Dassault reports that its engineers in France have completed bench testing and software loads of the fly-by-wire flight control system in the Falcon 7X. First flight of the airplane, the first purpose-built business jet with fly-by-wire controls, is expected by the end of March, according to Dassault, which plans to fly the real thing to the Paris Air Show in June.

Philippe Deleume, Dassault chief pilot for civil airplanes, told AIN that the company recently accomplished the final software load for the 7X’s fly-by-wire system, clearing the way for the flight-test program to begin shortly.

“We are at the very end of the development process,” Deleume said. “Now it is time to fly the airplane.”