Dassault Falcon 10X Bizjet Makes First Test Flight

Dassault Aviation made the first flight with its Falcon 10X on Friday, kicking off a test campaign it hopes will lead to type certification in 2027. The ultra-long-range business jet took off from runway 23 at Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport (LFBD) at 11.10 a.m., landing two-and-a-half hours later at 1.40 p.m., the French manufacturer reported.

Test pilots Sébastien Dupont de Dinechin and co-pilot Fabrice Dougnac were at the controls to conduct an initial evaluation of the 10X’s handling qualities at 15,000 feet. Then they retracted the landing gear and all movable surfaces before climbing to 40,000 feet where they accelerated to Mach 0.82.

The first example of the new jet will soon be joined by a second test aircraft that is nearing completion at Dassault’s Mérignac factory. This will be followed by a third 10X fitted out with a full cabin interior that will be used mainly for evaluating aircraft systems and cabin functionality and reliability.

“Today’s flight was the culmination of years of work by thousands of Dassault employees and partners,” de Dinechin commented. “It paid off in a flight that went as planned and was a delight to fly.”

Dassault rolled out the first of the new Falcons at an event in Bordeaux on March 10. With the widest cabin in its class, the 10X is expected to offer eight-passenger range of 7,500 nm and a top speed of Mach 0.925.

"This inaugural flight is another milestone for Dassault," said the group's chairman and CEO Eric Trappier." It is a reflection of the dedication and high skill of our engineering, production, and flight teams, and also the quality of our global network of partners. All of us our excited to see this day as we launch the new phase of the 10X."

The clean-sheet design is powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Pearl 10X turbofans, delivering more than 18,000 pounds of thrust. The flight deck features the NeXus avionics suite developed with Honeywell.