Can Dassault Aviation's Falcon 8X Shake Gulfstream G650's Hold?

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Dec 27, 2014

French business jet major Dassault Aviation (DUAVF, Financial) recently unveiled its latest and according to many its greatest business jet, the Falcon 8X, at the company’s Bordeaux-Merignac facility. The business jet is built upon the strong foundation of the very popular Falcon 7X, and industry experts believe this new jet has what it takes to create ripples in the space. But, is it a strong enough contender to take on General Dynamics (GD, Financial) owned Gulfstream G650 and challenge its dominance?

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Falcon 8X Business Jet. Picture taken from Dassault Aviation website.

A look at Dassault’s latest
Priced at $58 million Dassault’s Falcon 8X is an ultra-long range luxury business jet that can fly non-stop for 6,450 nautical miles (nm) at a speed of Mach 0.8 with 8 passengers on board. The jet has a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.9 and can cruise along smoothly even at an altitude of 51,000 feet. Falcon 8X has the longest cabin across all Falcon models – at 42 ft 8 in its cabin is 3.5 ft longer than that of 7X. However, this doesn’t mean the jet fails to offer great operating economics. In fact, the company believes it will easily live up to the reputation of a Falcon – a jet series with great flexibility and easy to maintain.

Dassault has designed the jet with the intention to give a little more to its buyers. The jet’s cabin will be 6 ft 2 in high and 7 ft 8 in wide and will offer as many as 30 different cabin layouts to choose from. The buyers will also have the option to choose different lavatory layouts, one of which will come with a shower. The Falcon 8X jet will have its maiden flight in 2015 followed by flight tests and certifications. After all the formalities are cleared, the jet is expected to hit the skies in the second half of 2016.

Faceoff with G650/ER
The Falcon 8X is something! But does it have enough to challenge the G650? That’s the question many analysts are asking. Gulfstream’s G650 is truly a magnificent business jet that has redefined luxury. The elites of the world are running fast to get their hands on the jet and are willing to pay a premium of as much as $10-$15 million to own it quickly. So, standing up to the G650 isn’t going to be easy.

Compared to the G650, Falcon 8X falls a little short in terms of maximum range and maximum operating speed – G650 can fly 550 nm extra, and has a MMO of Mach 0.925. However, both jets can fly at a maximum altitude of 51,000 ft. While Gulfstream’s jet is powered by Rolls-Royce engines, the Falcon will sport engines from Pratt & Whitney. Now, there are two prominent points where the Falcon scores – first, it can carry a maximum of 19 passengers, 1 more than what the G650 can carry, and second, the Falcon costs $7 million less than the G650, which is priced at $65 million.

Analysts and industry experts believe these two points can provide the Falcon an edge in the competition. While the G650 stands out as a symbol of wealth, many who don’t really need to travel that far may choose to go with the Falcon. They will get to carry equal number of passengers on both the jets, but the Falcon will be easier on the pocket. Again, honestly, the jets are rarely pushed to perform at the maximum limits, and the top speed or the maximum range or the highest altitude are not always put to use. So, anyone buying a Falcon 8X or a G650 is much likely to use the jets at normal situations. Then, the saving of $7 million surely gives the Falcon a winning edge. Let’s keep a close watch on the jet and see how it performs once it is delivered.