Today, Dassault is known for making some of the most famous and most expensive business jets currently on the market. Perhaps its most famous jet was the Dassault Falcon 50.
Dassault has been in the business jet industry since almost the beginning, having created one of the first private jets, in the form of the Falcon 20. This is a jet that would serve as the basis of the Falcon 50!
Development
Dassault had released the Dassault Falcon 20 (otherwise known as the Mystère 20) in 1965. As with most other early business jets, the Falcon 20 was immensely successful, selling over 500 copies.
However, by the mid-1970’s, other business jets like the Lockheed JetStar had been introduced. Many of these business jets were larger and more fuel efficient, which made the Falcon 20 somewhat outdated.
On top of this, these newer business jets also had longer ranges, which allowed many of them to travel transatlantic and transpacific. This was a feature that many first generation business jets lacked, including the Falcon 20.
The Falcon 20, alongside a few military aircraft, had put Dassault on the map. However, these new jets threatened to take this all away from them. As such, Dassault had to do something about it.
Here, Dassault took the Falcon 20’s design and enlarged it. The fuselage was lengthened and heightened, as well as the wingspan being longer. The new design was also given newer and more fuel efficient engines, as well as newer and larger fuel tanks.
Dassault designated this new jet as the Dassault Falcon 50. The Falcon 50 would first take to the skies on November 7 1976. After this, Dassault would alter the design on several occasions in order to get airworthiness certification from European countries and the US in 1979.
Operational History
Initially, the Falcon 50 was designed as the successor to Dassault’s Falcon 20 business jet. Over time, it has since been utilized by many militaries, similarly to how the Falcon 20 has been!
Civilian
Following the Falcon 50’s first flight in November 1976, Dassault entered the Falcon 50 into its mainstream production lines. Here, several major corporations would contact Dassault about buying a Falcon 50 as their corporate jet.
Owing mostly to its larger than average range for the era, the Dassault Falcon 50 has spent almost its entire as a corporate jet. This has been used by many of France’s largest corporations to transport its c-suite executives.
Many of these corporations bought their jets in the late 1970’s and early-to-mid 1980’s. Many of them still operate the Falcon 50 to this day, although many are in the process of replacing them.
Towards the end of the standard Falcon 50 variant’s service life, several French celebrities with US and/or Canadian followings, would buy and operate their own Falcon 50s.
For a small amount of time, there were a series of French singers, actors and artists who all had Falcon 50 private jets.
Due in no small part to their widespread use as both a private jet and as a corporate jet, many early private jet charter companies began buying newer Dassault Falcon 50EXs at the turn of the century.
As of the time of writing, many of these Falcon 50EXs are still in service. Many of these air charter companies expect that their Falcon 50EX fleet will be in service with them until at least the 2030’s!
Military
Starting in the mid-1980’s, many of France’s largest corporations were using Dassault Falcon 50s as their main corporate jet. For them, these jets were highly versatile, being able to fly both long and short distance routes without difficulty.
At the same time, many militaries like the USAF and RAF had begun introducing small business jets into military service for a plethora of reasons. This included VIP transport, medivac and high-value cargo transport.
After evaluating its own need for aircraft with these capabilities, the French Air Force too began looking for a VIP transport aircraft. The aircraft they chose was the Dassault Falcon 50.
Upon seeing the French Air Force buy the Falcon 50 for use as a VIP transport (as well as its other roles), many former French colonies would also buy their own fleet of Falcon 50s for the same purpose.
The French Navy also operates the Dassault Falcon 50, albeit under the name Dassault Gardian 50. These aircraft are regular Falcon 50s, however, they are equipped with maritime surveillance equipment.
On top of their roles as VIP transport, medivac and cargo aircraft, several militaries use the Falcon 50 as a multiengine jet trainer. This is due to their relative simplicity, and similarities to both new and older multiengine aircraft.
As of the time of writing the vast majority of Falcon 50s still flying are in service with military operators.
Features
Perhaps the most noticeable feature of the Dassault Falcon 50 is the distinctive trijet configuration. Even today, the Falcon family (of which the Falcon 50 is a main member of), is the only family of business jets to have this!
This trijet deisgn is what gave the still very 1960’s-designed Falcon 50 its extended range. This extended range is what allows it to travel transpacific and transatlantic with ease.
For most of the time that Dassault was producing the Falcon 50, they marketed the aircraft as having one of the longest ranges of any business jet of its era. This sentiment was included in tis marketing material.
As well as having a longer range than most other business jets in its class and from its era, the Falcon 50 is also much faster. Even compared to modern business jets (in the same class), the Falcon 50 is noticeably faster!
This is once again, mostly thanks to the Falcon 50’s trijet design. However, the trijet design does also increase operating costs, both in terms of fuel and in terms of maintenance.
Compared to many other business jets of its era, the Falcon 50 has one of the largest baggage compartments I’ve ever seen! It is noticeably larger than its predecessor’s, and is around the same size as its successor’s!
Price
In 2006, Dassault listed a brand new Falcon 50EX at $21.15 million, which made it one of the cheaper business jets then on the market! Adjusted for inflation, this $21.15 million is worth roughly $27.3 million.
Dassault ceased production of the Falcon 50 in 2008, choosing to make room on the production lines for newer models. However, many are still in service, with many more available on the secondary market.
Although it depends on the model, year and service history (among a few other things), second-hand Falcon 50s are relatively cheap (in terms of other business jets that is!)
On the low end, Falcon 50s can command a price tag of around $400,000, mostly for older 1980’s-era Falcon 50s. On the higher end, they can command a price tag of around $4 million, mostly for Falcon 50EXs from the 2000’s.
