Dassault Falcon 50

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dassault_Falcon_50

The Dassault Aviation Mystere-Falcon 50, commonly known as the Dassault Falcon
50, is a French-built super mid-sized, long-range business jet, featuring a
trijet layout with an S-duct air intake for the central engine. It has the same
fuselage cross-section and similar capacity as the earlier twin-engine Falcon 20
but is a completely new design that is area ruled and includes a more advanced
wing design.

The first prototype flew on 7 November 1976, with French airworthiness
certification on 27 February 1979, followed by U.S. Federal Aviation
Administration certification on 7 March 1979. Dassault developed a maritime
surveillance and environmental protection version as the Gardian 50.

The Falcon 50 was later updated as the Falcon 50EX, the first of which flew in
1996, and the last of which was delivered in 2008. The Falcon 50EX features
improved engines and other enhancements to give further range improvements to an
already long-legged jet. The Falcon 50EX designation applies to serial numbers
253–352, which marks the end of the production line for the Falcon 50/50EX.

The last Falcon 50EX was built in late 2007 and delivered in early 2008.

Successors to the Falcon 50 are the Falcon 7X and the Falcon 900 featuring a
larger fuselage and the same three-engine arrangement. Dassault announced in
January 2008 what is essentially a replacement aircraft for the Falcon 50,
codenamed the "SMS" (Super Mid Size). The basic design process, including engine
selection was supposed to be completed by early 2009. However, in a June 2009
press conference, CEO Charles Edelstenne said that all design choices had been
reopened and the goal was extended to the end of the year.

Dassault and Aviation Partners Inc. have announced that High Mach blended
winglets were being developed for the Falcon 50 as a retrofit kit.


Role
Business jet

Manufacturer
Dassault Aviation

First flight
7 November 1976

Status
Production ended; in active use

Primary users
Armee de l'Air
South African Air Force
Portuguese Air Force
Italian Air Force

Produced
1976–2008

Number built
352

Unit cost

$US21.15 million (2006)


Developed from
Dassault Falcon 20

Variants
Dassault Falcon 900

Attack version

Background

During the Iran–Iraq War several oil tankers had been sunk and in 1986 this led
to Iran moving its oil exports to the Sirri Island oil terminal, an island that
was out of reach of Iraqi Air Force reconnaissance. The Iraqi Air Force did
operate two Dassault Mirage F1 variants equipped for inflight refueling that
could reach the oil terminal, but was reluctant to use them because that
capability was still a secret. The Iraqi Intelligence Service operated a Falcon
50 in VIP configuration and offered to install reconnaissance cameras in it and
then fly a clandestine sortie over Sirri Island. The Falcon 50 would appear to
be one of the many civilian aircraft flying along local commercial corridors.

The aircraft had the civil registration YI-ALE and Iraqi Airways markings when
it took off from Queen Alia International Airport in Jordan carrying a crew of
two, plus three experienced Mirage pilots. Heading to Mumbai airport in India,
the aircraft passed about 30 kilometers west of Sirri island. This was close
enough for the crew to take photos using a handheld camera with a powerful
optical zoom. They repeated the same procedure on the way back to Jordan the
next day. The photographs facilitated a successful attack on the oil terminal on
Sirri island with Mirage aircraft.

Modifications

The Iraqi Air Force's Mirage F1EQ-5 was equipped with Exocet missiles but could
carry only one. An aircraft that could carry two Exocet missiles and that would
not draw attention to itself was desired, the Falcon 50 being considered
suitable. The Thales Group was asked to modify the aircraft with the same radar
and weapons system as the Mirage F1EQ-5, for alleged pilot training purposes.

The attack on USS Stark

Early on 17 May 1987 a pilot from the Iraqi Air Force's No. 81 Squadron took off
on the first Falcon 50 attack mission from Wahda Air Base, 45 km south-west of
Basra. At the edge of the Iraqi-declared exclusion zone north of Bahrain a
medium-sized naval vessel was identified. The pilot determined that it was about
to enter the exclusion zone and attacked the vessel with both Exocet missiles.
The Iraqi government apologized and claimed that “The pilot mistook Stark for an
Iranian tanker”. The American government accepted the apology and assigned blame
to Iran instead. American intelligence was convinced it was a Mirage F1 that had
attacked.

Specifications (50EX)

General characteristics
Crew: two
Capacity: eight to nine passengers
Length: 18.52 m (60 ft 9 in)
Wingspan: 18.86 m (61 ft 10 in)
Height: 6.98 m (22 ft 11 in)
Wing area: 46.83 m² (504.1 ft²)
Empty weight: 9889 kg (21800 lbs)
Useful load: 8,119 kg (17,900 lbs)
Max. takeoff weight: 18,008 kg (39,700 lbs)
Max Landing Weight: 16,200kg / 35,715lbs
Payload with full fuel: 1,080kg / 2,380lbs
Fuel Capacity: 7039 kg / 15520 lbs
Cabin Length: 23’ 5” / 7.14m
Cabin Width: Max: 6’ 1” / 1.86m Floor: 5' 2" / 1.57m
Cabin Height: 5’ 9” / 1.75m
Powerplant: 3 × Honeywell TFE 731-40 turbofan engines, 16.46kN each (3,700 lbf)
each

Performance
Maximum speed: Mach 0.956 (1,015 kph)
Cruise speed: Mach 0.85 (488 kn; 903 km/h)
Range: 5,695 km (3,075 nmi) ()
Service ceiling: 14,936 m (49,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 10.43 m/s (2,053 fpm)
Take off Distance: 1,504 m / 4,935 ft
Landing Distance: 658 m / 2,159 ft

Avionics
Collins ProLine4




*