Dassault Falcon 7X
Summary
| Category | Military Transport Aircraft |
| Origin country | 🇫🇷 France |
| Manufacturer | Dassault |
| First flight | 5 May 2005 |
| Year introduced | 2007 |
| Number produced | 289 units |
| Average unit price | $54.2 million |
Technical specifications
| Version: Falcon 7X | |
|---|---|
| Crew | 3 crew members |
| Operational range | 11,019 km (6,847 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 1078 km/h (670 mph) |
| Wing area | 70.7 m² (761.0 sqft) |
| Wingspan | 26.2 m (86.0 ft) |
| Height | 7.8 m (25.7 ft) |
| Length | 23.4 m (76.7 ft) |
| Service ceiling | 15,545 m (51,001 ft) |
| Max. takeoff weight | 31,800 kg (70,107 lbs) |
| Powerplant | 3 x Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307A delivering 9 kN each |
Current operating countries
| Country | Units | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Greece | 1 | |
All operators
Description
The Dassault Falcon 7X is a three-engined business jet manufactured by Dassault Aviation. Unveiled at the 2001 Paris Air Show, the aircraft was designed on a virtual platform using Dassault Systèmes' CATIA and PLM software. The Falcon 7X completed its first flight on 5 May 2005, received FAA and EASA type certification on 27 April 2007, and entered service on 15 June 2007. Dassault delivered the 100th aircraft in November 2010, and more than 260 units were delivered by March 2016. In May 2011, EASA grounded the Falcon 7X fleet following an uncontrolled pitch trim runaway. The incident was caused by a manufacturing soldering defect in the horizontal stabilizer electronic control unit, and the fleet returned to flight after modifications were developed in June 2011.
The aircraft is a cantilever monoplane with a low-positioned, highly swept wing featuring winglets, a mid-height horizontal stabilizer, and retractable tricycle landing gear. Power is supplied by three rear-mounted Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307A turbofans, each rated at 6,100 lbf of thrust. The Falcon 7X is a fly-by-wire aircraft equipped with the Honeywell Primus Epic Enhanced Avionics System (EASy). Its wing is 1.86 meters longer and has a 5° higher sweep than the Falcon 900 wing, improving the lift-to-drag ratio by 10% over the Falcon 50. The cabin accommodates up to 19 passengers and three crew members, featuring a 6,000-foot cabin altitude and sound levels below 50 dBA.
Government and military operators use the Falcon 7X for transport and VVIP missions. The French Air and Space Force operates two units for presidential and government transport, while the Royal Australian Air Force leases three. The Belgian Air Force dry leases two units, the Hungarian Air Force operates two, and the Indonesian Air Force operated one unit for VVIP training. Other operators include the air forces of Ecuador (one unit), Greece (one unit), and Nigeria (two units), as well as Egypt, which has four on order. Russia utilizes two units under Rossiya Airlines for transporting high-level officials. The Republic of the Congo operated one presidential unit until it was seized and auctioned in 2023.
Main Variants
- Falcon 8X: This variant is a 7X derivative featuring a 1.1-meter longer cabin, three PW307D engines, and an extended range of 6,450 nautical miles.
- Falcon 8X Archange: This is a militarized variant of the Falcon 8X under development for the French Air and Space Force, designed for SIGINT and electronic warfare.