Dassault Falcon 900
| Dassault Falcon 900 | |
|---|---|
 Falcon 900EX at Farnborough International Airshow |
|
| Type: | Business jet |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
September 21, 1984 |
| Commissioning: |
1986 |
| Production time: |
In series production since 1984 |
| Number of pieces: |
> 500 as of 2013 |
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The Dassault Falcon 900 (originally called Falcon Gros Fuselage ) is a three -engine business jet from the Falcon series of the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation . The first flight took place in 1984, and in 1987 the first machine was handed over to a customer. Of the eight variants built, the two newest, Falcon 900DX and 900LX, are still in production today. The Dassault Falcon 2000 is a downsized twin-engine version of the Falcon 900.
history
In the early 1980s, Dassault faced increasing competition for its top model, the Falcon 50, with aircraft such as the Gulfstream III or the Challenger 601 , which scored points above all with significantly more spacious cabins . Therefore, while maintaining the basic design of the Falcon 50, a completely new long-haul aircraft was developed, which was initially called the Falcon Gros Fuselage (in German roughly Falcon with a large fuselage ). The biggest change concerned - as indicated in the project name - the completely new cabin, which had a volume increased by around 80%. There were also more efficient and more powerful engines and an increased range. In contrast, the supercritical wing of the Falcon 50 was adopted without significant changes .
The project was presented to the public in May 1983 and the first flight took place in Mérignac on September 21, 1984 . On March 14, 1986, the French aviation security authority granted approval and that of the FAA followed a week later. The first machine was delivered to a customer on December 19, 1986.
By 2008, more than 500 aircraft of the different variants of the Falcon 900 had been ordered, of which over 400 had been delivered. At least 30 of these machines were ordered by governments and state authorities. The annual production rate is around 30 machines.
technology
The Falcon 900 is a three-engine business jet in a low-wing design . Three TFE731-5 engines from Honeywell International serve as the drive , whereby the air inlet for the middle engine is arranged in an S-shape (so-called S-Duct). The range is 7000 km, the maximum speed at Mach 0.87, the maximum cruising speed at Mach 0.84 and the long-distance cruising speed at Mach 0.75.
The cabin height has been increased from 1.8 m to 1.88 m, which now enables continuous standing height, and the width has been increased by almost 50 cm to 2.35 m, which significantly increases the available space. The extension of the cabin by almost 3 m to 10.11 m also contributes to this. A total of eight to twelve people can be offered with the usual interior design, and up to 15 people with smaller seating. With very close seating in rows of three, up to 19 people can be accommodated.
During development Dassault relied heavily on the CAD program CATIA , which was developed in-house, which simplified and accelerated the design. In particular, there was no need to build a model. The use of new materials such as Kevlar , carbon fiber and titanium was taken over from the combat aircraft division , which established the lightweight construction that is characteristic of Dassault.
Versions
Falcon 900B
The 900B represents a further development with improved and more efficient TFE731-5BR engines, which allow a greater range. Specifically, the range increased by 400 km to 7400 km. In addition, the climbing performance could be improved, which had proven to be insufficient on hot days with the original version. With the introduction of the Falcon 900B in 1991, production of the Falcon 900 was discontinued. For customers of older aircraft, a conversion to the new engines was offered, which was also used for most aircraft. The first flight of the Falcon 900B took place in 1985 - even before the first Falcon 900 was handed over to a customer. The Falcon 900B is used by Namibia as a government machine .
Falcon 900C
The C variant is aerodynamically identical to the 900B, but the revised Primus 2000 cockpit of the 900EX has been adopted without adopting the other improvements. The 900C took off for the first time on December 17, 1998, and at the beginning of 2000 the first machine was handed over to a customer.
Falcon 900EX
In contrast to the 900C, the EX variant is a comprehensive modernization. The model was presented to the public in October 1994, first flew in June 1995 and was registered in May 1996. The TFE731-60 engine, which has been improved once again, serves as the drive, offering a slight increase in performance and an increase in efficiency. The latter, together with additional fuel tanks, increased the range to around 8,400 km. The cockpit was also revised, in which a Honeywell Primus 2000 glass cockpit is now used. This can also be ordered with a head-up display as an option . The 900EX was always built parallel to another variant, initially the 900B, then the 900C and finally the 900DX. The long range made the Falcon 900EX popular with governments; the German Federal Intelligence Service also has such an aircraft with the registration D-AZEM.
