Dassault's fuel efficient Falcon 900LX to replace 900EX

Dassault has announced the 900LX, the next member of the highly efficient family of Falcon business jets. The Falcon 900LX will be  built on the same platform as the Falcon 900EX EASy but will feature winglets and an extended range to 4,800 nautical miles.

Certification is expected in the first half of 2010 and deliveries will start mid-2010 replacing the Falcon 900EX on the production line.

''The 900LX will make one of the most popular Falcon series much more capable, economical and environmentally responsible to operate – an issue that means more today than ever before,'' said John Rosanvallon, president and CEO of Dassault Falcon. ''Our customers have been telling us that efficiency is becoming a bigger part of the decision making process when acquiring a business jet. The 900LX will be the most efficient airplane in its class even more so.''

Following initial flight testing, the Falcon 900LX's improved wing aerodynamics demonstrated a reduction in drag by as much as 7%, offering corresponding range and efficiency improvements over the Falcon 900EX. Climb performance will be also improved by 10% allowing the airplane to reach FL390 in just 20 minutes. The 900LX will feature 55-70% better efficiency than other airplanes in its class.

Stronger wing reinforcements due to higher wing loading are necessary to accommodate the winglets which were originally designed by Aviation Partners (API) for the Falcon 2000EX programme. Some systems' changes are necessary as well to accommodate the new configuration.

Dassault Falcon and API's intent is to propose a retrofit program for in-service Falcon 900 operators. To complement its extended range, the new 900LX offers the same spacious, quiet interior as the 900EX but with an expanded list of city pairs. The 900LX will be able to fly from New York to Moscow; Paris to Beijing and Mumbai to London.

Also, the design makes it the only business jet in its class capable of landing with fuel tanks nearly full. The 900LX can leave Washington DC for New York and continue to Moscow without adding fuel. Likewise, the airplane can leave Paris with four passengers, pick up four more in Geneva and continue to Beijing without adding fuel.

The aircraft comes standard with the award-winning EASy flight deck. The EASy flight deck is designed to reduce pilot workload and improve pilot interaction through elevated situational awareness in the cockpit. Today, over 215 EASy equipped aircraft are in operation.

The Falcon 900LX will be powered by the same Honeywell TFE731-60 engines as the900EX. Each of the three turbofans is rated at 5,000 lbs of thrust (ISA + 17C), and the Falcon unique three-engine configuration offers significant benefits in runway performance and added security on long over-water flights. The Honeywell TFE731-60 engines have accumulated nearly 540,000 flight hours and have proven to be highly reliable and efficient.

Since the first delivery of the Falcon 900 in 1986, more than 400 Falcon 900 aircraft of the various models (900B, 900C, 900EX, 900EX EASy and 900DX) have been delivered. Serial number 500 will soon be sold. Every Falcon 900 built is still in operation today.

Dassault Falcon is responsible for selling and supporting Falcon business jets throughout the world. It is part of Dassault Aviation, a leading aerospace company with a presence in over 70 countries across 5 continents. Dassault Aviation produces the renowned Mirage and Rafale fighter jets as well as a complete line of Falcon business jets.

Since the roll out of the first Falcon 20 in 1963, over 2000 Falcon jets have been sold worldwide. The family of Falcon jets currently in production includes the tri-jets-the Falcon 7X, the Falcon 900DX and the new 900LX-as well as the twin-engine Falcon 2000LX and 2000DX.