Photo Courtesy of AINOnline
Dassault believes that enhancements and the fuselage length will help make a big difference when it comes to the Falcon 8X.
It’s said that the margin of victory in life can sometimes be measured in inches. Dassault believes that another 43 inches (109 cm) of fuselage length will help make a big difference when it comes to the Falcon 8X. Along with a string of technological advancements, the long-range, large-cabin trijet, which the company began delivering to customers last year, boasts a longer passenger cabin than its 7X predecessor. That translates into 7 percent more volume—enough to allow for a longer galley, more legroom between seats, or an optional steam shower in the aft lavatory.
The added inches—and the long list of other enhancements—push the price of the 8X to nearly $60 million, making it about 10 percent more expensive than the wildly successful 7X. But because the 8X offers a lot more than just extra room, Dassault believes that a ready audience exists for the airplane: some of the more than 200 owners of the 7X and perhaps those waiting—and waiting—for the under-development Bombardier Globals as well as for the Gulfstream G650ER, which is in production but has a long backorder list. The Globals are even more expensive than the 8X, at $71 million and $75 million, respectively, as is the Gulfstream, which runs upwards of $66 million.
Dassault might be right about the market for the 8X, which offers a quick way for owners of earlier models to take a step up. The aircraft has a range of 6,450 nautical miles (with eight passengers and three crew, at Mach 0.8), 500 more than the 7X. The extra range—courtesy of an additional center-fuselage fuel tank and a lighter, redesigned wing—enables the 8X to fly nonstop from Hong Kong to London, Paris to Singapore, and Beijing to Los Angeles. The reworked wing also keeps the 8X competitive on short runways; it needs 6,000 feet to take off fully loaded but can stop in 2,150 feet.
The Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307D engines have been optimized to offer 6,725 pounds of thrust each, with a 5 percent thrust increase and lower emissions. Dassault claims the 8X is more fuel-efficient than other offerings in this class.
This article was originally posted on AINOnline.com.
