Dassault's Baby Continues Progressing Towards Release After Proving Systems on the Icy Tundra

The Dassault Falcon 6X has completed its far-north cold soak testing, successfully proving its capabilities even in some of the harshest conditions. 

The test saw one of 3 initial testbed Falcons flown to a small tundra down in the far Canadian north. During the evaluation, Iqaluit saw temps as low as -35 F°, the perfect conditions to evaluate the plane's performance when pressed into service in extreme conditions.

To simulate a realistic use case, the Falcon was taken and parked before spending a few days and nights powered down and unprotected against the freezing elements. Each morning, the Falcon was subjected to a different start sequence, with engine runs and high-speed taxi tests to gauge its response with systems thoroughly cold-soaked.

After proving itself fully patent and functional on the ground, the Falcon was taken up for a flight test, establishing a holding pattern around the town at 10,000 feet.

After 50 hours of cold testing, the Falcon has now picked up 650 flight hours during its young life, with more than 220 flights completed. 

“The Falcon 6X continues to impress us with its performance and reliability as we move through the certification process,” said Dassault exec Carlos Brana.

“The aircraft operated flawlessly at the extreme temperatures an aircraft can be subjected to in the severest climate conditions. That includes engines, systems and low-temperature maintainability requirements.” 

FMI:www.dassault-aviation.com