Dassault unveils Falcon 5X at NBAA 2013
Dassault's family of Falcon business jets.
Dassault Aviation discloses details about its new twin-jet aircraft programme at NBAA in Las Vegas.
Dassault’s family of Falcon business jets.
Dassault Aviation revealed its newest plane, the Falcon 5X, an new twin-jet at the National Business Aviation Association in Las Vegas today. First flight of the Falcon 5X is scheduled for the first quarter of 2015 with EASA and FAA certifications expected before the end of 2016.
The jet, which has capacity for up to 16 passengers, will be powered by Snecma Silvercrest engines. Dassault claims a 50% fuel savings over direct competitors due to efficiencies from the new engines and advanced avionics. The airframe engineering includes ultra-efficient wing optimisation through extensive use of computational fluid dynamics and wind tunnel testing.
The aircraft will have a range of 5,200nm – which means that the Falcon 5X can fly up to eight people on one-leg routes like Paris to Hong Kong or LA to London. The Falcon 5 X also operates at approaches up to 6 degrees, allowing it to serve airports such as London City Airport that are normally inaccessible to large cabin business jets.
The cabin will be the tallest in the industry at 6 ft 6in, 8 ft 6 in wide and 39 feet long (excluding the cockpit and baggage compartment). Three different lounge options from which buyers can personalise.
“The industry has moved in a direction of wider cabins,” says Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation. “This new aircraft will offer an incredibly spacious and comfortable cabin with handling qualities and airport performance unmatched by any other large business jet.”
Production of the first structural components started earlier this year and assembly of the first aircraft fuselage section will begin in the next coming weeks. Final assembly will take place next year at the company’s Bordeaux-Merignac facility in France. The cabin will be completed at a Dassault facility in Little Rock, Arkansas, where a major expansion project will get underway shortly to accommodate the expected increase in demand from the new programme.
