Thu, Feb 17, 2005
Virtual Meets Reality
Dassault introduced Falcon 7X s/n 001 to an audience of 800
guests Tuesday at Charles Lindbergh Hall at Dassault Aviation's
Bordeaux-M�rignac facility.
"Today we have made a huge step forward in the industry," said
Charles Edelstenne, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation. "Due to
the new and unique design and manufacturing process called Product
Lifecycle Management that we pioneered with our sister company,
Dassault Systems, we have started a new industrial revolution that
will take us through this century."
The 7X will accomplish many firsts. It is the first airplane
ever designed and built in an entirely virtual environment using
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) philosophy. PLM sets a higher
standard for the design and manufacturing process that brings
collaborative teams closer together. All conflicts and issues that
occur during a traditional manufacturing process are resolved
before production begins resulting in an overall reduction in
production time and costs. The first 7X went together exactly as
planned and was assembled in seven months, about half the time
required for the first production airplane.
Also, the 7X will be the first business jet to be flown with Fly
by Wire (FBW) technology. FBW replaces mechanical linkage between
the controls in the cockpit and the moving surfaces with electrical
wires and circuits. It reduces pilot workload and increases
safety.
"The business jet market has been looking for a large cabin
aircraft for long range missions that can deliver superior fuel
efficiency, speed and maintenance," said John Rosanvallon,
President and CEO of Dassault Falcon Jet. "From the response we've
received from our customers, its apparent that the Falcon 7X has
filled that need and will continue to do so in the coming years."
Fifty firm orders from 16 countries have been already placed for
the tri-jet. Six aircraft are currently in various stages of
production.
The first in a series of ground tests was completed successfully
on February 1st. Flight testing is scheduled to start at the
beginning of the second quarter of 2005. Flight testing will last
about 18 months with three aircraft. Certification and first
deliveries are expected before the end of 2006.
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