The second aircraft has joined the Falcon 8X flight test campaign as the ultra long range trijet furthers its progression. Falcon 8X s/n 02 took to the skies from Dassault Aviation's Bordeaux-Mérignac facility in late March with test pilots Hervé Laverne and Etienne Faurdessus at the controls. The flight plan was similar to that of the maiden flight on February 6th.

The pilots took the aircraft to 43,000 feet and Mach 0.8 for performance tests. After the test routine, the aircraft ran a series of additional checks before touching down after two hours and 45 minutes in the air.

“We are very pleased with the way the aircraft responded and flew,” says Laverne. “It demonstrated the same flawless handling qualities as s/n 01, a very positive development at this early stage of the flight test campaign.”

The full programme will total about 200 flights and 500 flight hours through final EASA and FAA certification, which is anticipated in mid-2016.