Dassault’s fly-by-wire Falcon 7X is nearing the finish line and is expected to receive EASA and FAA type certification either by the end of this month or early next quarter. The first delivery–of S/N 05 to a European customer– should also take place in the second quarter, according to a Dassault Falcon Jet spokesman. S/Ns 05 and 06 are currently undergoing completion at the Falcon completion center in Little Rock, Ark., with S/N 04–Serge Dassault’s 7X–next in line for completion.

On December 20, S/N 04 completed a 13-hour, 52-minute flight, taking off from Istres, France, flying to Iceland, back to France, to Scotland, then returning to land in Istres after flying more than 6,100 nm with a crew of three and a payload weighing the equivalent of eight passengers. The 7X had 2,100 pounds of fuel remaining after landing. After 543 flights, the 7X fleet has logged 1,520 hours, and function and reliability and certification flight testing is complete. Airplanes on order now exceed 150 and the next delivery slot is in mid-2011.