Falcon 2000S expected to beat targets

At EBACE in Geneva, Dassault reports
that the testing programme for the new Falcon 2000S is going well and that the
initial performance targets should be beaten. The aircraft has flown more than
300 hours in over 130 flights

The latest phase of the
campaign revealed that low-speed performance will be significantly better than
targeted figures, including up to a 10% improvement for landing distances.
Low-speed performance is not only a key factor for safety, but also determines
range/payload characteristics when operating out of or into short or
constricted airfields.

“We are extremely
satisfied with the test results. The increased performances are testimony to
the excellent aerodynamic characteristics of the Falcon 2000,” said
Olivier Villa, senior vice president, Civil Aircraft of Dassault Aviation.

Meanwhile, the test campaign
is proceeding for the aircraft’s Pratt & Whitney Canada enhanced PW308C
engine. To date, the engine has undergone 80 hours of flight testing on its
flying test bed and 250 hours of ground testing.

In the next phases of the
flight test process, the enhanced PW308C engines will fly on the Falcon 2000S
where their operating characteristics will be confirmed. The new engines have
arrived at Dassault Istres flight test facility, near Marseille, and will be
installed in the next few days. The new capabilities built into the enhanced
PW308C engine will leverage the excellent in-service performance of the PW308C
series which has accumulated more than 892,000 hours of flying time.

The first green production
aircraft is fully assembled at Dassault’s Bordeaux
production plant. It will be ferried to the company’s Little Rock, Arkansas,
completion centre in June for outfitting and painting.

Aircraft certification is
anticipated by the end of the fourth quarter of 2012.