Dassault has unveiled its new flagship, the Falcon 8X. The company says the first Falcon 8X is on track for a maiden flight in the first quarter of 2015. Three aircraft, including one with a full cabin interior, will be used in the flight test and certification campaign. Deliveries are expected to begin in the second half of 2016.
The Falcon 8X was announced at EBACE 2014. It will have a range of 6,450 nautical miles and a cabin 3.5ft longer than the Falcon 7X.
Final assembly and testing of the Falcon 8X is taking place at Dassault’s Charles Lindbergh hall at Merignac, France. The facility was built to handle production of the Falcon 7X, and the Falcon 8X will draw on the digital design and manufacturing techniques pioneered with the Falcon 7X.
The Falcon 8X cabin will be 6ft 2in high, 7ft 8in wide and 42ft 8in long, enabling it to offer more than 30 cabin configurations. Customers will be able to choose from three sizes of galley – two with a crew-rest option – and lounges of varying lengths capable of supporting a range of lavatory layouts, including a lavatory with shower.
