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Dassault Aviation, a French manufacturer, might not be as well known to the general public as Airbus or Boeing, but its Falcon 900s have been operating for close to four decades. The Dassault Falcon family's history stretches back to 1943. The Royal Air Force's Number 32 Squadron used Falcon 900s, as do the Air Forces from various countries, such as Germany, France, Spain and Switzerland. It is also Bolivia's presidential aircraft. More than 500 of the Falcon 900 and its variants have been produced to date.
The earliest progenitors of the Dassault Falcon 900
The Dassault Falcon 900 is a continuum in the ever-improving Dassault Falcon family. The first business jet developed by Dassault Aviation, which was then named Avions Marcel Dassault, was the Falcon 20. It was introduced to the world in 1965 and branded by Pan Am as Fan Jet Falcon. A variant of the Falcon 20 was the Falcon 50.
The Dassault Falcon 50 was a trijet developed to reduce drag at transonic speeds. It also had a more advanced wing design. More than 350 Falcon 50 aircraft were built in 32 years of production. Its variants included the Falcon 50 EX and Falcon 50 "Susanna." The Falcon 50 was later developed into the Falcon 900.
General characteristics of the Dassault Falcon 900
The Dassault Falcon 900B can accommodate 19 passengers, which is more than twice the capacity of the aircraft it was developed as an improvement of - the Dassault Falcon 50 EX. While the Falcon 50 EX used Honeywell engines and could climb up to 671 feet per minute with one engine in operation, the EX version of the Falcon used AlliedSignal TFE731-5BR-1C turbofans and could climb 755 feet in the same one-minute window.
Features of one of the variants of the Falcon 900- the Falcon 900B
Maximum Speed: 560 -580 knots (1037 km/hr - 1074 km/hr)Maximum Take-off weight: 20,640 kg/ 45,503 lbService Ceiling: 15,500 m/ 50,900 ftRange: 7,400 km/ 4,600 mi with 8 passengers onboardEngines; Power: 3; 21.13 kN (4,750 lbf)Engine model: 3 × AlliedSignal TFE731-5BR-1C turbofansThe variants of the Falcon 900
Falcon 900
The Falcon 900 was announced in 1984 and first flew on Sept. 21 of that year. Two years later, it was certified by aviation authorities in France and the US. Its original production used composite materials and was powered by three 20-kilonewton (4,500 pounds-force) Garrett TFE731-5AR-1C turbofan jet engines.
Falcon 900 MSA
The Falcon 900 MSA is a maritime patrol version of the Falcon 900 designed for the Japan Coast Guard. It is equipped with hardware for special communications, a search radar, and a control station. Two of these versions of the Falcon 900 were developed for long-range surveillance for the Japanese Maritime Safety Agency.
Falcon 900B
The Falcon 900B, whose production ended in 1999, is powered by three Honeywell TFE 731-5BR-1C engines. It has a maximum speed of 500 knots and can climb up to 645 feet per minute. Depending on the age of the aircraft, the Falcon 900B costs between $5.75 million and $9 million.
Falcon 900C
The Falcon 900C was introduced at the turn of the millennium as a replacement for the 900B.
Falcon 900EX
The Falcon 900EX was first operated in 1996. Each of the three Honeywell TFE731-60 engines used in this variant of the Dassault Falcon 900 family provides 5,000 pounds of thrust and gives it a range of 4,500 nautical miles (8,334 km). The 900 EX has a service ceiling of 15545 meters/ 51,000 ft and is equipped with a dual Honeywell/Sperry WR-800 Flight Management System. A variant of the 900 EX designed for the Italian military is called the VC-900 A.
Falcon 900EX EASy
First produced as a long-range version of the Falcon 900 EX, the Falcon 900 EX EASy is equipped with Honeywell / Dassault Primus Epic EASy avionics and powered by TFE731-60 engines. Five years after the first of these aircraft was rolled out, production ceased. VC 900 B is the Italian military designation for the 900EX EASy.
Falcon 900DX EASy
24 Falcon 900DXs were produced between 2005 and 2010. The Flacon 900DX EASy is a shorter-range production type that allows the aircraft to take off or land at shorter distances. The DX EASy is powered by the same engines as the EX EASy. DX EASy also comes with a thermal acoustic insulation system that cuts down as much as half of the sound pressure in its EX counterpart.
Falcon 900LX
The Falcon 900LX, launched in 2008, has a wingspan of 70.17 t. It is more than 66 feet long and 25 feet high. Its maximum take-off weight is 49,000 lb, and its maximum landing weight is 44,500 lb. It can carry a maximum of 14 passengers. Its three Honeywell TFE731-60 engines give it a range of 4,750 nautical miles (8,797 kilometers). This means one could fly from Mumbai to London or Beijing to Paris. The Falcon LX designed for the Royal Air Force's military is called the Envoy IV.
Let us know in the comments above which is your favorite of the Falcon 900 series jet aircraft.