Falcon 900EX EASy
The Falcon 900EX EASy is identical to the 900EX except for the cockpit. A new type of glass cockpit with four color screens is used in the cockpit, which was jointly developed by Dassault and Honeywell under the name EASy. The first flight was made in 2002.
Falcon 900DX
The 900DX largely corresponds to the EX EASy, but without the additional tanks, so that the range is lower. Accordingly, the costs are lower and therefore replaces the Falcon 900C. The project was presented in May 2004, on May 13 of the same year the model took off for the first time and in October the 900DX was approved.
Falcon 900LX
In May 2008, the 900LX, the last version for the time being, was announced. The LX is based on the EX, but has blended winglets from Aviation Partners Inc. (API), which increases the wingspan by 2.06 m and improves efficiency by around 5%. The maximum range increases accordingly by around 400 to around 8,800 km. The originally promised range of 8,890 km was not achieved. The goal of equipping the LX with the new EASy-II cockpit from the start , which is currently being developed by Dassault in cooperation with Honeywell, could also not be achieved. Instead, it should now be available in 2011 or 2012. The approval was granted in June 2010, but the flight tests will be continued in order to obtain approval for CAT III approaches. The winglets of the LX are to be available as a retrofit kit for the existing Falcon 900EX, with which the same flight performance should be achieved as with the newly built LX.
Falcon 900MSA
Two maritime patrols were delivered to the Japanese Maritime Security Agency , which received special equipment such as a radar, an infrared device and a control station.
Dassault markets a similar but more modern aircraft under the name Falcon 900MPA, which is particularly equipped with the Searchwater radar from Thales . So far, however, no buyer has been won.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Falcon 900 | Falcon 900B / C | Falcon 900EX (EASy) | Falcon 900DX | Falcon 900LX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length: | 20.23 m | ||||
| Span: | 19.33 m | 21.38 m | |||
| Height: | 7.55 m | ||||
| Wing area: | 49.02 m 2 | ||||
| Hull diameter: | 2.5 m | ||||
| Cabin length: | 10.11 m | ||||
| Cabin width: | 2.35 m | ||||
| Cabin height: | 1.88 m | ||||
| Maximum range: | approx. 7,000 km | approx. 7,400 km | approx. 8,400 km | approx. 7,700 km | approx. 8,800 km |
| Top speed: | Mach 0.87 | ||||
| Max. Cruising speed: | Mach 0.84 | ||||
| Service ceiling: | 15,550 m | ||||
| Maximum take-off weight: | ? | 20,640 kg | 21,910 kg | 21,183 kg | 21,910 kg |
| Setup weight: | ? | 10,255 kg | 11,204 kg | 11,099 kg | 11,709 kg |
| Takeoff route: | ? | 1,505 m | 1,520 m | 1,380 m | 1,560 m |
| Landing route: | ? | 716 m | 725 m | 721 m | 736 m |
| Crew: | 2 | ||||
| Passengers: | 8 to 19 depending on the seating | ||||
| Engines: | three Honeywell TFE731-5 | three Honeywell TFE731-5BR | three Honeywell TFE731-60 | ||
| Thrust: | ? | 21.24 kN | 22.24 kN | ||
Comparable models
literature
- Efficiency in a triad , in: Flug Revue, October 2010, pp. 38–42.
- C. Müller: Planes of the World 1999 , Verlag Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Zurich, 1999, ISBN 3-85823-760-4
- C. Müller: Planes of the World 2003 , Verlag Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Zurich, 2003, ISBN 3-03823-155-X
- C. Müller: Airplanes of the World 2009 , Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart, 2009, ISBN 978-3-613-03008-4
Web links
- Type certification of the Dassault Falcon MF50, MF900 and F900EX - EASA-TCDS-A.062 (PDF; 503 kB)
- Manufacturer's website:
- Falcon 900 on aerospace-technology.com
- Jet Advisors:
Individual evidence
- ↑ Press release Dassault: Dassault Falcon Marks 20 Year Anniversary of the Falcon 900
- ↑ Data sheet 900C on Aerospace Technology
- ↑ FlugRevue October 2010, pp. 38–42, Efficiency in the triad - Dassault and his three-beam engines
- ↑ Spiegel Online: BND flies 900EX D-AZEM, June 8, 2012
- ↑ Data sheet Falcon 900 at Airliners.net (English)
- ↑ Press release on the 900DX at FlugRevue (English) ( Memento of the original from June 5, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Dassault Announces Fuel Efficient Falcon 900LX (PDF; 12 kB)
