Dassault Aviation: Dassault Aviation's New Falcon 8X Takes to the Air
February 06 2015 - 10:05AM
Dassault Aviation today announced that the company's new flagship,
the ultra-long range Falcon 8X, successfully completed its first
flight a little more than one month after rollout.
With test pilots Eric Gérard and Hervé Laverne
at the controls, aircraft 8X s/n 01 lifted off from Dassault
Aviation's Mérignac plant near Bordeaux at 02:00 PM. The aircraft
leveled off at 5,000 ft (1,500 m) and raised its landing gear
before beginning flight handling maneuvers and system tests at
15,000 ft (4,500 m). It later climbed to FL400 (12,000 m)
accelerating to Mach 0.80. The aircraft subsequently
descended to 5,000 feet for approach and landing at 03:45 PM.
"Throughout the flight, the Falcon 8X
demonstrated excellent handling qualities, the hallmark of all
Dassault Aviation aircraft," said Gérard. "We reached each of
the performance objectives set for the first mission and, in a few
cases, surpassed target goals. I am confident that the
remainder of the flight test program will proceed just as smoothly
and feel extremely honored to fly such a handsome and
well-engineered aircraft."
"Today we reached a key milestone in the Falcon
8X program, and are right on target for mid-2016 certification and
second half 2016 deliveries," said Dassault Aviation Chairman/CEO
Eric Trappier. "The new Falcon has been well received in the
market place and already shows every sign of being a commercial and
technical success. This early achievement reflects Dassault
Aviation's half century of experience in the business aviation
industry. Dassault Aviation's state-of-the-art military
aircraft know-how enables us to design and build business jets that
combine exceptional reliability, flight handling and technical
capabilities with unmatched cabin comfort and operating
economics. I congratulate the pilots, engineers, technicians
and line workers, both at Dassault Aviation and at our numerous
industrial partners and subcontractors facilities for their
contributions in getting the 8X off to such a great start."
Falcon 8X s/n 02 and 03 are scheduled to take to
the air in the coming months. Each will take part in the
flight test program that is expected to last around 500 flight
hours. Serial number 03 will leave midyear for the Dassault
Aviation completion facility in Little Rock, Arkansas, where it
will be fitted with a complete interior and undergo a stringent
system test campaign.
About the Falcon 8X
Unveiled in May 2014 at the European Business
Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE), the latest addition
to the growing Falcon business jet family rolled out on December
17th. It offers the greatest range and the longest cabin in
the Falcon line along with the most extensive selection of cabin
configurations available on any business jet.
With eight passengers and three crew, the 8X
will be capable of flying 6,450 nm (11,945 km) at M.80. The
aircraft will come with a an impressive list of innovative onboard
systems largely proven on the existing top of the line 7X,
including an enhanced version of the 7X's Digital Flight Control
System and a redesigned cockpit featuring an optional combined
synthetic/enhanced vision head-up display.
Like the 7X, the Falcon 8X will be capable of
approaches up to 6 degrees, allowing it to serve challenging
airports such as London City Airport and Lugano, Switzerland, that
are normally not accessible to large cabin aircraft. The
aircraft will have a balanced field length of about 6,000 ft and an
approach speed at typical landing weight of 107 kts.
Wing mating and engine installation on the first
Falcon 8X were completed in July and first power up occurred
shortly after. Ground tests, including flight control system
testing, vibration tests and fuel system testing, concluded in
November and the first engine run up took place in early
December.
About Dassault Aviation
Dassault Aviation is a leading aerospace company
with a presence in over 90 countries across five continents. It
produces the Rafale fighter jet as well as the complete line of
Falcons. The company employs a workforce of over 11,000 and has
assembly and production plants in both France and the United States
and service facilities around the globe. Since the rollout of the
first Falcon 20 in 1963, over 2,380 Falcon jets have been
delivered. Dassault offers a range of six business jets from
the twin-engine 3,350 nm large-cabin Falcon 2000S to its new
flagship, the tri-engine 6,450 nm ultra-long-range
Falcon 8X.
Press Contacts:
Corporate Communication :
Stéphane
Fort
Tel: +33 (0)1 47 11 86 90
Mathieu Durand Tel: +33 (0)1 47 11 85 88
Communication Falcon :
Vadim
Feldzer
Tel: +33 (0)1 47 11 44 13
Marie-Alexandrine
Fouillard
Tel: +33 (0)1 47 11 64 23
www.dassault-aviation.com
Twitter: @Dassault_OnAir
For high resolution photo of the Falcon 8X flight, visit:
http://mediapro.dassault-aviation.com/
For high resolution videos of the Falcon 8X flight, visit:
http://www.asds-media.com/videos/rush-tv-falcon-8x-m1085
Dassault Aviation's New Falcon 8X Takes to the Air
http://hugin.info/143388/R/1892445/670418.pdf
HUG#1892445
Antero Midstream (NYSE:AM)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jun 2024 to Jul 2024
Antero Midstream (NYSE:AM)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jul 2023 to Jul 2024