Dassault Aviation’s new Falcon 5X is set to make its maiden flight this summer, following the unveiling of the highly anticipated jet in France.

The Falcon 5X is said to establish a new benchmark in the large-cabin, long-range business aviation market.

Presented at Dassault’s assembly facility in Bordeaux-Mérignac earlier this month before an audience of 400 customers, operators, suppliers and certification authority representatives, the 5X will offer the largest cabin cross-section of any purpose built business jet, according to the manufacturer.

And its 5,200 nautical miles (9,630 km) range will permit it to connect the majority of the world’s most heavily travelled city pairs.

Yet the new twinjet will be more fuel efficient than any other business jet in its category and will feature an approach speed of 105 knots – down in the turboprop range – offering even more airport options for business jet operators.

The Falcon 5X will be equipped with a new ultra-efficient wing, an advanced digital flight control system derived from the Rafale fighter jet and a brand new Snecma Silvercrest engine offering some 15 per cent more fuel efficiency than any other powerplant in its thrust class.

Other new features include a redesigned cockpit equipped with the third generation of Dassault’s award-winning EASy flight deck and state of the art aircraft and engine health monitoring systems.

“The Falcon 5X was designed in answer to operator demand for an aircraft in the 5,000 nm range that could provide more space and comfort than existing large body jets while combining the handling qualities, the low speed performance and operating economics which are the hallmark of Falcons,” says Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation. “Customers have already responded to the new aircraft with enthusiasm and we expect it to become every bit as popular as the 7X, the fastest selling Falcon we’ve ever built.”

Final assembly and testing of the Falcon 5X is taking place at the Mérignac facility near Bordeaux, which has seen the delivery of more than 8,000 Dassault civil and military aircraft, including 2,300 Falcons, since it opened in 1949.

The first 5X was powered up and started system ground tests last autumn. It was joined by aircraft no. 2 earlier this year.

Testing on the global simulation bench, which replicates the 5X’s main systems, is well advanced, and the static and fatigue test campaign on a dedicated airframe has begun. Testing of the Falcon 5X’s Silvercrest engine is also progressing, both on the ground and on Snecma’s flying test bed.

The aircraft’s maiden flight is anticipated before the end of the summer.

Dassault Aviation is a leading aerospace company with a presence in over 90 countries across five continents. It produces the Rafale fighter jet as well as the complete line of Falcons. The company employs a workforce of over 11,000 and has assembly and production plants in both France and the US and service facilities around the globe. 

Dassault offers a range of six business jets from the twin-engine 3,350 nm large-cabin Falcon 2000S to its new flagship, the tri-engine 6,450 nm ultra-long range Falcon 8X.