In this pilot report, Fred George gives his take on the flying experience and handling of the Dassault Falcon 7X.

Compared with the Dasault fighter jets, the Mirage 2000 or Rafale, the 7X has inherent aerodynamic stability and is not designed to be flown above Mach 1.

The fighters are designed to be aerodynamically unstable to enhance their maneuverability. The design of the 7X "capitalizes on Dassault's three-plus decades of building Mach 2-class fighters with fly-by-wire (FBW) flight controls". The manufacturer believes the design capabilities for the 7X are not available to other civil aircraft manufacturers. 

The aircraft was "the first purpose-built business jet with a digital flight control system, a technology to ease pilot workload". George said the aircraft, with FBW exhibited had "docile" and "carefree" handling characteristics.

Subscribers can read the full pilot report including an image of the interior cabin, a diagram of the flight controls, and specifications, on page 54 in the May. 3, 2010 issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology. 

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