The highly anticipated Falcon 10X has officially taken to the skies, completing a successful two-and-a-half-hour maiden flight. During this flight, the Dassault Aviation jet reached Mach 0.82 at 40,000 feet. The smooth takeoff and flawless execution of the sortie showcased the program’s maturity. In addition, it formally marked the start of a new flight-test campaign aimed at the global market.
“This first flight is another historic milestone for Dassault,” said Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation. “It reflects the dedication and high level of skill of our engineering, manufacturing, and flight-test teams, as well as the quality of our global network of partners. We are all thrilled to see this day as we move into an exciting new phase of the Falcon 10X’s development.”
A 2.5-Hour Test Over Bordeaux
Piloted by Test Pilot Sébastien Dupont de Dinechin and co-pilot Fabrice Dougnac, the Falcon 10X departed from runway 23 at Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport in France at 11:10 AM. The crew initially climbed to 15,000 feet to evaluate the aircraft’s aerodynamic handling characteristics and subsystems. After successfully cycling the landing gear and all movable surfaces, they pushed the jet higher. Consequently, they climbed to 40,000 feet to really test its limits. At that altitude, the platform hit Mach 0.82 and met all performance expectations. The business jet touched back down at Bordeaux–Mérignac at 1:40 PM local time, thereby wrapping up a textbook landing.
Reflecting on the sortie, Test Pilot De Dinechin highlighted the jet’s performance, saying, “Today’s flight was the culmination of years of hard work by thousands of Dassault employees and partners. Everything went according to plan, and the aircraft was an absolute joy to fly.”
A Comprehensive Test Program with Three Prototypes
Dassault Aviation is drawing on its extensive experience in both civil and military manufacturing and design for this project. As a result, it shows.
In the coming days, the first test aircraft will be joined on the assembly line by a second prototype. This second prototype is already in its final stages of assembly. Later, a third Falcon 10X, fully fitted with a complete interior cabin, will also join the campaign. This aircraft will be used to handle verification tests for in-flight systems, cabin comfort, and overall reliability parameters.
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Source: C4Defence-Dassault Aviation
