Summary
- Dassault Falcon 20, first known as Mystègre 20, set the women’s world speed record in 1965.
- 512 Falcon 20s were delivered from 1963 to 1991.
- Falcon 2000, a popular “widebody” jet, has over 500 units built to date.
Falcon jets are Dassault Aviation’s flagship products. From their early days, then known as Dassault Mystères 20, to today’s top-technology Falcon 6X, the Bordeaux-based OEM has over 60 years of experience building bespoke aircraft. Today, they even are some of the most popular business jets flying around. Speaking of popularity, our article today will focus on what Falcon is the most popular based on units built. We will look at it from two angles: the most popular of all time and the most popular being built today.
The Original Falcon: the Dassault Mystère 20 (Falcon 20)
Let’s start with the Dassault Falcon 20, initially known as Mystère 20.
The story of the jet
According to the Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace (Air and Space Museum) in the Paris suburbs, who own the first ever airframe, the Mystère 20 N°01 F-WLKB is the prototype of the first Dassault business jet. Designed by Paul Delplante’s team from 1961 onwards, the Mystère 20 allowed the French industry to achieve its first international success.
On May 4, 1963, the prototype made an impressive presentation flight in front of a Pan-American delegation led by Charles Lindbergh, resulting in an order for 40 aircraft two months later. Following a crucial order from Pan American, the Mystère 20 was renamed the Fan Jet Falcon 20 and became the first in a series of Falcons still operating worldwide. This aircraft set the women’s world speed record on June 10, 1965, with Jacqueline Auriol at the controls, achieving an average speed of 859 km/h over 1000 km.
Dassault’s Falcon website even has this to say about the legacy of this corporate jet.
Related
Adding A Third Engine: A Look At The Dassault Falcon 50
The Falcon 50 was produced for over 30 years.
How many Falcon 20s have been delivered?
The jet is neck to neck with Dassault’ st 2000, which is still in production today, but we will return to it later in the article.
Technically, the Falcon 20 has had more deliveries than the 200, so we consider it the most produced, but in that case, in the past tense. From 1963 until 1991, some 512 were delivered, with a decent number still in active service today.
Fun Fact: the range of this Falcon is 1340 miles
What is the capacity of the FA20?
This jet falls in the category of a medium-sized plane but can also be seen as a super-midsize. According to Globalair.com, there are typically nine passengers in the cabin. However, as per the Aviation Safety Network, it can have a maximum of 14. It is hard to categorize this jet fully, as together with the Lockheed Jetstar, it invented private aviation and doesn’t correspond to today’s standards.
How much does it cost?
While customers may no longer buy a new unit from the final assembly line in Bordeaux, a handful of jets are still available to purchase second-hand today.
According to the Aircraft Cost Calculator, the average price for a pre-owned DASSAULT Falcon 20F-5 is $250,000. A $125,000 loan over 120 months, including $520.83 per month in interest, equates to a $6,267.96 per-period payment. Based on 450 annual owner-operated hours and a $6.00 per gallon fuel cost, the DASSAULT Falcon 20F-5 has total variable costs of $1,466,550, total fixed costs of $594,512, and an annual budget of $2,061,062. This breaks down to $4,580.14 per hour.
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60 Years Of Flight: The Story Of The Dassault Falcon 20
The Dassault Falcon 20 proved to be very popular with the military.
The next most popular Dassault jet is the Falcon 2000
The Falcon 2000 is a “widebody” transcontinental twin-engine aircraft carrying up to 19 passengers. It falls in the super-midsize to large jet category. The prototype first flew on March 4, 1993, piloted by Jean Pus and Guy Mitaux-Maurouard from Bordeaux-Mérignac. The Falcon 2000 inherited the fuselage diameter and wing design of the Falcon 900, as well as specific circuits and systems like the landing gear. Leading international corporations widely use this aircraft as a comfortable, fast, cost-efficient airborne office.
How much does it cost?
According to ACC, the Falcon 2000s in the pre-owned market have an average of $4,475,000.00. A $2,237,500.00 loan over 120 months, including $9322.92 per month in interest, equates to a $112,196.56 per-period payment. Based on 450 annual owner-operated hours and $6.00-per-gallon fuel cost, the DASSAULT Falcon 2000 has total variable costs of $1,820,250.00, total fixed costs of $939,420.00, and an annual budget of $2,759,670.00. This breaks down to $6,132.60 per hour.
According to Business Insider, prospective owners of new jets will need to fork up to $37M for the latest model, the 2000LXS, depending on the variant and various options chosen.
To date, over 500 have been built.
Related
4 Unique Features Of The Dassault Falcon 2000
Blended winglets for improved efficiency and a number of militarized variants give a certain edge to the Falcon 2000.
Bottom line
The Dassault Falcon 20, initially known as Mystère 20, was the first Dassault business jet. It allowed the French industry to achieve its first international success and set the women’s world speed record in 1965.
Photo: Thor Jorgen Udvang | Shutterstock
From 1963 until 1991, 512 were delivered. The Falcon 2000 is a “widebody” transcontinental twin-engine aircraft carrying up to 19 passengers, and over 500 have been built to date.
Which of the two do you believe should be considered the most produced? The current most produced or the most historic? What Dassault Falcon that didn’t cut do you like most? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.