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Earlier this month, the aviation world marked the 31st anniversary of Dassault Falcon 2000's first flight. Two years after this maiden voyage, this twinjet was introduced to civilian and military operators around the world. The Bulgarian Air Force, the French Navy and the Royal Thai Force are some of the forces that operate the Falcon 2000. This member of the Falcon business jetline was developed from a three-engine aircraft belonging to the Dassault Falcon Family- the Dassault Falcon 900.In what respects does the Falcon 2000 differ from the Falcon 900?
The Falcon 900 was developed from previous versions of the Falcon family, such as the Falcon 50 and Falcon 20. A variant of the Falcon 900, Falcon 900 B, could accommodate almost twice the number of passengers in Falcon 50 EX.When Dassault Aerospace decided to modify the Falcon 900, it shortened the fuselage by 2.1 meters (7 ft), to make way for the Falcon 2000. As a result, the Falcon 2000 could carry only 10 passengers, compared to the Falcon 900, which could accommodate 12 people. A volumetric comparison reveals that the cabin volume of the Falcon 2000 was 200 cubic feet smaller than that of the Falcon 900.The leading edge of the wing of the Falcon 900 and the inboard slats were removed in the Falcon 2000. However, the wingspan in both aircraft was the same—63 feet and 5 inches. The exterior height of the Falcon 900 was 24 ft 9 in, compared to 23 ft 2 in tall in the Falcon 2000. The cockpit of the Falcon 900 was equipped with a Collins Pro Line 4 avionics suite. A Collins TWR-850 Doppler weather radar and the Allied Signal GNS-XES Flight Management System made up the Falcon 2000. Characteristics Dassault Falcon 900 Dassault Falcon 2000Maximum Take-off weight 20638.453kg/ 45500 lb 16238.607kg / 35800 lbMaximum Landing weight 19050.88 kg / 42000 lb 14968.548kg / 33000 lbNormal Cruise Speed 456 knots (845 km/hr) 459 knots (850 km/hr)Maximum Speed 500 knots (926 km/hr) 475 knots (880 km/hr)Maximum Range 3970 nm / 7352 km 3130 nm/ 5797 kmService Ceiling 15,500 m (50,900 ft) 14326 meters/ 47000 ftEngines; Power 3; 4,500 lb of thrust each 2; 5,918 lb of thrust eachEngine Model TFE 731-5AR-1C CFE 738-1-1BProduction of the Falcon 900 ended in 1999, while production of the Falcon 2000 stopped after 2006. A total of 230 Falcon 2000s were made, 53 more than the number of Falcon 900s produced.
How the Falcon 2000 has evolved over the years
The price of the Dassault Falcon 2000 has doubled in the three decades since it was released, and during this time, the Falcon 2000 has seen a handful of variants.
Falcon 2000 EX
The Falcon 2000EX, equipped with a Pratt andamp; Whitney Canada 308C engine, was rolled out in 2003. The EX also had a better range than the Falcon 2000. Two years later, the aviation world saw the introduction of the Falcon 2000 EX EASy. The EASy version had database-driven terrain mapping and a Honeywell Primus Epic-based EASy avionics suite.
Much like the Falcon 900, whose EX EASy version was modified to a DX EASy version that allowed for shorter take-off and landing, the Falcon 2000 EX EASy was, too. The Falcon 2000 DX could accommodate upto 19 passengers.
Falcon 2000 LX
The Falcon 2000LX is a long-range variant of the Falcon 2000 EX EASy. The 2000 LX came with blended winglets, giving this aircraft a range of 7400 kilometers/ 4000 nautical miles.
In 2014, the Falcon 2000 LXS was introduced. This aircraft allowed the Falcon to land in a much shorter distance. The aircraft also made way for reduced emissions and greater comfort in the cabin. In 2023, this aircraft's list price was $35.1 million.
Other variants of the Falcon 2000
A militarized version of the Falcon 2000 is known as the Falcon 2000 MSA/MRA, where the acronyms stand for Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft or Maritime Surveillance Aircraft. In 2015, the Japanese Coast Guard placed orders for 6 Falcon 2000 MSA/MRA.
The Falcon 2000 MSA was modified with a high-performance electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) system, an under-fuselage radar catering to various functions, and other changes to make way for the Falcon 2000 Albatross. The Albatross is expected to replace some other variants of Falcons operated by the French Naval Aviation.