BUSINESS AVIATION
flightglobal.com 17-23 February 2015 | Flight International | 25
New-generation
XL-2 starts
production
AVIATION P26D
assault Aviation has kicked
off the flight test campaign
for its Falcon 8X ultra-long-range
business jet, less than nine
months after unveiling the
19-seater at the European Busi-
ness Aviation Convention and
Exhibition in Geneva.
The aircraft – serial number
one – lifted off for its maiden
flight from Dassault’s plant at
Bordeaux Merignac airport at
14:00 local time on 6 February
with test pilots Eric Gérard and
Hervé Laverne at the controls.
“The 8X levelled off at 5,000ft
and raised its landing gear before
beginning flight handling ma-
noeuvres and system tests at
15,000ft,” says Dassault. “It later
climbed to flight level 400
PROGRAMME KATE SARSFIELD LONDON
Falcon 8X flight test campaign begins
Ultra-long-range business jet meets performance objectives for debut sortie, with deliveries on track for second half of 2016
Dassault Aviation
The 8X is the largest and longest-range model in Dassault’s range[39,400ft], accelerating to Mach
0.80. The aircraft subsequently
descended to 5,000ft for ap-
proach and landing at 15:45.”
Throughout the flight “the 8X
demonstrated excellent handling
qualities”, says Gérard. “We
reached each of the performance
objectives set for the first mission
and, in a few cases, surpassed tar-
get goals.”
Eric Trappier, Dassault Aviation
chairman and chief executive,
says the trijet is on track for certifi-
cation in mid-2016 and first deliv-
eries in the second half of the year.
Serial number one will be dedi-
cated to flight envelope expansion,
while a second test aircraft – now
assembled and scheduled to fly in
the second quarter – will focus onperformance. A third fully con-
forming 8X will help with cabin
systems and preparation for entry
into service. The trio are expected
to fly around 500h in total.
The $57 million 8X is a
stretched and longer-range ver-
sion of the 7X, which waslaunched in 2007 and is poised to
hit its 250th delivery milestone.
The aircraft has a range of
6,450nm (12,000km) – 500nm
more than the 7X – which will
allow it to connect Paris with
Beijing and Sao Paolo with Los
Angeles and Moscow. ■AMAC Aerospace Switzerland AG
Henric Petri-Strasse 35
4051 Basel, SwitzerlandTelephone +41 58 310 31 31
[email protected]
http://www.amacaerospace.comSwiss Excellence
in Business Aviation
Corporate and private aircraft maintenance,
refurbishment and completion services, aircraft management
and charter operations.