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FLIGHT
INTERNATIONAL
flightglobal.com
15-21 APRIL 2014
FLIGHT TEST
OUT OF A
TIGHT SPOT
7X proves its short-runway superiority
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FEATURES
IN AND OUT I OF TIGHT
CORNERS
PETER COLLINS ST TROPEZ
We assessed the capabilities of Dassault’s flagship 7X
on a series of testing approaches and landings into
two of Europe’s most challenging, short-field airports
34 | Flight International | 15-21 April 2014
n early March – and in celebration of the
250th Falcon 7X taking to the air – I was
briefed by Dassault on the commercial,
technical, operational and customer service status of their flagship aircraft.
To showcase the landing performance
flexibility of the 7X into restricted, short
field length airfields, I was invited to fly two
approaches and then land at St Tropez (La
Môle – LFTZ).
This evaluation was followed by observing Dassault pilots flying two approaches
and landing at Gstaad (Saanen – LSGK)
in Switzerland.
Dassault sees its main competition in the
ultra-long-range, VIP business jet market as
the Bombardier Global 6000 and the Gulfstream 550.
The approaches and landings I flew and observed aimed to highlight the operational and
performance advantages the Falcon 7X enjoys
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FALCON 7X
More than 500 austere or small airports
with limited runway lengths have been
identified by Dassault as being suitable for
the 7X – but not for rival Gulfstream 550
Dassault Falcon
The approaches and landings
I flew and observed aimed
to highlight the operational
and performance advantages
the Falcon 7X enjoys
– and which Dassault hopes the competition
will be unable to match.
STANDARDS
I have previously evaluated the Falcon 7X flyby-wire (FBW) handling, the third-generation
head-up display (HUD)/enhanced vision system (EVS) and the EASy II cockpit with the
synthetic vision system (SVS).
I was hugely impressed with the aircraft
and its systems on each evaluation. However,
flying and safely operating an ultra-long-range
business jet into and out of airfields with a
runway landing distance available (LDA) of
1,100m (3,600ft) or less would be an astonishing demonstration of the aircraft’s factored
runway distance operational capability – and
of its customer appeal.
This challenge is coupled with a steep descent, severe terrain restrictions and offset
final approaches.
The 7X’s maximum ceiling is 51,000ft and
maximum operating speed is 370kt (685km/h).
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Recent 7X operational upgrades include
raising the take-off and landing crosswind
limits to 30kt steady/40kt gusting. These limits were certificated during a recent testing
campaign in Iceland, where the aircraft was
demonstrated to be fully controllable when
taking off and landing in crosswind gusts in
excess of 40kt.
Dassault performance diagrams show the
7X (with three crew and six passengers) to
be capable of directly reaching New York,
Lagos in Nigeria or Dubai on take-off from
London City.
From St Tropez La Môle in the same configuration, the 7X can directly reach Gander
in Canada, Dubai or Novosibirsk, Russia. The
Global 6000 and Gulfstream 550 are not presently certificated for either London City or La
Môle, and neither are expected to achieve certification for Saanen or La Môle in the future.
From Eagle County Regional airport
(EGE) in Colorado (elevation 6,500ft and
with a take-off runway available of 9,000ft),
the second segment climb gradient advantage of the 7X allows it to significantly outrange its competitors and fly direct to most
European cities.
In the USA, Dassault has identified more
than 500 austere or small airports where limited runway lengths dictate low take-off
weights suitable for the 7X – but not, in Dassault’s view, for the G550, because of aircraftlimiting minimum control speeds.
The 7X cabin has been further refined with
HD+ entertainment systems, in-flight connectivity, a full shower option and vacuum toilets. Reliability improvements are centred on
the new Falcon Broadcast system, which automatically downloads actual or predicted inflight unserviceabilities to ground stations via
VHF broadcast, and is offered free of charge
for the first nine months to all new customers.
Further upgrades for the pilots – beyond
EASy II – come in the form of the new Falcon
electronic flightbag for each pilot.
This EFB hosts “Falcon Sphere” – a Windows-based colour system that provides information on weight and balance. It also features “Falcon Perf” airfield performance data,
airfield approach charts, weather, pilot manuals and maintenance alerts.
Now, with the EASy II displaying airfield
approach charts as primary and the EFB displaying the same charts as secondary, the integrated printer-equipped 7X cockpit has
been certificated as “paperless”.
EVALUATION
My safety pilots for the evaluation were Fred
Lascourrèges, chief test pilot, Dassault Business Aviation, and Philippe Micaud, chief
pilot, Falcon Operational Support Group.
I would fly the landing evaluation to low
overshoot from the left hand seat at St Tropez ❯❯
15-21 April 2014 | Flight International | 35
COVER STORY
Conditions were day/visual meteorological conditions and weather dry, CAVOK,
wind light and variable/2kt, outside temp
+15˚C (58˚F).
I flew the complete evaluation using the
HUD. Given the clear daytime conditions I
did not use the EVS. The Falcon 7X HUD remains the best civilian HUD I have ever flown
with and, once deployed, I literally never
wanted to look “head in” for any other primary flight information.
The go-around could be flown
“like a fighter”, because the
aircraft was so responsive and
the available thrust so high
The final approach to La Môle begins laterally just offset from the village of St Tropez,
gear down, level at 2,500ft, slats/flaps 2, 140kt
indicated airspeed (IAS), initial heading 234˚
along a valley leading away from the coast.
At approximately 3nm and with the runway threshold visually intercepting a point
on the HUD pitch ladder 5˚ down marker, I
started my final descent at slats/flaps 3, approach speed 111kt IAS for a reference speed
of 108kt IAS. To put this into context, these
speeds closely match those of twin-turboprop
commuter-type standard – which at AUW of
approx 14,000lb is just one third of the 7X’s
for the same approach.
