Falcon 5X in the spotlight

Dassault’s display at JetExpo 2014 is highlighted by the Russian debut of a full-size cabin mockup of the Falcon 5X, the all-new largest member of the Falcon family. The 770 cm-long cabin features the main seating area with a forward, four-chair club section, a mid-cabin four-seat conference grouping and a separate aft lounge. The 5X cabin is the widest and tallest (196 cm) of all Falcons. Its innovative feature is the Skylight window in the front section ceiling.

A clean-sheet design, 5Х is distinct not only in its fuselage cross-section. It has a new wing, new Silvercrest engines by Snecma (Safran Group) and improved digital flight control system functionality. The OEM claims the 16-seat jet’s range (with eight passengers on board, at M 0.8) will reach 9630 km.

The program, announced a year ago, is proceeding towards the start of flight testing due next year: the assembly of the first test aircraft (airframe, equipment and engines) is now complete, the electrical and fuel systems are being tested, to be followed by fly-by-wire tests.

Dassault does not disclose the details of the $45 million’s worth order backlog. However, the company says, the 5X and its other new model, the 8X, have been well received by the market. “Falcon sales in Russia are promising for 2014, as we cumulate as many sales for the first half of 2014 as for the whole year 2013,” a company spokesman told Show Observer.