During the arctic ground test campaign, the aircraft was cold-soaked for three successive nights and subjected to different start sequences each morning.
Dassault Falcon 6X achieved a major milestone that will aid in its certification process. The Falcon 6X completed cold-weather testing at bone-chilling temperatures as low as -37 degrees Celsius. The trial run was held in Iqaluit, a tundra town in the far north of Canada where a team of technicians and pilots from Dassault Aviation and engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney Canada were present.
Carlos Brana, Dassault Aviation’s Executive Vice President of Civil Aircraft said, “The Falcon 6X continues to impress us with its performance and reliability as we move through the certification process. The aircraft operated flawlessly at the extreme temperatures an aircraft can be subjected to in the severest climate conditions. That includes engines, systems, and low-temperature maintainability requirements.”
During the arctic ground test campaign, the aircraft was cold-soaked for three successive nights and subjected to different start sequences each morning. Teams then powered up the aircraft and conducted engine ground runs and high-speed taxi tests. Ground tests were followed by a test flight during which anti-icing systems and handling qualities were checked and the stability of fuel and hydraulic fluid temperatures verified while the aircraft remained in a holding pattern flown at 10,000 feet.
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These tests, which were completed at the end of February, followed an initial series of cold-weather tests in Iqaluit in December, when temperatures dipped as low as -25°C (-13°F). The 6X endured a total of 50 hours of Arctic cold tests and has now accumulated some 650 flight hours, and completed over 220 flights.
