EASA and FAA certification of Dassault’s Falcon 7X eight-passenger, 5,950-nm trijet are expected “soon,” with deliveries targeted for the second quarter, a Dassault spokesperson told AVwebBiz Tuesday. Dassault’s order book for the $39.2 million aircraft already stands 125 strong and the next available delivery position is now mid-2011. “We believe it’s the most successful large-cabin business jet ever…across the board,” said the spokesman. Dassault’s flight-test program for the aircraft has so far accumulated 1,500 flight test hours over more than 530 flights. As for performance, a December 20 trip was flown with a crew of three and the payload equivalent of eight passengers over 6,100 nm in just under 14 hours. The aircraft landed with 2,100 lbs of fuel remaining and averaged roughly 435 knots over the circuit. The company’s calendar targets FAA and EASA certification by the end of March. “It’s been busy,” the spokesman noted, and Dassault expects demand for the 7X in the coming years to cause internal growth by about 200 employees.
