By Skies Magazine | December 6, 2022 Estimated reading time 4 minutes, 43 seconds.
Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) confirmed in early December that its PW812D engine — designed to power French manufacturer Dassault’s new Falcon 6X business jet — has received certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The 13,500-pound-thrust PW812D engine already achieved Transport Canada certification in December 2021, as well as European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification in August 2022. Having now received FAA approval, the Falcon 6X is one step closer to its entry into service, which is slated for mid-2023.
“Together, the PW812D engine and Falcon 6X aircraft are a winning combination, designed to set the bar in fuel efficiency, performance, and comfort,” said Eric Trappier, chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation.
According to P&WC, the PW812D engine offers double-digit improvements in fuel burn, emissions, and noise when compared with current-generation engines. It can also fly on a 50 percent blend of jet fuel A (kerosene) and sustainable aviation fuel. Moreover, the engine requires 40 percent less scheduled maintenance and 20 percent fewer inspections than other engines in its class.
To date, the PW812D has undergone more than 6,100 hours of testing, including more than 1,150 hours of flight testing, and 20,000 hours on the engine core.
As for the Falcon 6X that the PW812D engine powers, the aircraft has achieved several milestones since it was first introduced in December 2017. The 6X flight test fleet includes four aircraft, three of which accumulated more than 850 hours of flight time as of May 2022. Those aircraft have also successfully completed cold-soak tests, hot weather trials, and high-elevation tests. The aircraft’s flight envelope has also been expanded well beyond its Mach 0.90 maximum operating speed.
The fourth aircraft completed a month-long, round-the-world demonstration tour in July, which was intended to show the full maturity and reliability of the aircraft systems. The campaign included 50 flights over five continents, and covered 50,000 nautical miles.
“Pilots gave all systems, including new features of the EASy IV flight deck, high marks and assessed performance as ‘spot on,'” said Trappier.
Aircraft number four, which was the first 6X production unit, was on display at this year’s European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Geneva, Switzerland, in May.
To date, Dassault has built at least 19 Falcon 6X aircraft, and three customer aircraft have been undergoing completion at the OEM’s interior facility in Little Rock, Arkansas, since mid-October.
A Falcon 6X full flight simulator has also entered operation at CAE’s London Burgess Hill training center in the U.K., and will be ready to begin training customer crews in April 2023.
