Dassault launches ultra-long-range Falcon 8X

Geneva, Switzerland – Dassault Aviation has launched the Falcon 8X, the newest addition to the Falcon family in the ultra-long-range category.

 

The Falcon 8X will offer a range of 6,450nm (11,945km) and will feature the longest cabin of any Falcon. 

 

“The Falcon 8X will be our new flagship and a great complement to our product line,” announced Dassault Aviation chairman and CEO, Eric Trappier. “It builds on Dassault expertise in aerodynamics, in precision design and manufacturing, and in advanced digital flight controls. It embodies the best of Falcons that have come before with the most capability of any Falcon ever.”

 

“With two new aircraft in development, the 5X and 8X, Dassault will now be able to offer a family of six jets designed to meet the widest possible range of operator needs at the upper end of the business jet spectrum,” added Trappier.

 

With eight passengers and three crew, the Falcon 8X will be capable of flying 6,450nm non-stop at Mach 0.80. It will be powered by an improved version of the Pratt and Whitney Canada PW307 engine that equips the Falcon 7X. Combined with improvements to wing design, the new power plant will make the 8X up to 35% more fuel efficient than any other aircraft in the ultra-long range segment, affording a corresponding savings in operating costs.

 

The Falcon 8X is expected to have a balanced field length of about 6,000ft (1,829m) and an approach speed of 106kts (197kph) at typical landing weight. 

 

The Falcon 8X will be equipped with a totally redesigned cockpit modeled after the Falcon 5X. It will feature a new generation of the EASy flight deck equipped with a head-up display that combines synthetic and enhanced vision and offer a dual HUD capability.

 

First flight is expected in early 2015 with certification in the middle of 2016 and initial deliveries before the end of 2016.

 

The Falcon 8X cabin will be 6ft 2" (1.88m) high and 7ft 8" (2.34m) wide and 42ft 8" (13m) long, enabling it to offer customers the most diverse selection of cabin layouts on the market. More than 30 configurations will be available. Three galley sizes, two with a crew-rest option, are available. Operators will have an extensive selection of passenger seating areas of varying lengths that can support different lavatory layouts, including a lavatory with shower. 

 

“The Falcon 8X will be the longest cabin of any Falcon. But, more importantly, it will feature the highest level of customization of any large cabin business jet on the market,” said Trappier.

 

The Falcon 8X will be equipped with three PW307D engines delivering 6,722 lb of thrust each – a 5% increase compared to the PW307A that powers the Falcon 7X. These engines will offer a reduction in fuel consumption, community noise, and NOx emissions.

 

The Falcon 8X will also be fitted with a redesigned ultra-efficient wing derived from the Falcon 7X. The wing structure has been redesigned to minimize the overall aircraft drag during cruise while achieving a 600 lb weight saving. It will also feature optimized leading edge profile and winglets. These improvements are expected to increase significantly the lift-to-drag ratio.

 

Like the Falcon 7X, the Falcon 8X will be capable of approaches up to 6°, allowing it to serve challenging airports such as London City Airport; Aspen, Colorado; La Mole (Saint-Tropez), France; and Saanen (Gstaad), Switzerland, that are normally not accessible to most large cabin aircraft. 

 

The Falcon 8X is already at an advanced stage of production with the first airframe expected to be assembled at Dassault’s Bordeaux-Merignac, France, facility in the coming months. An extensive expansion project at Dassault’s Little Rock, Ark., facility will break ground shortly, enabling it to accommodate completion of the new Falcon 8X and Falcon 5X models.

 

Dassault Falcon is the recognized global brand for Dassault business jets which are designed, manufactured and supported by Dassault Aviation and Dassault Falcon Jet Corp.

 

Dassault Falcon Jet Corp., a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Dassault Aviation, France, markets and supports the Falcon family of business jets throughout North America, South America, and the Pacific Rim countries of Asia, including the People’s Republic of China.