Dassault Falcon 50
| Falcon 50 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Role | Business jet |
| Manufacturer | Dassault Aviation |
| First flight | 7 November 1976 |
| Status | Active |
| Primary users | Armee de l'Air South African Air Force Italian Air Force |
| Produced | 1976–2008[1] |
| Number built | 352 |
| Developed from | Dassault Falcon 20 |
| Variants | Dassault Falcon 900 |
The Dassault Falcon 50 is a French-built super mid-sized, long-range corporate jet, featuring a three jet engine layout with an S-duct central engine. It has the same fuselage cross section and similar capacity as the earlier Falcon 20 twinjet but is a completely new design that is area ruled and includes a more advanced wing design.[2]
Design and development
The first prototype flew on 7 November 1976, with French airworthiness certification on 27 February 1979, followed by U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certification on 7 March 1979.[2] Dassault developed a maritime surveillance and environmental protection version as the Gardian 50[3]
The Falcon 50 was later replaced by the Falcon 50EX, the first of which flew in 1996,[4] and the last of which was delivered in 2008.[1] The Falcon 50EX features improved engines and other enhancements to give further range improvements to an already long-legged jet. It remains a very popular corporate jet for its long-range, luxury, and for the recognition of status for owning a fast three-engined jet. The Falcon 50EX designation applies to serial numbers 251, and 253–352, which marks the end of the production line for the Falcon 50/50EX.
The last Falcon 50EX was built in late 2007 and delivered in early 2008.
Successors of the Falcon 50 are the Falcon 7X[5] and the Falcon 900 featuring a larger fuselage and the same three-engine arrangement. Dassault announced in January 2008 what is essentially a replacement aircraft for the Falcon 50, codenamed the "SMS" (Super Mid Size). The basic design process, including engine select was supposed to be completed by the early 2009. However, in a June 2009 press conference, CEO Charles Edelstenne said that all design choices had been reopened and the goal was extended to the end of the year.
Dassault and Aviation Partners Inc. have announced that High Mach blended winglets were being developed for the Falcon 50 as a retrofit kit.
Operators
- The Italian Air Force operated four Falcon 50s from 1985 until 2005, when two aircraft were retired[6]
- CABI Airlines
Former operators
- Royal Jordanian Air Force
- Jordanian Royal Flight
Accidents and incidents
- Assassination of Juvénal Habyarimana and Cyprien Ntaryamira: Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana, Burundian President Cyprien Ntaryamira, the Chief of Staff of the Rwandan military, two Burundian ministers, and seven others were killed when Habyarimana's Dassault Falcon 50 was shot down over Kigali airport on 6 April 1994.[7] The assassination of Habyarimana triggered the Rwandan genocide. The plane crashed on the grounds of the presidential residence.[8]
- 2014 Falcon 50 Vnukovo ground collision: On 20 October 2014 (2014.10.201.2357 Moscow Local Time) Falcon 50EX F-GLSA was departing from Vnukovo International Airport on a flight to Paris when the landing gear hit a SnowPlough snow removal vehicle. The aircraft attempted to land after the pilot reported an engine fire and damage to the fuselage, the Falcon landing gear collapsed when it landed hard and the aircraft turned upside down and was destroyed by fire. All four on board were killed, three crew members (Yann Pican, Maxime Rassiat,Ruslana Vervelle) and CEO of Total S.A. oil and gas company Christophe de Margerie.[9]
Specifications
Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1988–89 [10]
General characteristics
- Crew: Two
- Capacity: 8 to 9 passengers
- Length: 60 ft 9¼ in (18.52 m)
- Wingspan: 61 ft 10½ in (18.86 m)
- Height: 22 ft 10½ in (6.98 m)
- Wing area: 504.1 ft² (46.83 m²)
- Empty weight: 20,200 lb (9,163 kg)
- Max. takeoff weight: 38,800 lb (17,600 kg) Falcon 50; 40,780 lbs (18,500 kb) Falcon 50EX ()
- Powerplant: 3 × Garrett TFE731-3-1C on Falcon 50 / 3 x Honeywell TFE731-40 on Falcon 50EX models turbofan engines, 16.5 kN (3,700 lbf) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: Mach 0.86 Indicated Mach (0.842 True Mach) (900 km/h, 484 knots, 557 mph)
- Cruise speed: Mach 0.80 Indicated Mach (0.786 True Mach) (837 km/h, 452 knots, 520 mph)
- Range: 3,000 NM, 3,450 sm / 5,555 km (Falcon 50); 3,220 NM, 3,700 sm / 5,965 km (Falcon 50EX) ()
- Service ceiling: 49,000 ft (14,935 m) - Typical Cruise Altitude 37,000 ft Falcon 50; 41,000-43,000 ft Falcon 50EX
Avionics
Collins ProLine4 Falcon 50EX
See also
- Related development
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
- Related lists
References
Notes
- 1 2 http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/05/13/223620/what-crisis-business-aviation-continues-to-ride-high.-we-look-at-manufacturers-latest-offerings.html
- 1 2 Taylor 1988, p.75.
- ↑ Taylor 1993, p.928
- ↑ http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/1996/05/01/17122/dassault-flies-falcon-50ex-for-first-time.html
- ↑ http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2002/07/16/151403/longer-faster-7x.html
- ↑ Official website Aeronautica Militare
- ↑ "ASN Aircraft accident Dassault Falcon 50 9XR-NN Kigali". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
- ↑ Raymond Bonner (November 12, 1994). "Unsolved Rwanda Mystery: The President's Plane Crash". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
- ↑ Accident description for ASN Aircraft accident 20-OCT-2014 Dassault Falcon 50EX F-GLSA at the Aviation Safety Network
- ↑ Taylor 1988, pp.75–76.
Bibliography
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1993). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions.
- Taylor, John W. R. (editor). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1988–89. Coulsdon, Surrey, UK: Jane's Information Group. ISBN 0-7106-0867-5.
External links
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