Ground Test Units Being Used Extensively to Advance Systems Maturity
With parts manufacture now in full swing, Dassault Aviation is gearing up to produce initial subassemblies for the Falcon 10X, which will set a new standard in the ultra-long range business jet segment.
“All the elements for another great Falcon are literally coming together in our various production facilities,” remarked Dassault Aviation Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier. “This new aircraft, the largest purpose-built business jet on the market, will embody the latest technology and set a new benchmark for passenger experience.”
The first long-lead items including the landing gear, have been manufactured and are ready for assembly. A first fully representative composite wing is also being prepared for static and fatigue testing.
Development of the aircraft’s Rolls-Royce Pearl 10X is progressing well, too. Tests to date have demonstrated the reliability of the engine and shown it will fully meet its performance requirements. To date, Rolls-Royce has logged over 1,000 test hours on the 18,000 pound-plus thrust engine , including runs on 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Ground tests of the first complete power plant, including its new nacelle and EBU (Engine Build Up), are in preparation.
Rolls-Royce recently broke ground on a new production support facility adjacent to the aircraft final assembly line in Bordeaux-Mérignac. The flight test campaign for the Pearl 10X will take place on a Rolls-Royce flying test bed, scheduled to beginin 2023.
New approach in ground testing
With the Falcon 10X, Dassault is taking a new approach to ground testing, which will be used to demonstrate the maturity of all systems well before the aircraft even takes to the air.
Two multi-system test benches at Dassault’s Istres, France, flight test center will be utilized for the extensive ground test campaign. The benches are nearly identical and each is equipped with a full flight deck and subsystems computer suites representative of those used on the actual aircraft.
These test benches will verify proper functioning of avionics, engine controls, flight controls, hydraulics, electrical distribution, braking, fire protection and other aircraft systems.
A third test bench, at Dassault Aviation headquarters in Saint-Cloud, outside Paris, replicates the flight deck and flight control system.
ABOUT Dassault Aviation:
Dassault Aviation is a leading aerospace company with a presence in over 90 countries across six continents. Dassault designs and builds the family of Falcon business jets as well as the Rafale fighter jet. The company employs a workforce of over 12,000 and has production facilities in both France and the United States, and a worldwide service network. Since the rollout of the first Falcon 20 in 1963, over 2,650 Falcons have been delivered. The tri-jet and twin-engine lines offer outstanding efficiency and comfort, with ranges from 4,000 nm to 7,500nm. They include the new flagship Falcon 10X, the pioneering Falcon 7X and 8X, the extra widebody Falcon 6X, and the versatile Falcon 900LX and 2000LXS.
For more information about Dassault Falcon business jets, visit: www.dassaultfalcon.com
Contact Us
Vadim Feldzer
Head of Falcon Global Communications
Dassault Aviation
78 Quai Marcel Dassault
Cedex 300
Saint Cloud, Cedex 92552
France
Work Phone : +33 1 47 11 44 13
Andrew Ponzoni
Senior Manager, Communications
Dassault Falcon Jet
200 Riser Road
Little Ferry, NJ 07643
United States
Work Phone : +1 201 541 4588