Dassault Joins Central Fuselage of New Falcon 5X
SAINT-CLOUD, France - Program on schedule for 2015 first flight
Dassault Aviation has joined the main center fuselage subassemblies of the Falcon 5X, a key milestone in the production program for this innovative new large cabin twinjet.
The 5,200 nm Falcon 5X was unveiled at the National Business Aviation Association Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada last October and performed its first virtual flight on the simulator last November. It will complete assembly and begin ground tests this summer.
The aircraft will feature the largest cabin cross section and the most advanced flight controls in the industry. First flight is expected in the first half of 2015 and entry into service mid 2017.
Joined Together in Biarritz
The center fuselage subassemblies - the front and rear lower subassemblies and the upper subassembly - are part of the main center section, which includes the cabin and baggage hold. They arrived in March at Dassault's Biarritz plant in southwestern France and were joined there to the wing center section in mid-April.
Next month, the main center section will be joined to the forward section, comprising the cockpit, entryway and galley, and the rear section, which carries the empennage and power plant, forming the complete fuselage. Once fully assembled and pressure tested, the fuselage will be ready for shipment to the Merignac plant, near Bordeaux, for aircraft final assembly. Fuselage delivery is expected in the summer.
Meanwhile, automated wing assembly is well advanced at the Martignas plant, near Merignac, and work on equipping the first wing has begun. The wings are due to arrive at Merignac at the same time as the fuselage.
System Delivery Underway
First aircraft equipment and systems have been delivered, including the Heroux-Devtek landing gear. The Snecma (Safran) Silvercrest® engines will soon start podding operations and are due to arrive later this summer.
Landing gear tests have been completed and tests on other systems have begun, including avionics, fuel and air conditioning systems.
"We are extremely pleased with the way work is progressing," said Olivier Villa, Senior Vice President, Dassault Aviation, Civil Aircraft. "The center fuselage subassemblies fit perfectly and we expect to have the aircraft fully assembled and ready for testing by the summer, right on schedule."
"Thanks to our experience with the ultra long range Falcon 7X, the 5X benefits from fully mature production processes" said Villa, "and we are in a position to capitalize on and leverage that experience for the 5X."
The 5X uses the latest iteration of the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software, Version 6, which permits the aircraft to be designed, built and supported using a single database that is shared by Dassault and all suppliers and subcontractors involved in the project.
Dassault Falcon is the recognized global brand for Dassault business jets which are designed, manufactured and supported by Dassault Aviation and Dassault Falcon Jet Corp.
About Dassault Aviation
Dassault Aviation is a leading aerospace company with a presence in over 80 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 United States and service facilities around the globe. Since the rollout of the first Falcon 20 in 1963, over 2,250 Falcon jets have been delivered. The family of Falcon jets currently in production includes the tri-jets- the Falcon 900LX and the 7X- as well as the twin-engine 2000S, the Falcon 2000LXS and the new Falcon 5X.
About Dassault Falcon Jet
Dassault Falcon Jet Corp. is a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Dassault Aviation, France. Dassault Falcon Jet markets and supports the Falcon family of business jets throughout North America, South America and the Pacific Rim countries of Asia, including the People's Republic of China.
For more information about Dassault Falcon business jets, visit: http://www.dassaultfalcon.com
       Press Contacts
       Dassault Aviation (Saint-Cloud, France)
       Vadim Feldzer Tel. +33-1-47-11-44-13
       vadim.feldzer@dassault-aviation.com
       Marie-Alexandrine Fouillard Tel. +33-1-47-11-64-23
       marie-alexandrine.fouillard@dassault-aviation.com
       Dassault Falcon Jet (Teterboro Airport, USA)
       Andrew Ponzoni Tel. +1-201-541-45-88
       andrew.ponzoni@falconjet.com
       Grant Kielczewski Tel. +1-201-541-46-79
       grant.kielczewski@falconjet.com
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