Falcon 7X Trades Unwanted Range
For a Price Tag Lower by $10 Million

Over 40 customers have put down non-interest bearing deposits on Dassault Falcon Jet's next-generation, $35 million Falcon 7X business aircraft even before designers have locked in the final details.

"Unquestionably this will be the most advanced business jet on the market," Dassault Falcon Jet president John Rosanvallon told Show News.

The Falcon 7X is aimed at the same gap in the market (between the Gulfstream IV-SP/ Challenger class of aircraft and the GV-SP/Global Express) that Bombardier has also targeted with its new Global 5000. The Falcon 7X offers more speed and range than the GIV/Challenger, and comparable high speed over 98% of the most popular city pairs (such as Los-Angeles-London) as the GV/Global Express-but with a price tag $10 million less.

Its smaller size-maximum takeoff weight of around 63,500 lbs versus the GV/Global's 90,000 or so -- makes it much more fuel efficient, able to use more smaller airports than its bigger rivals, and greatly reduces navigation and landing costs. Indeed, its balanced field performance at maximum takeoff weight is calculated to better that of the Falcon 900EX, with a landing Vref speed some six or seven knots less at 104 kts.

The question Dassault is asking: Do customers want to pay $10 million more for the extra range they hardly ever use?

"We have found people want to go really fast from LA to London, or from LA to Hawaii" Rosanvallon said. "The Falcon 7X can fly 85% of today's typical missions at Mach 0.85."

The Falcon 7X will have a maximum range of 5,700 nmi, reducing to 5,100 nmi at Mach 0.85, and 4,600 nmi at Mach 0.87.
In comparison, Gulfstream says the GV-SP will be capable of flying 6,000 nmi legs at Mach 0.85 and 5,000 nmi trips at Mach 0.87.