Dassault Aviation’s (
www.dassault-aviation.com) new ‘flagship’ aircraft, the Falcon 8X, is entering the final stages of its flight test and certification program as work proceeds to prepare the ultra-long-range tri-jet for initial delivery.
The three aircraft in the flight test program have nearly completed all certification test requirements and have accumulated over 650 flight hours in 325 flights.
After undergoing thermal, acoustic and cabin amenity testing at the Little Rock Completion Center in Arkansas, s/n 03 — the first 8X equipped with a fully fitted interior — returned to the Istres Flight Test Center near Marseille last month to prepare for cold soak trials.
Intended to demonstrate aircraft system functionality under extreme weather conditions, the trials were conducted at Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, on the north-western shore of Canada’s Hudson Bay.
All systems — including avionics, electrical, hydraulic and digital flight control systems — performed flawlessly during the tests, despite temperatures dropping to -27°F.
Eric Trappier, chairman/CEO of Dassault Aviation, said: “We are delighted and thrilled with the way the Falcon 8X programme is proceeding. The flight test campaign has been flawless, and the aircraft will be in initial customers’ hands this summer — just as planned when we launched development three years ago.”