Dassault Falcon 6X: Buyer’s and Investor’s guide

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Pros:

Widest cabin in its class, good range, short field performance

Cons:

Still four years away


Until the Falcon 6X has been in service for a few years, it will always be remembered as the aircraft that Dassault was forced to release.

Had the Falcon 5X developed according to plan, it should have entered service by now. Unfortunately, due to continued issues with the Snecma Silvercrest engines that were due to power the 5X, Dassault was obliged to cancel the aircraft.

But the 6X aircraft Dassault has launched instead has benefited from several more years’ refinement.
The Silvercrest engines have gone and been replaced by more-powerful and fuel-efficient Pratt & Whitney Canada PW800 series engines.

The 6X is also longer than the 5X was due to be, with an additional frame inserted in the forward fuselage, stretching it by 20 inches. The wings have also been strengthened, to handle the additional weights of the fuselage and those of the engines.

Flying

The Falcon 6X is one of the fastest Falcons. It has a maximum speed of Mach .90, although long-range cruise is Mach 0.85.It can fly for a maximum of 5,500nm, which is enough to reach Tokyo from London or Kuwait from New York. Its maximum operating altitude is 43,000 feet allowing the aircraft to fly above most weather.

As with most other Falcons, the 6X will be certified for steep approaches. Thanks to its super-critical wing and blended winglets, the 6X will have low approach speeds, allowing it to use airports with smaller runways or difficult approaches, including London City Airport.

Traveling

Brokers often say that it is the cabin that sells the aircraft. The Falcon 6X has one of the largest cabins in its class and can seat a maximum of 16 passengers.

Dassault say that with the Falcon 6X they designed the aircraft from the cabin out, following feedback from customers.

The cabin itself is the widest in its class, as well as the tallest. Four different cabins configurations were shown at launch, and although the maximum seating capacity is 16 people, Dassault are expecting a typical cabin layout for 12 passengers.

On board, there are four separate air-conditioning zones, including two in the cabin. The cabin altitude at 41,000 ft is just 3,900ft.

The Falcon 5X introduced a sky-light in the forward cabin, which allowed natural light to enter. The Falcon 6X also includes this.

Owning

Although owning a new aircraft type is always a risk, Dassault mitigated much of this when it switched to using established engines. Dassault itself has a pedigree going back over 40 years and has over 2,500 business jets currently in service.

Dassault also has a strongly established global maintenance network, both owned and authorised. It also has a history of supporting pre-owned values and, as Dassault builds around 60 aircraft per year, residual values for the 6X should remain high.

On paper, the Falcon 6X is one of the most exciting new aircraft launched in recent years, capable of flying long distances and landing on short runways. If Dassault can bring the aircraft in on target, it could tempt potential Gulfstream customers away from the strong selling G500 – but they will have to wait four years.


Hard facts

Range: 5,500 nm
Maximum speed:
Mach 0.90
Typical passengers:
12
Typical crew:
3
Competitor aircraft:
Gulfstream G550, G500, G600, Bombardier Global 5000 / 6000 / 7000.
List price for a new Falcon 6X:
$47 million
First delivery:
2022


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