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Aviation History
1983
1983 - 0012.PDF
Long-range Falcon F alcon 50, biggest of Dassault's business jets and ranking in size with the Challenger and Gulfstream III, sets a high standard of equipment and handling. Although only a fifth the weight of an airliner like the 727-200, it more than matches its range. And it is easy to forget that the original Falcon twin flew as long ago as 1963. At Deauville/Gatien, one of the few sunny places in fog-bound northern France, Herve Leprince Ringuet and I walked around the white and green Falcon 50. The tri-jet configuration, rare in air craft of this size, is a distinction perhaps shared only with the Yak-40. Chines are compulsory on the nosewheel tyres, as the intakes for engines one and three lie over the flap leading edge. The nose equipment bay is pressurised, and has a key-operated lock as well as fasteners. The wing leading edge is double swept—35° and 30°—with two separate slat sections. There are two-section flaps, outer slotted, and three-section airbrakes. The latter fully extend differentially (in ner least) to look rather like a "crow's wingtip". The centre Garrett TFE 731-3-lc alone has thrust reverse, hydraulically operated with backup accumulator. The anhedral on the mid-set tailplane is unusual, except on fighter aircraft, and is shared only with the Citation III. The elevator is inset in the stabiliser—a sort of Falcon hallmark. Stairs are set into the bottom-hinged passenger door, as in the rear baggage hold Falcon 50 has three Garrett TFE 731-3-lc engines with a sea level rating of 3,7001b thrust each Falcon 50 heads the French business aircraft line-up with trans atlantic range capability and a high standard of equipment and handling. Harry Hopkins flies Dassault's biggest business jet. FLIGHT-TEST DASSAULT FALCON 50 door. A 3ft x 4ft vestibule lies between the cockpit bulkhead and the cupboard divider from the passenger cabin. A com plete toilet, opposite the entry door, is neatly contrived, its doors opening out and sideways to cover the entries to both cock pit and cabin. I entered the cabin, which was com fortably and sumptuously laid out for nine passengers; the certificated capacity is for 12, plus one jump-seat. My 5ft 10|in height exactly fitted the headroom to the front cabin. To the rear, the low-set 18in aisle ramps up to the centre fuel tank, still giving 5ft 5in. Number six of the seven oval windows to each side is an over-wing emergency exit. Six lighting/ventilation modules also house double drop-out oxy gen masks. At the cockpit door I took in the work space that the two pilots may have to share for eight hours or more. Absolute endurance at 28,000ft with minimum fuel burn is more than lOhr. The bulkhead is set a couple of feet behind the seats, with a jump-seat to the right and crew baggage space to the left. The 6ft cabin width carries well forward, so that ample side consoles can take man uals in the rear bins. Grasping the glareshield hand-hold I pulled myself into the left seat, pressed the release under the front, and eased it for ward. Vertical movement is simple and power-operated. Rudder pedals adjust by pressing against springs; the under-panel lever release is convenient. Back rake and firm armrests give a very comfortable pos ition. Again the absence of pitch-trim wheel adds to space. Pre-start checks completed, I could take in the instrumentation. Mechanical flight instruments, servo-altimeter to the left FLIGHT International, 1 January 1983
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