Dassault Falcon 7X: specifications, range, cabin

The Falcon 7X is Dassault's ultra-long-range business jet with three engines and 11 019 km of range. Here are the book figures and how they behave in service: what the three engines and the fly-by-wire controls give you, which airfields that opens up, what leg the aircraft holds without a stop, and what to check when buying.

Principal specifications

The table carries only the figures I have a source for. Take-off weights, cabin dimensions and service ceiling are not listed here — I have no source for them yet. The figures for a particular aircraft come from its flight manual in any case: equipment and modifications change the weights, and the range with them.

Full specifications and sourcing are on the model page.

Three engines: what they give you

Three Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307A engines sit on an aircraft in a class where the rest make do with a pair.

Thrust margin on a failure. Losing one engine takes away a third of the thrust; on a twin the same situation takes away half. In practice that means a higher drift-down level and easier take-off limits in heat and at high elevation.

Ocean legs. Diversion-time limits (ETOPS) apply to commercial air transport. Business flights under Part 91 cross the ocean on two engines as well, and no separate approval is required. The third engine adds margin if one fails. It does not widen route access.

Maintenance. Engine work is counted across three units: three work plans, three sets of remaining life, three lines in the first-year budget. The resulting hourly engine cost depends on the status of the hourly-cost programmes on the particular aircraft.

Digital flight controls

The 7X was the world's first business jet with full fly-by-wire flight controls. The approach came from the Mirage and Rafale fighters.

A computer sits between the pilot's stick and the control surfaces: it holds the aircraft inside the permitted angles and load factors, damps turbulence, and reduces the crew's work to setting the flight path. Together with the "smart" wing this gives a precise approach on a steep glideslope.

Airfields: a short runway and a steep approach

The Falcon 7X is certified for London City — an airport closed to most aircraft in the class: a short runway inside the city and a steep glideslope.

The benefit is counted on the ground. From the London City Airport Private Jet Centre to the Canary Wharf financial district is about a 15-minute drive; I went through this arithmetic for European airports in the review of business aviation terminals.

On 2 May 2014 a 7X flew Teterboro to London City in 5 hours 54 minutes.

Range: what lies behind 5 950 miles

The book 11 019 km is calculated with a design payload and NBAA reserves. Three things cut the figure down: every passenger above the design load takes fuel, headwinds on east–west routes eat 5 to 15 percent depending on the season and the flight level, and a short runway or heat at departure limits the take-off weight.

A leg near the limit of the book range is planned with a technical stop or with a reduced load.

The routes the aircraft was sold on are New York–Jeddah and Paris–Tokyo. Both legs sit at the top of the envelope and are planned with an eye on wind and payload. Moscow–New York is shorter than either, and the 7X covers that leg with margin.

Cabin

The cabin has three zones: a club section, a four-seat conference section, a divan section. The typical layout is 12–14 seats, maximum capacity 16 passengers. A sleeping cabin and a shower are on the options list.

A separate branch is the government and VIP configurations: France, Hungary and a number of other countries. Inside, those aircraft are laid out their own way, and on the pre-owned market they behave differently from corporate aircraft.

What to check when buying

Airframe time in hours and cycles, separately. Time on each of the three engines and what remains to removal — each unit has its own. The status of the hourly-cost programmes on the engines and the APU affects both the price and the first-year budget.

The flight control system is looked at separately: service bulletins on the fly-by-wire and software versions. Then the calendar checks, the state of the avionics, the year of the cabin refurbishment. Government aircraft flew a different pattern from corporate ones, and their hours accumulated on a different profile.

What it costs

Production closed in 2023, so aircraft come from the pre-owned market. Asking prices run $15–48 million, with a market average around $27 million.

The place inside that range is set by the year of build, airframe and engine time, the status of the hourly-cost programmes and the year of the last cabin refurbishment. These figures are a benchmark; the specifics are calculated aircraft by aircraft.

I know the ultra-long-range class from deals on the Bombardier Global: a pre-owned purchase takes about two months, while an order for a new aircraft stretches to roughly a year and a half. Running an aircraft like this costs, by my information, 10 to 20 percent of its value a year — crew, pilot training, the operator contract, parking, fuel. With the 7X out of production only the pre-owned market is left, and the running budget is counted before signing.

Who it suits

The 7X covers the mission where ultra-long-range capability is needed together with access to short city airports. For an owner flying Europe–Asia and America–Middle East routes with regular arrivals into London City, that combination settles the question with a single aircraft.

Three engines add a third set of work to the maintenance plan and a third remaining-life figure to the deal calculation. That is counted before signing.

I cover the neighbours in the class in the articles on the Gulfstream G550 and the Global 6000.

Alexander Filimonov — business aviation: sourcing, acquisition and entry into service of aircraft.

Need a second opinion on a specific aircraft offer? Send it over and I will tell you what is wrong with it: https://grok.flights/en/buy.html