Falcon 900

Falcon 900 is announced at the 1983 Paris Air Show. Its design has been frozen to reflect the findings of an in-depth study of U.S. "big iron" operators. Range, cabin size and other parameters are optimized to exceed market requirements. Falcon 900 is rolled out and flight-tested on schedule in 1984. Computer technology enables Dassault to adhere precisely to initially projected weights, dates and performance figures. Falcon 900 flies customers and press in January 1985 and again at the Paris Air Show. The No. 2 certification aircraft is built, flown and demonstrated at NBAA in New Orleans in September.

After the Falcon 20 there appeared on the market in 1986, the Falcon 900, then the 900B and 900C, the second three-jet aircraft in the family, with a wide body (2.5 meters outside diameter, 8 to 19 passengers). Updated Falcon 900B powered by new TFE731-5B engines is announced at the 1991 Paris Air Show, promising "higher, farther, faster" performance than the original -5A powered model. NBAA IFR range is 4000 nm with 8 passengers.

In 1993 a modified Falcon 900B with laminar-flow wings is designed to demonstrate the performance of this drag-reducing technology in real-world operating conditions. This experimental wing uses a modified airfoil in combination with a very modest amount of suction for boundary-layer stabilization-an approach based on earlier flight tests and Dassault's pioneering studies in CFD (Computerized Fluid Dynamics).

The 4500 nm Falcon 900EX (for EXciting performance, EXpanded avionics and EXtended range) is announced at the 1994 NBAA meeting in New Orleans. The first aircraft rolls out on March 13, 1995. Shortly after, its AlliedSignal TFE731-60 engines are certified. Dassault is producing the Falcon 900EX in cooperation with six industrial partners: Alenia (Italy), AlliedSignal (United States), Hellenic Aircraft Industries (Greece), Honeywell (United States), Latoe (France) and SABCA (Belgium). Together, the six partners have a 20% financial interest in the program. The longest-range Falcon was slated to enter service in late 1996.

The Falcon 900EX trijet made its maiden flight on 01 June 1995 at the Bordeaux- Mignac Airport. During this initial flight, lasting 1 hour and 45 minutes, pilots Guy Mitaux-Maurouard and Jean-Louis Dumas fly the Falcon 900EX at up to 41,000 ft in altitude and .82 Mach in speed. The aircraft's three AlliedSignal TFE731-60 engines and all on-board systems are tested in a variety of modes and perform flawlessly during the flight.

Falcon 900EX achieves French DGAC certification in May 1996, followed by U.S. FAA certification in July. Customer deliveries begin in the fourth quarter, following closely the program schedule announced two years ago. With a nonstop range of 4500 nm (8335 km), the 900EX can fly significantly farther than any other certified business jet. As a trijet, it can fly transatlantic and transpacific routes within airline safety standards.

In 2002 Dassault's first Falcon 900EX (s/n 97) with a fully integrated EASy flight deck makes its maiden flight from Bordeaux-Mignac. Dassault test pilots Jean-Louis Dumas and Philippe Deleume were at the controls of the one-hour-plus flight. The EASy flight deck was in development since the mid-1990s when Dassault recognized the need for a fully integrated cockpit management system. The EASy flight deck was designed to foster improved situational awareness in the cockpit.

The 900DX is announced at EBACE in 2004. It will fill a niche between the 900EX and 2000EX and will feature the EASy flight deck. First flight is scheduled for mid-2005. In 2005 the 900DX took to the skies for the first time for a flight that lasted over three hours. The airplane reached an altitude of 41,000 feet and a maximum speed of 370 knots. With the exception of the structure of the fuel tanks and the forward section, the 900DX shares the same engines, avionics and other cockpit and cabin equipment as the 900EX and comes standard with the EASy flight deck.