Falcon 6X gears up for first flight

Dassault’s Falcon 6X set to fly in early 2021. Image:  Dassault Aviation 

“Bringing the Falcon 6X to market on schedule is a top priority for the company. Our planning and production staff have been diligent and resourceful in adapting procedures to new sanitary guidelines to keep this program running smoothly,” said Dassault Aviation Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier. “Our suppliers have also made extraordinary efforts to support us. We are grateful to them all.”

The first of the three pre-production aircraft that will take part in flight certification has been powered up and has entered ground testing. Aircraft number two and three are in advanced stages of assembly and long cycle parts production for serialised production has already begun. Certification and entry into service are set for 2022, in keeping with the original timetable.

Dassault's Falcon 6X in final production. Image:  Dassault Aviation

The second aircraft recently had its wings mated to the fuselage and the third aircraft is in the early stages of final assembly. Each will be heavily instrumented and, like aircraft number one, will be capable of performing aerodynamic, performance and systems testing.

Aircraft no. three will receive a full interior to evaluate systems functionality, acoustics, airflow, comfort and other factors. Interior furnishings, environmental systems, electronics and other equipment are currently being tested in a ground test rig prior to installation on the aircraft.

Electric, hydraulic and fuel system tests have been completed and testing of the Falcon 6X’s advanced digital flight control system have begun. Ground fatigue and damage tolerance testing has also been initiated. This test cycle will later be extended to include stress testing to maximum load limits and beyond.