Dassault Falcon 900

Triple-Engine Business Jet Aircraft [ 1986 ]

The Dassault Falcon 900 series was introduced in the mid-1980s and continues to see customers operating it today.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 08/02/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

Image from official Dassault Aviation marketing materials.

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The Falcon 900 is a triple-engined business jet ("BizJet") actively marketed by Dassault Aviation of France since the mid-1980s. The aircraft is intended for the business industry / VIP role, ferrying important clients and customers to-and-fro. The type has been well-received since market introduction in 1986 and over 500 airframe have been produced to date (2022). A first-flight was had on September 21st, 1984 and production began in 1984.

The latest, most modern iteration of the Falcon 900 line is the "Falcon 900LX".

In typical Dassault fashion, the Falcon 900 exudes clean lines and aerodynamic efficiency. Mainplanes are swept back, positioned at midships, and mounted low in the design. The fuselage's nosecone is just ahead of the cockpit with its slim shaping providing excellent vision for the two pilots within. Six windows provide viewing for the crewmen seated side-by-side. The fuselage is further tubular in its general shape and capped by a single rudder fin with outward-extending horizontal planes mounted at its base. Entry to the cabin/cockpit is by way of a folding staircase at the port side of the fuselage. A tricycle undercarriage, featuring double-bogies at each leg, is used for ground-running and is completely retractable into the airframe.

In the Falcon 900, the triple-engine arrangement seats all three turbofans at the rear of the fuselage, cutting down on cabin noise as much as possible. A pair of these sit on wingstubs outboard of the empennage while the third unit is embedded at the base of the rudder plane. This configuration allows for exceptional performance for this business jet and provides excellent operating range to boot.

Internally, the cabin is made up to best serve business personnel and can be equipped with leather-appointed seats (dual or single), sofas, work tables, monitors, and the like in a single-aisle arrangement. Round porthole windows provide viewing outside and allow natural lighting inside the interior. A full galley and rest room make up the standard amenities of the luxury aircraft. Beds can be formed from the passenger seats for long-haul routes. Range is such that a flight departing from London, England and reach out to central United States in the West and middle China in the East.

The flight deck (Falcon 900LX) is all-modern with digital processing and automation as standard. It is comprised of the "EASy II" series avionics fit enhancing situational awareness, safety, and comfort. Head-Up Displays (HUDs) provide pilots with pertinent performance and operating figures and cues reducing the need to look away from the window screens and the terrain ahead. The unique, optional "FalconEye" suite further increases safety and it provides unparalleled cockpit vision in day-night environments and all-weather situations.

Variants of the line include the original 1984 Falcon 900 powered by 3 x Garret TFE731-5AR-1C non-afterburning turbofan engines of 4,500 lb thrust each. Certification followed in 1986. The Falcon 900B followed in 1991 with 3 x TFE731-5BR-1C engines of 4,750 lb thrust each. The B-model was then itself succeeded by the Falcon 900C of 2000 bringing along with it more modern amenities and enhanced performance for a new generation of customers.

The Falcon 900EX of 1986 became a dedicated long-range offering, increasing operational range out to 4,500 nautical miles with its 3 x TFE731-60 series engines. The Falcon 900EX EASy introduced the new avionics set. The Falcon 900DX was a short-haul form with 3 x TFE731-60 engines. The Falcon 900LX is the modern incarnation of the Falcon 900 line and features a range out to 4,750 nautical miles.

The Japanese Coast Guard operates the Falcon 900 through its Falcon 900 MSA variant for maritime patrol duties. The Italian military has operated two distinct forms of the Falcon 900 - the Falcon 900EX becoming the VC-900A and the Falcon 900EASy becoming the VC-900B. The British Royal Air Force (RAF) selected the Falcon 900LX to succeed an aging line of BAe 146 aircraft in the VIP role.

Current (2022) civilian market operators of the Falcon 900 line range from Libya to Saudi Arabia. Military operators include France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, Spain, and Switzerland (among others). Former operators are Algeria, Australia, Belgium, Gabon, Greece, Malawi, and Monaco.©MilitaryFactory.com

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August 2022 - The British Royal Air Force has announced full-service operability for its new fleet of Falcon 900LX VIP platforms. These have succeeded an aging line of NAe 146-100s which were given up in April 2022.

