BUSINESS JET AT THE SPEED OF SOUND

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BUSINESS JET AT THE SPEED OF SOUND

by Sergio Barlocchetti - ph. courtesy by Dassault

The French company’s new flagship is the Falcon 10X. It will fly halfway round the world powered by a Rolls-Royce engine burning entirely sustainable fuel. The cabin is the largest and quietest in aviation history

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models. An entirely new modularity provides the opportunity to create a number of layouts. As Trappier explains, “The 10X is large enough to accommodate four cabin zones of equal length but owners can configure their cabin to create a truly customized interior, including for example, an expanded dining-conference area, a dedicated entertainment area with a large-screen monitor, a private stateroom with a queen-size bed or an enlarged master suite with a private stand-up shower.”

The 10X will boast a cabin section larger than that of any regional passenger aircraft, with a headroom of 2.03 m (6.8 ft) and a width of 2.77 m (9.1 ft), almost 20 cm (8 inches) wider and 2 inches (5 cm) taller than its nearest rivals, the Bombardier Global 7500 and the Gulfstream G700. The new materials used will make the interior environment unusually quiet, with noise levels about on a par with those of an electric car.

The Falcon 10X will have a totally new fuselage with almost 50% larger windows compared to the current flagship of the Falcon line, the 8X. There are 38 windows, helping create the brightest cabin ever designed in the business aviation sector. The wing that enables such a high cruising speed will be made of caron fibre composites for maximum strength and reduced aerodynamic drag.

The engine chosen for this model is the Rolls Royce Pearl 10X, also currently in the development stage, providing 18,000 lbs of

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thrust. The technological heart of the Pearl 10X is the Advance2 system, the most efficient available in the business jet sector, with f there’s one aircraft builder that likes to stand out, it’s

an improvement of over 5 per cent.

Dassault. Only a few days after the inaugural flight of its first

This provides operators with unprecedented airport access,

Falcon 6X the French company is presenting the next flagship

enabling the aircraft to take off and land on short runways and

of its fleet, the Falcon 10X. It’s claimed to be the world’s most

fly to extremely long-range destinations at the speed of sound.

technological executive aircraft, and the only one in its class with

The engine is under development at the Rolls-Royce Center of

a range of 7,500 miles, enabling it to fly non-stop from New York

Excellence in Dahlewitz, Germany, and is currently undergoing

to Shanghai, Los Angeles to Sydney or Hong Kong to New York

a series of tests involving 3D printed components. It will be able

at a speed of Mach 0.925 (theoretically, over 1,140 kph). We’ll

to operate with 100% sustainable aviation fuel. The flight deck of

have to wait until it is built and then certified in 2025, but it’s

the Falcon 10X features a digital platform that is directly derived

already possible to pre-order, and around ten clients have already

from the military systems on board the Rafale fighter, optimised

decided to invest in this new gem. During the presentation

to reduce crew workload. There is, of course, a single-button

Dassault CEO Eric Trappier said, “The Falcon 10X will offer

recovery mode that if activated will restore the aircraft to a safe

an unrivalled passenger experience over both short and long-

trajectory. The avionics will include the FalconEye augmented

duration flights, along with breakthrough safety features from

synthetic vision system, HUD screen and flight characteristics

Dassault’s frontline fighter technology. We have optimized every

that enable the 10X to be flown in conditions of zero visibility.

aspect of the aircraft with the passenger in mind and established

Now we come to the moment to reveal the price of this wonder

a new level of capability for ultra-long-range aircraft.”

– at least 75 million dollars plus the cost of any options the client

The performance may be impressive, but so are the cabin

may choose – and the list of these on offer, it goes without saying,

specifications – it will be the tallest and most comfortable in the

is unlimited.

sector of business airplanes that are not derived from commercial

dassault-aviation.com

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The innovative design of the new Falcon 10X’s cabin, with larger windows than on the previous model. Below, the interiors projected for the new flagship of the Dassault fleet, with a large bed and spacious galley.

Opposite, An early image of the Falcon 10X in flight. Note the large number of windows in the fuselage side

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