SAINT-CLOUD, FRANCE -- (MARKET WIRE) -- Jul 21, 2006 -- Yesterday, the Falcon 7X completed 16 months of static and fatigue testing at CEAT in Toulouse, France. Testing began in March 2005 two months prior to the first flight of the Falcon 7X. Both the static and fatigue testing was accomplished using just one test article marking a first for Dassault civil aircraft. It was subjected to two times the design life of the airframe or 40,000 simulated cycles (2 x 20,000 flights).

The test article reached 150% of design limit load on the wings, cabin and fuel tank as specified by the FAA and EASA. The aircraft wings bent 8 ft. 2 in. (2.50 meters) as measured at the wing tips at 150% design limit load. To date, 20 wing sets have been fully assembled with over 40 airframes in various stages of production.

"This is not only a great accomplishment for the program, but it speaks volumes about how the Falcon 7X was designed and built," said Charles Edelstenne, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation. "For one test article to be subjected the gruelling nature of both the static and fatigue testing further validates the advanced design features Dassault has incorporated into the Falcon 7X."

During the entire test program, CEAT used the same jigs and test equipment developed with CATIA, which helped complete the testing on the schedule established three years ago. The test equipment included 64 computer controlled actuators; 2,000 strain gauges and four pressurization systems.

Forty aircraft are now in various stages of production with s/n 12 in final assembly in Bordeaux. The flight test program for the Falcon 7X has surpassed 850 hours covering 275 flights. Over 80 copies of the world's first purpose built fly-by-wire business jet have been sold making it the most popular Falcon ever at this point in the launch of a new aircraft..

The family of Falcon jets currently in production includes four tri-jets--the Falcon 50EX, 900DX, 900EX EASy, and the new 7X--as well as the twin-engine Falcon 2000, Falcon 2000DX and Falcon 2000EX EASy. Since the rollout of the first Falcon 20 in 1963, over 1800 Falcon jets have been sold to more than 65 countries worldwide.

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