Higher-than-expected engine fuel consumption is causing a six-month delay, to this March, in certification of the Dassault Falcon 2000EX. According to the French manufacturer, the increased fuel consumption of the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW308C turbofan has also prompted an increase in the airplane’s fuel capacity and mtow to preserve range guarantees. Delivery plans remain on schedule.
“The Falcon 2000EX had a very ambitious certification program, and the development has been somewhat more difficult than expected,” aircraft program manager Jean-Louis Cuvillier told AIN last month. Certification was initially pegged for the third quarter of 2002 but has slipped by half a year. This time has been used to make aircraft modifications. Dassault had to add 690 lb in fuel capacity–a 4-percent increase over the initial design capacity of 15,970 lb–to meet the guaranteed range. “This translates into a 600-pound increase in mtow to 41,300 pounds,” Cuvillier said. A 42,200-lb mtow is available as an option. Balanced field length remains within specifications, at 5,590 ft, in spite of the higher mtow. NBAA IFR range (full fuel, six passengers, two crew, Mach 0.80) remains 3,800 nm.
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