Jump to content

Dassault Falcon 50

From Alfawiki
Dassault Falcon 50
Company typeAircraft model
IndustryAerospace
FoundedNovember 7, 1976; 50 years ago (1976-11-07)
Headquarters
France
ProductsBusiness jets

The Dassault Falcon 50 is a French super-midsize business jet designed for long-range travel, distinguished by its unique three-engine configuration with an S-duct air intake for the middle engine. While it shares the fuselage cross-section and passenger capacity of the earlier twin-engine Falcon 20, the Falcon 50 introduces a new area-ruled fuselage design combined with a modernized wing structure.

Design and development

The Falcon 50 completed its maiden flight on 7 November 1976, obtaining French airworthiness approval in February 1979, followed by certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration in March of the same year. Dassault also created a maritime patrol version known as the Gardian 50.

An enhanced variant, the Falcon 50EX, took to the skies for the first time in 1996 and remained in production until 2008. This model incorporated upgraded engines and other refinements that increased its operational range. Serial numbers for the Falcon 50EX span from 253 to 352, marking the conclusion of Falcon 50 manufacturing.

Its successors include the larger Falcon 900 and Falcon 7X, both retaining the tri-engine layout. In January 2008, Dassault unveiled plans for the "SMS" (Super Mid Size) to succeed the Falcon 50; however, design choices were reevaluated throughout late 2009 under CEO Charles Edelstenne's leadership.

In collaboration with Aviation Partners Inc., Dassault developed certified High Mach blended winglets available as retrofit kits for both Falcon 50 and Falcon 50EX models, aimed at improving fuel efficiency.

By 2018, market valuations for mid-to-late-1980s Falcon 50 aircraft ranged between $0.879 million and $1.6 million, while later Falcon 50EX units produced from 1998 to 2003 commanded prices from $2.95 million up to $3.95 million.

Variants

Falcon 50
The original model equipped with Honeywell TFE 731-3-1C engines and offering an optional auxiliary power unit (APU); a total of 252 units were built, including one prototype later converted into a Falcon 50EX.[1][2]
Falcon 50EX
An upgraded version featuring three DEEC-controlled TFE 731-40 engines, standard APU installation, modified rudder control systems, and modernized avionics; production included 100 units plus one conversion from an earlier Falcon 50.[1][2]
Falcon 50 "Susanna"
A singularly modified Falcon 50 operated by Iraq, fitted with Cyrano IV-C5 radar and equipped with hardpoints capable of carrying two AM-39 Exocet missiles. It was utilized for training Mirage F1 pilots and is believed to have played a role in the 1987 USS Stark incident. During the Persian Gulf War, this aircraft was flown to Iran and was not returned.[3][4][5][6]

Operators

The majority of Falcon 50 jets are owned by private individuals and corporations.

Accidents and incidents

  • On 6 April 1994, the Falcon 50 registered as 9XR-NN carrying Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian President Cyprien Ntaryamira was shot down near Kigali, Rwanda. This incident precipitated the onset of the Rwandan genocide.
  • On 20 October 2014, a Falcon 50EX bearing registration F-GLSA collided with a snow removal vehicle during takeoff at Moscow Vnukovo Airport. All four occupants perished, including Total’s CEO Christophe de Margerie.
  • On 27 September 2018, a chartered Falcon 50 (N114TD) overran the runway in Greenville, South Carolina. The accident resulted in fatalities of both pilot and copilot while two passengers sustained serious injuries. Investigations indicated that flight crew had breached FAA regulations before departure.

Further Reading

  • Federal Aviation Administration Type Certificate Data Sheet No. A46EU, Revision 18: Dassault Aviation Mystere-Falcon 50, Mystere-Falcon 900, Falcon 900EX; August 17, 2016
  • Taylor, Michael J. H. Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. Studio Editions, London, 1993.
  • Taylor, John W. R. (editor). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1988–89. Jane's Information Group, Coulsdon, Surrey, UK.

Additional Resources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named TCDSp4
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named TCDSp16
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Garcia 2018
  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Leone
  5. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named de Guillebon
  6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Cooper
Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=Dassault_Falcon_50&oldid=39423"