Aircraft Profile: Dassault Falcon 7x
The Dassault Falcon 7X is the newest tri-jet member of Dassault's Falcon family which entered service on 15 June 2007. This long range aircraft is the first business jet to feature fly-by-wire controls and was designed completely in a virtual environment.
Three 6,400lb (28,46kN) Pratt & Whitney PW307A engines power this aircraft to a maximum cruise speed of 515kts (953kmh) – another 58 knots (106km/h) quicker and it would be supersonic! It can cruise at 51,000ft (15,545m), above the congestion and lift a useful load of 34,928lbs (15,876kg). Not only is the 7X fast, but it also boasts an impressive range of 5,950nm (11,019km) too.
The typical mission cruise speed is M0.85 (486kts/900km/h), however range is reduced to 5,200nm (9,630km) – still an impressive range which is likely to see many operators opt for the higher cruise speeds at a minimal range loss. The 7X comes complete with the Falcon EASy avionics suite.
The EASy avionics were developed in collaboration with Honeywell and is based on Honeywell’s Primus Epic integrated system. The system is made up of four 14.1 inch flat-panels in a T configuration, designed with the flight crew in mind.
Heritage:
The 7X was announced at the Paris Air Show in June 2001 under the designation of FNX and made its public debut in June 2005, again at the Paris Air Show. It flew for the first time on 5 May 2005.
The 7X features full FBW (Fly-By-Wire) control and was completely designed in a virtual environment, the result is that a proof of concept prototype was never needed. The first 7X to roll off the production line will be identical to the tenth, thirtieth or fiftieth.
The design system allowed every person involved to ‘walkround’ the 7X in a virtual environment before the first metal was even cut. FAA and EASA certification were awarded on 27 April 2007.