ABOVE: The 6X ‘combines the best qualities of Dassault Aviation’s world-leading business and fighter aircraft expertise’
Dassault Aviation’s latest business jet, the Falcon 6X, has received type certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The milestone concludes a test campaign spanning over two years during which over 1,500 flight hours were logged worldwide, and marks a ‘significant path to entry into service’ for the type.
“The certification of the Falcon 6X is a remarkable milestone for Dassault Aviation,” said CEO Eric Trapper, who also extended his gratitude to the EASA and FAA certification teams for their ‘commitment in this demanding process’. He added that “the Falcon 6X is the first brand new business jet to comply with the latest regulations, which will enhance the safety and security of all new aircraft”.
Described by its manufacturers as ‘the most spacious, advanced and versatile twinjet in the long-range business jet segment,’ the 6X boasts a 5,500nm range with a top speed of Mach 0.9. A successor to the 5X project (which was first launched in 2013, but cancelled due to Safran engine performance issues in 2017), the 6X programme instead opted for two Pratt and Whitney Canada PW812D powerplants and first flew in March 2021.
The 6X combines the same fuselage cross-section as the 5X (at 2.58m, the widest purpose-built business jet cabin) and has been recognized with ‘various design awards’. Its cabin is also 51cm longer than that on the 5X, and Dassault report that the first units are currently ‘undergoing final completion’.
2023 marks the Falcon business jet’s 60th anniversary, with the first model – the Mystere 20 (Falcon 20) – making its first flight in May 1963. The best-selling twin-engine Falcon 2000 was launched in 1993 and over 700 units have been delivered to date. In total, Dassault have delivered over 2,700 Falcons in the last six decades.
IMAGE: DASSAULT AVIATION
