Since the first flight of the Falcon 7X on May
5th, the airplane has been flying on a near daily
basis. Five flights during the following seven days were conducted
accumulating 13 hours and 20 minutes of flight time. The aircraft
was relocated to the Dassault Flight Test Center in Istres the day
following first flight.
“Real time flight data analysis and excellent reliability
have allowed us to move forward faster than expected,” said
Yves “Bill” Kerherve, Senior Chief Test Pilot for
Dassault Aviation. “First results of the flight test program
have confirmed Dassault’s predictions: the aircraft is
incredibly stable and the fly-by-wire controls are extremely
precise. In fact, the development simulator we used prior to the
first flight accurately replicated the performance of the real
aircraft. This is a clear indication that Dassault’s
engineers created a near perfect model of the Falcon 7X and it is
paying off.”
The first five flights have been dedicated to progressive flight
envelope expansion. “So far, we have opened up the flight
envelope to 41,000 feet, Mach 0.82 and 280 knots Indicated Air
Speed,” said Philippe Deleume, Falcon Chief Test Pilot.
“We have completed turns with bank angles of 80 degrees to
test buffet and handling qualities. Also, we tested the
aircraft’s slow speed performance down to 105 knots and
pulled 2 g’s during various maneuvers.”
The aircraft is typically flown with 15,000 lb of fuel, giving
it a takeoff weight of 54,000 lb with flight test equipment. At
that weight, takeoff distance has been typically around 2,450 feet.
Climb rates of up to 5,000 feet per minute have been demonstrated
and descent rates of 7,000 feet per minute have been performed to
check the pressurization system.
During the fifth flight, the pilots voluntarily shut down engine
number three in flight to check test relighting. The Pratt &
Whitney Canada PW307A turbofan performed as expected. The PW307A
received its type certificate from Transport Canada on April 15th,
just 28 months after the first engine run.
“Engine response from idle to maximum power is just
amazing and is much faster than on all previous Falcons,”
said Deleume. “Overall airport performance is excellent. On
landing, the brakes proved to be extremely powerful promising to
give the Falcon 7X a crucial advantage on short field
landings.”
Testing for all of the modes of the fly-by-wire controls
including reversionary modes have been accomplished. The airplane
was also landed using fly-by-wire back up modes. Cockpit comfort
has received high marks from the flight test team with visibility
from the cockpit said to be ‘fantastic’. “The
sidestick controls are truly pilot friendly. I am totally at ease
when flying from the right seat or the left seat,” continued
Deleume. “The cockpit is so quiet we could hardly hear the
engines. We are very confident that the cabin noise level will set
new standards. Cockpit and cabin temperature were precisely
controlled and constant throughout the flights. The
air-conditioning system is highly effective.”
The second test aircraft will arrive in Istres in the next two
months and the third test aircraft will arrive later this summer.
Falcon 7X s/n 3 will be outfitted with a full interior and will be
used for long range and endurance tests as well as interior sound
level validation. Approximately 1,200 flight test hours have been
allotted before final certification by the FAA and EASA in late
2006.
A static and fatigue test airframe has been undergoing tests at
CEAT in Toulouse since March 2005. Dassault Aviation has
assembly and production plants in both France and the United States
and service facilities on both continents. It employs a total
workforce of over 12,000.
Since the rollout of the first Falcon 20 in 1963, over 1,800
Falcon jets have been sold in more than 65 countries worldwide. The
family of Falcon jets currently in production include the tri-jets
Falcon 50EX, 900DX, 900EX EASy, and the new 7X—as well as the
twin-engine Falcon 2000, and 2000EX EASy.