Story ID: 465 Falcon 10X
Dassault’s Ultimate Falcon Begins To Take Shape
By: Cathy Buyck
Caption: Dassault has begun component assembly of the Falcon 10X in anticipation of final assembly of the first example starting next year.
Word Count: 663
Along with marking the global public debut of the Falcon 6X this week at EBACE 2022, Dassault Aviation (Booth Z67, Static AD_20) is displaying a full-size cabin mockup of its Falcon 10X for the first time in Europe as the company’s largest business jet to date moves into the production phase. “We are making excellent progress in getting this new aircraft into production, and the coming months will see an increasing flow of parts, subsystems, and large structures into our facilities,” said Dassault chairman and CEO Eric Trappier. 
The 10X mockup on display this week in Geneva has a cabin configuration that differs from the one shown in October at NBAA-BACE—which is remaining in the U.S.—and emphasizes the highly modular design and flexible arrangements of the interior. Dassault unveiled the 10X, its largest and longest-range aircraft yet, in May 2021. Intended range is 7,500 nm at Mach 0.85 with a maximum operating Mmo of Mach 0.925.
In addition to its globe-girdling capability, the cabin is larger, wider, and taller than any currently available traditional business jet. Both the 6X and 10X, with their super-sized circumferences, mark a sharp departure from the Falcon line’s traditional modest ramp scale, reflecting a change in customer demands. With the new models, Dassault also makes clear that it will not leave that market to its rivals.
The 10X’s cabin will boast an interior width of nine feet one inch and a height of six feet eight inches. By comparison, the Gulfstream G700 cabin measures eight feet two inches wide and six feet three inches tall, while the Bombardier Global 7500 is eight feet wide and six feet two inches high. All three jets’ cabin volume is nearly similar at around 2,700 cu ft. While the Global 7500’s published range of 7,700 nm is 200 nm longer than that of the 10X and G700, all three have price tags of around $75 million (2021 dollars).Jet’s Smart Throttle-equipped neXus flight deck.
On the flight deck, the 10X pilots will benefit from the Honeywell-based neXus next-generation flight deck, with large touchscreen displays throughout and smart sidestick controllers. Perhaps the most innovative feature is a single-lever Smart Throttle that controls both engines, which enables the addition of the 10X’s recovery mode.
Power comes from a pair of Rolls-Royce Pearl 10X turbofans, each rated at more than 18,000 pounds of thrust. The first example recently began running on the test stand at the engine manufacturer’s Dahlewitz factory in Germany and surpassed its target thrust level on the first run. It has now passed 1,000 hours of testing, including a number of runs fueled by 100 percent SAF.
Detail design of the 10X is nearly finished and the main wind tunnel testing is complete. Leveraging its experience in manufacturing composite wings for its Rafale fighter, Dassault said the 10X’s highly-swept wings will be made of carbon-fiber materials, making it the company's first civil airplane with composite wings. The first sets of structural components, equipment, and subassemblies for the 10X are being constructed at Dassault's facilities across Europe and North America, including the company’s new factory 4.0 smart facility at Seclin in northern France.
A new production hall at the Biarritz facility in southwestern France is dedicated to 10X wing manufacture, with the first structure now in final assembly for placement in a static test rig during the summer. Systems and flight controls will be tested and developed on various test benches, including a multi-system integration bench with subsystem computers at Dassault’s flight test facility at Istres, near Marseille.
Trappier reported that the first Falcon 10X is due to enter final assembly early next year. First flight is expected around a year later, with entry into service slated for late 2025, shortly after certification.