Pratt & Whitney Canada (PW&C) has received Transport Canada type certification for the PW812D turbofan that powers the Dassault Falcon 6X, moving the twinjet a step closer toward its planned late 2022 certification. More than 4,900 hours of testing has been conducted on the PW812D, including more than 1,150 of flight testing, along with 20,000 hours on the engine core that it shares with the company’s Pratt & Whitney GTF, according to P&WC.
The engine delivers 13,500 pounds of thrust and is expected to provide the 6X with a range of 5,100 nm at Mach 0.85. “It’s a major step forward in fuel efficiency, maintainability and performance, helping make the 6X an outstanding new Falcon,” said Dassault Aviation chairman and CEO Eric Trappier. “With this milestone and the aircraft’s test program progressing smoothly, we are on track for a successful and timely entry into service of the Falcon 6X.”
Dassault’s three flight-test 6Xs have logged more than 500 hours and 150 flights to date. Soon, an initial production 6X with a fully outfitted cabin will join the development program for a global tour to evaluate aircraft and system performance, including operation in remote locations and other “challenging environments,” according to Dassault.
In November, a Falcon 6X test aircraft landed at Paris-Le Bourget Airport, where the French airframer said it became one of the first aircraft to refuel in the field using a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blend from TotalEnergies. Dassault said it will continue to use SAF in the 6X testing to minimize its carbon footprint.