Asian Sky Quarterly 2022 Q1

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undergoing “cold soak” testing, seeking temperatures down to
-40°C. The 17-person test team reports being really cold, but very
satisfied with the aircraft’s performance.
Test pilots have flown five examples of the aircraft for more than
600 hours, expanding the flight envelope from the slowest speeds
(the aircraft can land as slowly as 109 knots) to the fastest.
They’ve performed stalls in all sorts of weight and balance
combinations, landed with high crosswinds and tailwinds, mapped
a completed cabin for sound and for temperature variations, and
performed hundreds of other tests.
Their consensus is that the 6X has delightful flight
characteristics, even in comparison with other Falcon models, a
line known for precise handling. The 6X has the most advanced
fly-by-wire system in a Falcon to date, which helps explain the
pilot accolades. Previous fly-by-wire versions controlled ailerons,
elevators and the rudder. The 6X controls all moving surfaces,
including a new control device known as a flaperon, which aids in
the steep approaches required at some airports.
Last December, the aircraft operated for a week from Dassault’s
Paris-Le Bourget FBO, where it was fueled with a sustainable
aviation fuel (SAF) blend from TotalEnergies. The 6X can be
operated on up to 50 percent SAF. Sustainability has become
a major objective for many of Dassault’s customers’ flight
departments.
Meanwhile, detailed design is nearly complete for the 10X,
indisputably the largest and most advanced purpose built business
jet. The 10X has been designed to compete at the very top of the
business jet market, with a range of 7,500 nautical miles (13,900
km) and a maximum speed of Mach .925. The cabin dimensions
create new possibilities for highly customized environments where
passengers can be at home on trips up to 15 hours.
For example, aft staterooms of various lengths can be designed
and can be equipped with a true queen-size bed, something that
is not feasible in other ultra-long-range jets. Cabin dividers can
be spaced according to owner preference, creating an extra-large
dining area, for example, or a small, intimate TV room with a popup
large screen opposite a divan.
The 10X cabin is eight inches wider than the next largest cabin,
which happens to be the 6X and height is six feet, eight inches (2.03
meters), the tallest in the industry. Cabin volume is approximately
15 percent greater than ultra-long-range competitors.
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