However, if the jet has been owned by a particularly famous person, especially actors and singers, these jet may be worth a lot more.
In terms of operating costs, the Falcon 50 is actually on the cheaper end, at least for the era anyway. Assuming you flew 400 hours per year, it would cost a little less than $4,500 per hour to operate!
Despite the aircraft design itself being from the 1970’s, many charter companies do offer Falcon 50 charter flights. The cost of the route is highly dependent on the route, the time of year, and number of passengers.
Variants
Owing to the initial variant’s immense initial success, Dassault decided to capitalize on it and produce newer variants of the original Falcon 50…
Falcon 50
The Falcon 50 is the basic variant of the Falcon 50 line. It is a longer and taller version of the previous Dassault Falcon (Mystère) 20, whilst also having a much larger wingspan.
As the first variant in the Falcon 50 line of jets, it is generally seen as the weakest and least competitive variant of the family. It is the most fuel consumptive, having the least powerful engines and lower cruising speeds.
For an additional cost, Dassault would add an auxiliary power unit to the aircraft. This price was negotiable depending on how much you spent. It would serve as the basis for all future Falcon 50 jets.
Falcon 50EX
In the mid-1990’s, the introduction of newer business jets like the Learjet 45 made the 1970’s-designed Falcon 50, rather uncompetitive. As such, Dassault was forced to make a more competitive design, this was the Falcon 50EX.
Dassault took the regular Falcon 50 and updated it. Newer, more fuel efficient engines were installed, which gave it a longer range and a faster cruising speed.
An auxiliary power unit came standard on all Falcon 50EXs. On top of that, Dassault altered the rudder control systems to make the more automated. As per pilots’ requests, Dassault updated the 1970’s-era avionics as well.
Falcon 50 “Susanna”
In the 1980’s, the Iraqi Air Force obtained several Falcon 50 business jets, under the guise of them being used as VIP transport for the military and political top brass.
For the most part, they served this role. However, one would be modified to have a Cyrano IV-C5 radar, as well as hardpoints to carry two AM-39 Exocet anti-ship missiles.
Iraq claimed that these were to help train Mirage F.1 crews. However, American intelligence suspects that this was merely a cover, with the Susanna having carried out the attack on the USS Stark in 1987.
Specifications
| Specifications | Dassault Falcon 50EX |
|---|---|
| Length | 18.52 m (60 ft 9 in) |
| Wingspan | 18.86 m (61 ft 11 in) |
| Height | 6.98 m (22 ft 11 in) |
| Crew | 2 |
| Passengers | 9 |
| Speed | 0.85 Mach (903 km/h; 561 mph; 488 kn) |
| Range | 5,695 km (3,539 mi, 3,075 nmi) |
| Service Ceiling | 14,936 m (49,000 ft) |
| MTOW | 18,008 kg (39,701 lb) |
How Safe is The Dassault Falcon 50?
When it comes to the world’s safest and most dangerous aircraft, private jets are often left off it. For the most part, this is done deliberately.
After all, the vast majority of the world’s population will probably never fly on one of today’s private jets. Plus, they have completely different safety regulations, which often differ from country to country.
Regardless, if you are planning to fly on a Dassault Falcon 50, you are probably curious as to how safe or dangerous the Falcon 50 actually is!
By most standards, the Falcon 50 is among the safest private jets you can fly on. With almost 45 years worth of flying and 352 copies built, the Falcon 50 has only ever had two aviation-related accidents.
Sadly, both of these incidents resulted in fatalities, resulting in 16 fatalities in total.
The first incident occurred in April 1994. Here, a Falcon 50 carrying the President of Rwanda and President of Burundi, was deliberately shot by surface-to-air missiles whilst it attempted to land.
Naturally, this was out of the control of both the pilots and the manufacturer as well. In fact, this did have larger implications in Africa, with it setting off the Rwandan Genocide.
The second incident occurred over 20 years later, in October 2014. Here, a drunk snow removal vehicle driver was attempting to clear the runway of Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport of snow.
Whilst doing this, he was swerving onto the main runway. Here, he collided with a Falcon 50 attempting to takeoff. This killed the CEO of French oil giant, Total, Christophe de Margerie, as well as three others.
Naturally, both of these incidents were neither due to pilot error, nor poor engineering. Rather, they were as a result of something that was out of their control, so technically shouldn’t be “counted” on their safety record.
What’s it Like to Fly on The Dassault Falcon 50?
As a result of jobs I have held previously, I have had the good fortune of flying on the Falcon 50EX on several occasions. Due to the same job, I have also flown on the Falcon 20, as well as the Falcon 7X.
Almost all of the Dassault Falcon 50EXs I flew on, were chartered for a round trip. Mostly, these fights were mid-range, mostly flying transcontinental, rather than transatlantic or transpacific etc.
Personally, I actually really liked the Falcon 50EX, with me even going as far to say that it is one of the best business jets in the skies! For me, it is the perfect blend between a strong 1970’s design and modern technology!
On many of my flights I had to work, something I struggle to on most flights. On other Falcons, especially the Falcon 20, I still found working rather difficult, partly due to how bumpy the aircraft was during flight.
However, on the Falcon 50, I was able to work without much discomfort or distraction. This may have just been down to the pilots who flew it, but it was also likely partly due to the Falcon 50’s improved design.
Many later Falcon 50s were built in the modern age we still live in today, and as such, things like inflight WIFI were available for a cost. This is something that many charter companies and corporations have taken advantage of.
What do you think of the Dassault Falcon 50? Have you ever flown on it? Tell me in the comments!
Featured image courtesy of Jerome via Flickr.