Development of Dassault’s Falcon 8X ultra-long-range business jet is advancing rapidly as the French airframer prepares to mate the wings to the fuselage of the first test aircraft at its Bordeaux, Mérignac facility.
Dassault expects to join the 8X’s three Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307D engines soon after, and fly the first of the $57 million flagship aircraft early next year.
The 8X, unveiled in May, is the largest, fastest and longest-range aircraft in the French airframer’s six-strong high-end business jet family, whose entry level product is the 3,350nm (6,200km)-range super-midsize 2000S.
The 8X is a stretched, refined version of the seven-year-old 7X tri-jet, which is now approaching its 250th delivery milestone. It features a redesigned ultra-efficient wing derived from the 7X; a redesigned 13m (42.6ft) cabin – available in 30 configurations with up to 33 windows – and more powerful and fuel-efficient powerplants.
Dassault has introduced a number of refinements and enhancements to the aircraft’s design, including an extra fuel tank within the centre fuselage section, which enables the 8X to carry up to 15,800kg (34,900lb) of fuel: 1,300kg more than the 7X.
The extra fuel also helps to boost the 8X’s range to 6,500nm – 500nm further than its $52 million stablemate.
Certification and service entry of the 8X are scheduled for mid- and late-2016, respectively.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
