Special NBAA Convention 2021
During the press conference during the actual NBAA event, Dassault Aviation indicated that its new extra widebody Falcon 6X continues to march through key certification milestones one after another.
The first flight of the Falcon 6X was on March 10th of this year. Three test aircraft are now flying. Pratt & Whitney Canada is in the final stages of the certification process for the 6X’s PW812D engine, with all required certification testing complete. Final reviews are currently underway with Transport Canada, and certification is expected to follow shortly.
“Although our test pilot team is now center stage, every level of our organization, from the design office to the factory floor, deserves praise for the great progress we are making in the Falcon 6X program and the way it is meeting all the expectations we set for it,” said Dassault Aviation Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier. “Once our intensive test and demonstration campaign is complete, customers will be assured of taking delivery of a mature aircraft.”
Aircraft & System Testing Advancing
Each test aircraft is currently flying two to three times a week, several hours per flight. Test points beyond Mmo and Vmo have been completed and every aspect of flight testing, from system development, aircraft performance and envelope expansion, is proceeding flawlessly.
Pilots continue to express delight with the ease of handling of the aircraft. “The flying qualities of the 6X are truly extraordinary, even by our exacting Dassault standards. We are extremely satisfied with the way the aircraft is performing during the test campaign,” said Philippe Duchateau, Dassault Aviation’s Chief Test Pilot.
Aircraft No. 3 is equipped with a full cabin and is being used for acoustic and thermal testing, as well as evaluating cabin pressurization and airflow for maximum passenger comfort. Engineers are confident of achieving noise levels as low as on its Falcon 8X sister ship—currently the quietest aircraft in business aviation.
The first production aircraft, aircraft no. 4, is also being fitted with a full interior and will serve to demonstrate operational maturity of aircraft systems. Unit no. 4 will embark on a world tour in mid-2022. Initial green aircraft delivery to Dassault’s Little Rock, Arkansas completion facility is scheduled for early next year.
Dassault’s product support organization is in the advanced stages of preparing for the aircraft’s entry into service. Spares are on order for delivery to strategic locations around the world to ensure maximum support for flight departments from Day one. The 6X is scheduled to enter into service by the end of 2022. “There is still considerable test activity to be completed, as in any test campaign,” said Trappier. “But we can report at this point that we are achieving milestones at a pace that our test engineers are really happy with.“
New benchmark in long range, large aircraft segment
First announced in 2018, the Falcon 6X will create a new benchmark in the long-range, large aircraft segment. At the time, the 6X had the largest cabin cross section in business aviation, 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) tall and 8 feet, 6 inches (2.58 m) wide. It is now surpassed only by Dassault’s own ultra-long-range Falcon 10X, which will have the largest cabin of any purpose-built business jet.