I visually held the lateral offset up to approximately 1nm and 600ft above ground
level. At this point, a determined (30˚ max
angle of bank) S-bend (left-right) was com-
The stunning Saanen airfield,
where the 7X completed
another full stop landing
Dassault Falcon
❯❯ La Môle, having also completed the takeoff and transit from Le Bourget. The final full
stop landing would then be given over to both
Dassault pilots.
I had visited the 7X Level D simulator at Le
Bourget the day before, practising the flight.
La Môle is 59ft above mean sea level, and
runway 24/06 is 1,150m in length and
30m in width. Runway 24 was designated
as the landing runway and 06 as the
take-off runway.
With a displaced threshold on runway 24,
the quoted LDA is 1,080m.
The initial and final approach is fully visual. Runway 24 is offset by +9˚ from final approach, there is no approach aid or external
visual guidance, and the required final approach path angle is approximately 4.7˚.
The runway 24 LDA of 1,080m must also
be at least 1.67 times the actual landing distance of the aircraft, if an operator is to gain air
operator certificate type commercial privilege.
This then equates to a certificated actual
landing distance for the aircraft, at the
planned landing weight, of 646m or less – as
measured from 50ft above threshold at the
correct speed, to full stop.
The evaluation aircraft was the
Dassault customer demonstrator 7X with
registration F-HGHF.
With two crew and four passengers,
the basic operating weight was 17,000kg
(37,500lb).
Our start up fuel at Le Bourget was
3,500kg (7,700lb).
My two approaches to very low overshoot at La Môle were to be made at an allup weight (AUW) of approximately
42,000lbs (19,100kg).
The customer demonstrator – registration F-HGHF – was used for the evaluation
36 | Flight International | 15-21 April 2014
pleted to line up, at 200ft above threshold, as
a final “gate”.
This final manoeuvre was simple to control, easy to fly and I arrived precisely over the
threshold at 50ft, at the correct approach
speed and at an approach path of 4.7˚.
In the flare the pitch control power remained high, with rapid aircraft response to
control input, but the body angle change to
arrest the rate of descent was small. At approximately 20ft above the runway the “go
around” was called, which was then flown
fully manually. I configured back to SF1
gear up at 180kt IAS, in an S-bend to avoid
close-in terrain, levelling at 2,500ft to repeat
the approach.
The go-around could be flown “like a fighter”, because the aircraft was so responsive
and the available thrust so high.
My impression of the second approach and
go-around was the same as my first. The Falcon 7X inspired me with total pilot confidence on a demanding, steep visual offset approach, with surrounding terrain, on to a
short, narrow runway I had never seen before
– and which is usually the natural habitat of
only general aviation.
On the final full-stop landing, I estimated
that our actual landing distance was no greater than 550m. On shut down our only neighflightglobal.com
Dassault Falcon
FALCON 7X
DEBRIEF
After landing I reviewed the approach
into La Môle and asked myself why it
was so easy to fly – and why the aircraft inspired me with such confidence in demanding conditions.
Firstly, the target approach speed and
speed over threshold are exceptionally low
for this class of aircraft, closely matching
those of much smaller twin-turboprop types.
These speeds directly translate into actual
landing distance – which must then be factored
– additionally aided by the aircraft’s efficient
brakes, anti-skid and ground lift dumping.
These low reference speeds stem partly
from the lower basic operating weight that is a
hallmark of all Falcon designs, and partly
from the sophistication of the 7X wing, including its slats and flaps.
Secondly, the use of the HUD and the
flightpath vector gave me continued feedback
of flightpath accuracy and predictability
throughout the approach, and into the flare
and touchdown.
Finally, the 7X FBW is wonderfully precise
when making both small flightpath changes
or large manoeuvres. The aircraft’s flightpath
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Dassault Falcon
bours on the La Môle airfield apron were a
Cessna Mustang and Pilatus PC-12.
Collins (left) in control during the approach to
the 1,150m-long runway at St Tropez La Môle
stability and speed stability are also very high.
Later that same day I observed Lascourrèges, as pilot flying, and Micaud, as pilot nonflying, fly a visual approach and full stop
landing into Saanen airfield in Switzerland –
runway 08 with a LDA of 1,098m.
Final approach speed was again around
110kt IAS, airbrake position 1 selected (certificated steep approach configuration), and a
final approach path of 5.5˚ (estimated).
Flown in the middle of the Alps in a narrow valley, it was without doubt the most impressive, incredible and demanding visual
circuit and approach I have ever witnessed or
have flown myself, in a civilian aircraft of any
comparable type.
On shut-down at Saanen the only other
aircraft on the apron was a Piper Cub – with
skis on.
As I viewed both aircraft on the apron, the
contrast was almost surreal. However, the 7X
already has Swiss aviation authority certification for Saanen airfield operations – and that
certification can only be gained by an aircraft
that the authorities, like me, have total confidence in.
CONCLUSION
Flying with such ease and observing
the approaches and full-stop landings in the
7X into such short runways was a
revelation even to me, as an experienced
test pilot.
That an aircraft can have such a range of
performance capabilities and flexibility, allied to such sophistication and advanced systems, is truly impressive.
I fully understand why the 7X remains Dassault’s flagship aircraft, and why the aircraft’s
popularity continues to increase.
As a complete “aviation package”, I continue to rate the Falcon 7X as the best business jet available in the world today. ■
To read Peter Collins’s previous flight assessment of Dassault’s longest-range jet, go to
flightglobal.com/7X
15-21 April 2014 | Flight International | 37