or the left seat,” continued Deleume. “The cockpit is so quiet we could hardly hear the engines. We are very confident that the cabin noise level will set new standards. Cockpit and cabin temperature were precisely controlled and constant throughout the flights. The air-conditioning system is highly effective.”

The second test aircraft will arrive in Istres in the next two months and the third test aircraft will arrive later this summer. Falcon 7X s/n 3 will be outfitted with a full interior and will be used for long range and endurance tests as well as interior sound level validation. Approximately 1,200 flight test hours have been allotted before final certification by the FAA and EASA in late 2006.

A static and fatigue test airframe has been undergoing tests at CEAT in Toulouse since March 2005. Dassault Aviation has assembly and production plants in both France and the United States and service facilities on both continents. It employs a total workforce of over 12,000.

Since the rollout of the first Falcon 20 in 1963, over 1,800 Falcon jets have been sold in more than 65 countries worldwide. The family of Falcon jets currently in production include the tri-jets Falcon 50EX, 900DX, 900EX EASy, and the new 7X—as well as the twin-engine Falcon 2000, and 2000EX EASy.

FMI: www.falconjet.com