# Dassault Falcon 50

The Dassault Falcon 50 is a French super-midsize, 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-engined Falcon 20, but was a new design that is area ruled and includes a more advanced wing design.

## Design and development

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-range jet. The Falcon 50EX designation applies to serial numbers 253–352, which marks the end of the production line for the Falcon 50/50EX.
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 developed and certified High Mach blended winglets for the Falcon 50 & 50EX as a retrofit kit.
By 2018, Falcon 50s from the mid-late 1980s were priced at $0.879 to $1.6 million while 1998-2003 Falcon 50EXs can be had for $2.95 to $3.95 million.

## Variants
### Falcon 50

    Basic initial variant with Honeywell TFE 731-3-1C engines and optional auxiliary power unit (APU); 252 manufactured, with one serving as a prototype for the Falcon 50EX.

### Falcon 50EXFalcon 50EX

    Marketing name for Falcon 50 with 3 DEEC (Digital Electronic Engine Control) controlled TFE 731-40 engines; an APU installed as standard equipment; changes to the rudder control system; updated avionics; and other improvements; 100 manufactured, plus one modified Falcon 50

### Falcon 50 "Susanna"

    Single Falcon 50 for Iraq modified with a Cyrano IV-C5 radar and hardpoints to carry two AM-39 Exocet antiship missiles. Used for training Mirage F1 crews and possibly carried out the attack on the USS Stark on May 17, 1987. This aircraft was flown to Iran during the Persian Gulf War and was not returned.

## Operators

The majority of Falcon 50s are operated by corporate and individual owners.

### Military and government operators
#### Bolivia

* Bolivian Air Force

#### Bulgaria

* Bulgarian Air Force - former operator

#### Djibouti

* Djibouti Air Force

#### France

* French Air Force - former operator
* French Navy operate eight Falcon 50M for maritime surveillance.

#### Egypt

* Egyptian Air Force - former operator

#### Iran

* Iranian Air Force
* Iranian government

#### Iraq

* Iraqi Air Force - former operator of three Falcon 50s, one of which was the aforementioned Falcon 50 "Susanna"

#### Italy

* The Italian Air Force operated four Falcon 50s from 1985 until 2005, when two aircraft were retired.

#### Jordan

* Royal Jordanian Air Force
* Jordanian Royal Flight; Libya

#### Morocco

* Royal Moroccan Air Force

#### Portugal

* Portuguese Air Force

#### Serbia

* Government of Serbia

#### South Africa

* South African Air Force

#### Spain

* Spanish Air Force

#### Sudan

* Sudan Government

#### Switzerland

* Swiss Air Force

#### Venezuela

* Venezuelan Air Force

## Accidents and incidents

* 6 April 1994 (1994-04-06): Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian President Cyprien Ntaryamira were killed when the Falcon 50 they were travelling in (registration 9XR-NN) was shot down near Kigali, Rwanda, triggering the Rwandan genocide.
* 20 October 2014 (2014-10-20): Falcon 50EX F-GLSA collided with a snow plow while taking off from Moscow Vnukovo Airport, Russia, killing all four people on board, including the CEO of Total oil and gas company Christophe de Margerie.
* 27 September 2018: Illegal charter flight of Falcon 50 results in death of pilot and copilot. 2 passengers were seriously injured.

## Specifications (50EX)

Data from Flight International
General characteristics
* Crew: 2
* Capacity: 8 to 9 passengers / 1,080 kg (2,381 lb) payload with full fuel
* Length: 18.52 m (60 ft 9 in)
* Wingspan: 18.86 m (61 ft 11 in)
* Height: 6.98 m (22 ft 11 in)
* Wing area: 46.83 m$^2$ (504.1 sq ft)
* Max takeoff weight: 18,008 kg (39,701 lb)
* Max Landing Weight: 16,200 kg (35,715 lb)
* Powerplant: 3 × Honeywell TFE 731-40 turbofan engines, 16.46 kN (3,700 lbf) thrust each
Performance
* Maximum speed: 1,015 km/h (631 mph, 548 kn)
* Maximum speed: Mach 0.86
* Cruise speed: 903 km/h (561 mph, 488 kn) / M0.85 at 15,000 m (49,000 ft)
* Range: 5,695 km (3,539 mi, 3,075 nmi)
* Service ceiling: 14,936 m (49,003 ft)
* Rate of climb: 10.433 m/s (2,053.7 ft/min)
* Take-off run: 1,504 m (4,934 ft)
* Landing run: 685 m (2,247 ft)