Dassault's 10 has the X-factor

摘要

CONFIRMATION OF Dassault Aviation's intentions to compete in the ultra-long-range market came with the formal launch of the Falcon 10X on May 6.The latest member of the business jet family is aimed at the same market as the Bombardier Global 7500 and Gulfstream G700. Eric Trappier, Dassault chairman and chief executive officer, said: "We have optimised every aspect of the aircraft with the passenger in mind and established a new level of capability for ultra-long-range aircraft."The Falcon 10X is the largest business aircraft conceived by Dassault, with a maximum take-off weight of 115,000lb (52,163kg). It has a design range of 7,500nm (13,890km) at Mach 0.85 and a maximum speed of Mach 0.925. Balanced field length take-off at maximum weight will be under 6,000ft (1,829m) and landing distance within 2,500ft (762m). Certification for steep approaches from restricted airports will be undertaken.The new Falcon differs from earlier members of the family in several important areas. It will be the first of the series with a T-tail, giving it a different 'look' to earlier Falcons, which have cruciform tailplanes. The very high aspect ratio wings are predominately constructed from carbon-fibre composites, a first for a production Falcon model. Power will be provided by a pair of Rolls-Royce Pearl 10X engines, rated at more than 18,0001b st (80.1 kN) each, mounted within Spirit AeroSystems nacelles. Maximum fuel load is 51,000lb (23,133kg).