Falcon 6X completes maiden flight

Dassault Aviation’s widebody Falcon 6X successfully completed its first flight as planned in the first quarter of 2021, demonstrating the maturity of the program and opening the test campaign for certification.

Dassault Aviation Chairman/CEO Eric Trappier said, “The 6X is the latest example of the fusion of military know-how and business aviation expertise for which Dassault Aviation is so respected.”

With test pilots Bruno Ferry and Fabrice Valette at its controls, aircraft 6X s/n 01 lifted off from Dassault Aviation’s Mérignac plant near Bordeaux, France, for a two hour and thirty minute flight executed per the test plan, with the pilots testing aircraft handling qualities, engine response and the behavior of key aircraft systems. The aircraft topped out at 40,000ft and reached a speed of Mach 0.8 before returning to its base.

Serial number 01’s next flight will combine test activities with a hop to Istres, near Marseille, where the Dassault flight test center is located and the bulk of the testing program will take place. Falcon 6X s/n 02 and 03 are scheduled to take to the air in the coming months.

The Falcon 6X offers a cabin measuring 6ft 6" in height and 8ft 6" in width. Its range of 5,500nm allows the aircraft to fly from London to Hong Kong or Los Angeles to Moscow nonstop. It will also feature an advanced version of the pioneering digital flight control system first introduced on the Falcon 7X and further refined on the Falcon 8X.

Dassault’s FalconEye combined vision system will be standard on the 6X, providing enhanced safety and situational awareness on approaches in darkness or poor weather. The 6X will also be the first Falcon equipped with the FalconScan advanced diagnostics system, which monitors and reports on 100,000 maintenance parameters. And as with all Falcons, it will offer superior operating flexibility, thanks to its unparalleled performance on steep approaches to short runways.

The aircraft is powered by new-generation Pratt & Whitney PW812D engines, which in addition to outstanding flight safety and performance, will provide double digit improvements in fuel efficiency and carbon emissions.

Dassault Aviation produces the Rafale fighter jet as well as the complete line of Falcons. The company employs a workforce of over 11,000 and has assembly and production plants in both France and the United States and service facilities around the globe.

Dassault Falcon Jet Corp., a U.S. subsidiary of Dassault Aviation, France, markets and supports the Falcon family of business jets throughout North America and South America.