Specifications

Dassault Aviation - France
Manufacturer(s)

Algeria (former); Australia (former); Belgium (former); Bolivia; France; Gabon (former); Germany; Greece (former); Italy; Japan; Libya; Malawi (former); Malaysia; Monaco (former); Namibia; Nigeria; Qatar; Russia; Saudi Arabia; South Africa; Spain; Syria; United Kingdom; United Arab Emirates; Switzerland; Venezuela
Operators

National flag of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

National flag of the United Arab Emirates

1986
Service Year

France
National Origin

Active
Project Status

2
Crew

525
Units

SPECIAL-MISSION: AIRBORNE EARLY WARNING
Specially-equipped platform providing over-battlefield Command and Control (C2) capability for allied aerial elements.

SPECIAL-MISSION: ELETRONIC WARFARE
Equipped to actively deny adversaries the ElectroMagnetic (EM) spectrum and protect said spectrum for allied forces.

SPECIAL-MISSION: SEARCH & RESCUE
Ability to locate and extract personnel from areas of potential harm or peril (i.e. downed airmen in the sea).

COMMERCIAL AVIATION
Used in roles serving the commercial aviation market, ferrying both passengers and goods over range.

BIZJET
Used in roles serving the business aviation market, primarily VIP and regional travel.

VIP SERVICE
Used in the Very-Important-Person (VIP) passenger transport role, typically with above-average amenities and luxuries as standard.

INTELLIGENCE-SURVEILLANCE-RECONNAISSANCE
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.

RADAR-CAPABLE
Houses, or can house (through specialized variants), radar equipment for searching, tracking, and engagement of enemy elements.

MULTI-ENGINE
Incorporates two or more engines, enhancing survivability and / or performance.

WING SWEEPBACK
Mainplanes, or leading edges, features swept-back lines for enhanced high-speed performance and handling.

HIGH-SPEED PERFORMANCE
Can accelerate to higher speeds than average aircraft of its time.

HIGH-ALTITUDE PERFORMANCE
Can reach and operate at higher altitudes than average aircraft of its time.

EXTENDED RANGE PERFORMANCE
Capability to travel considerable distances through onboard fuel stores.

SUPER PERFORMANCE
Design covers the three all-important performance categories of speed, altitude, and range.

MARITIME OPERATION
Ability to operate over ocean in addition to surviving the special rigors of the maritime environment.

CREWSPACE PRESSURIZATION
Supports pressurization required at higher operating altitudes for crew survival.

ENCLOSED CREWSPACE(S)
Features partially- or wholly-enclosed crew workspaces.

RETRACTABLE UNDERCARRIAGE
Features retracting / retractable undercarriage to preserve aerodynamic efficiency.

66.3 ft
(20.21 meters)
Length

63.5 ft
(19.35 meters)
Width/Span

22,608 lb
(10,255 kilograms)
Empty Weight

45,525 lb
(20,650 kilograms)
Maximum Take-Off Weight

+22,917 lb
(+10,395 kg)
Weight Difference

monoplane / low-mounted / swept-back
Mainplane Arrangement

Monoplane
Design utilizes a single primary wing mainplane; this represents the most popular modern mainplane arrangement.

Low-Mounted
Mainplanes are low-mounted along the sides of the fuselage.

Swept-Back
The planform features wing sweep back along the leading edges of the mainplane, promoting higher operating speeds.

3 x AlliedSignal TFE731-5BR-1C non-afterburning turbofan engines developing 4,750lb of thrust each.
Propulsion

671 mph
(1,080 kph | 583 knots)
Max Speed

590 mph
(950 kph | 513 knots)
Cruise Speed

+81 mph
(+130 kph | 70 knots)
Speed Difference

50,853 ft
(15,500 m | 10 miles)
Ceiling

4,598 mi
(7,400 km | 3,996 nm)
Range

MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

None. Specialized military variants outfitted with appropriate mission equipment for the role, typically reconnaissance, VIP, or Electronic Warfare (EW).

Falcon 900 - Base Series Designation.

Falcon 900 MSA - Japanese Coast Guard Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) variant.

Falcon 900B - Renewed production model of 1991; fitted with TFE731-5BR-1C series turbofan engines.

Falcon 900C - Model of 2000; directly succeeding 900B line.

Falcon 900EX - Extended-range variant; uprated TFE731-60 5,000lb thrust engines; 5,180 mile range.

Falcon 900EX EASy - Variant with new avionics package.

Falcon 900DX - Short-ranged variant; TFE731-60 series turbofans.

Falcon 900LX - Modern production model; winglets; 4,750nm range.

VC-900A - Italian military Falcon 900EX.

VC-900B - Italian military Falcon 900EASY.

Falcon Envoy IV - British RAF VIP transport variant; full-service reached in 2022.

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Images

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Image from official Dassault Aviation marketing materials.

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