Dassault’s answer to the immensely profitable Bombardier Global 8000 and Gulfstream G800 ultra-long-range business jets, the Falcon 10X, made its public debut and raised speculation about an imminent first flight earlier this week. The regional airliner-sized business jet was spotted on the ramp outside the Dassault assembly plant at Bordeaux-Merignac airport in southwestern France by French aviation news outlet Actu Aero. The aircraft has been under tight wraps throughout its development, but Dassault had no choice but to bring it outside for the engine tests that generally herald a start to the flight test phase.
There appear to be no surprises between the numerous artists’ renderings that have been shared over the past few years and the actual aircraft, which made its first appearance in the pastel green of anti-corrosion paint. The drab debut notwithstanding, Dassault hopes those with the wherewithal to own this class of airplane won’t mind the wait. The Falcon 10X is 110 feet long with an almost identical wingspan and will go 7,500 nautical miles at speeds of up to Mach 0.925 although normal cruise is in the high 8s. It’s powered by Rolls-Royce Pearl Engines. The passenger cabin offers four zones and a pressurized altitude of 41,000 feet.
Russ, you might want to move that Mach decimal point one to the right… 😉
Fixed now, thank you! Yeah, Mach 0.09 wouldn’t be too impressive!
And maybe drop a zero off the pressurized altitude…..
So it looks like the Global, performs like the Global and Gulfstream, and is in no way remarkable in any aspect, other than being late to the party. What’s the point, other than to possibly dilute the market? A small, irrelevant manufacturer trying desperately to grab a tiny fraction of the market?
That seems a bit harsh. Whilst Gulfstream’s current product line outsells Dassault about 4 to 1, that doesn’t make Dassault irrelevant/desperate/tiny.
I love the 41,000 foot cabin! Keeps the noise level down (due to no air) and I’d guess the inhabitants consume a lot of O2. For a 7500 mile trip, all 40 O2 bottles must be topped off prior to departure.