DASSAULT AVIATION test pilots Bruno Ferry and Fabrice Valette completed the maiden flight of the company’s latest Falcon business jet on March 10. The prototype Falcon 6X (F-WSIX, c/n 1) completed a 2hr 30min sortie from Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport in southern France, during which it reached a maximum altitude of 40,000ft (12,192m) and speed of Mach 0.8. No problems were encountered during the flight, with Ferry later commenting it demonstrated “precise handling in all phases of flight”.
Eric Trappier, chairman and chief executive officer of Dassault Aviation, stated that the flight was dedicated to Olivier Dassault – the grandson of company founder Marcel Dassault – who was killed in a helicopter crash three days before the Falcon 6X flew. Olivier Dassault achieved several point-to-point speed records in Falcons between 1977 and 1996.
After completing its initial evaluation at Bordeaux-Mérignac the prototype will relocate to Dassault’s facility at Istres-Le Tubé, near Marseille, where it will be joined by two further Falcon 6Xs for the flight test programme. Both of the additional aircraft were in final assembly by mid-March. Service entry is planned for late next year.