Second Dassault Falcon 10X Prototype Joins Flight Testing After September 24 First Flight
Why It MattersThe two-year slip of the 10X's service entry to 2029 shows how tighter post-Boeing 737 Max certification scrutiny is stretching development schedules for new long-range business jets.
A second Falcon 10X prototype (S/N 2) has been involved in flight testing since making its first flight from Dassault Aviation's Mérignac site near Bordeaux on September 24. Dassault confirmed that the aircraft has joined the first prototype of the long-range business jet, which is flying three sorties per week from Istres in southern France. Each flight lasts around four hours and is used to expand the flight envelope with higher speeds, angles of attack, and altitudes, Dassault told BJT.
The inaugural 10X prototype made its first flight on June 19. A month later, Dassault announced that the service entry target date for the new Falcon slipped by two years to 2029. Chairman and CEO Éric Trappier explained that additional time is needed because of the more stringent regulatory environment following the Boeing Max debacle.
In the latest edition of its Falcon FlightLine newsletter, Dassault also marked the 10th anniversary of its service center located next to the main assembly line at Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport (LFBD). Since 2016, the six-bay facility, which employs 70 people, has managed 600 maintenance projects, including 66 C-checks for Falcon 7X and 8X jets.
