Dassault may launch Falcon 7X M1000 stretch

The Falcon 7X is Dassault's flagship business jet.

Dassault may launch a stretched version its Falcon 7X this year, as the French company looks to plug a gap in its product range between the Falcon 5X and the Falcon 9X.

With the original Falcon 7X entering service in 2007 and the Falcon 5X due to enter service in 2017, Dassault are looking at ways of increasing sales of the Falcon 7X until it launches the Falcon 9X.

Corporate Jet Investor now understands that an internal project is underway at Dassault, code-name M1000, looking into ways of updating the Falcon 7X. Dassault is looking to increase sales of its $52.3 million flagship tri-jet and keep the aircraft competitive against new rivals.

Dassault is believed to be working on stretching the fuselage by adding a one meter fuselage plug, along with additional structural changes and strengthening to the wings, to help accommodate the added fuselage weight.

The current Falcon 7X fuselage is 23.19 m and has a cabin length, excluding cockpit baggage compartment, of 11.91 m.

This helps the aircraft carry a maximum of 16 passengers, however an additional one meter added to the aircraft could mean that the Falcon 7X M1000 would have room for more passengers.

This means that the M1000 could carry more passengers than the Gulfstream G450 and Bombardier Global 5000. Bombardier has already announced the replacement for the Global 5000 and Gulfstream is expected to announce the replacement for the G450 later this year. Pratt & Whitney Canada is said to be working on new or upgraded versions of the engines for the Falcon 7X, which when coupled with the newly tweaked wing and additional fuel capacity in the fuselage, would mean an increase in range for the Falcon 7X M1000 to around 6,000 nautical miles.

That would mean that the upgraded Falcon’s range would by similar to Bombardier’s Global 6000.

Dassault Aviation did not get back in time to comment.