Progress between Dassault and Pan Am was rapid, moving from engineering evaluations of the type to the formation of general agreements between the two companies. Coincidentally, management at Pan Am happened to be seeking a suitable aircraft to launch its planned corporate jet aircraft sales division, and following a review of a range of available business jets of the era, took an interest in the Mystère 20. Accordingly, the option of directly selling the type was discarded in favour of seeking an established US distributor. According to aerospace publication Flying, while Dassault had achieved satisfactory technical progress on the Mystère 20, it was recognised even by the company's officials that the firm lacked both the sales presence and the experience to effectively market the type to English-speaking nations. By this stage, attention in the programme was centered around the commercial opportunities for the type, particularly the large North American market. On, the Mystère 20 prototype, registered F-WLKB, conducted its maiden flight from Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport, Gironde, France. The emerging design was of a low-wing monoplane, which drew upon the aerodynamics of the transonic Dassault Mystère IV fighter-bomber, and was equipped with a pair of rear-mounted 14.68 kN (3,300 lbf) Pratt & Whitney JT12A-8 turbojet engines. In December 1961, French aircraft designer and head of Dassault Aviation, Marcel Dassault, gave the go-ahead to proceed with work towards the production of an eight- to 10-seat executive jet/military liaison aircraft, which was initially named as the Dassault-Breguet Mystère 20. Among those companies that took interest in the government request was French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation. The later Garrett TFE731 nacelle with a conventional intakeĭuring the 1950s and 1960s, the French government, which had taken a significant interest in the re-establishment and growth of its national aviation industries in the aftermath of the Second World War, developed a detailed request for a combined liaison/ trainer aircraft, to be equipped with twin-turbofan engines. In November 2012, a Falcon 20 had the distinction of becoming the first civilian jet to fly on 100% biofuel. The type has also been used as a flying test bed and aerial laboratory by a number of operators, including NASA and Draken Europe. Due to the increasing implementation of noise-abatement regulations, the Falcon 20 has either been subject to restrictions on its use in some nations, or been retrofitted with Stage 3 noise-compliant engines or hush kits upon its non-compliant engines. The aircraft proved to be so popular that production did not end until 1988, when it had been superseded by more advanced developments of the Falcon family. Additionally, a number of Falcon 20s that had been originally powered by the CF700 engines were later re-engined with Garrett TFE731 turbofan engines. This variant, powered by a pair of Garrett ATF3 engines, featured several major improvements to increase its range, capacity, and comfort. Further major orders were soon placed for the type by several operators, both civil and military amongst others, these included the French Navy, the United States Coast Guard, and Federal Express.Īn improved model of the aircraft, designated the Falcon 200, was developed. American orders proved valuable early on by 1968, Pan Am Business Jets Division had placed orders for 160 Falcon 20s. On 10 June 1965, French aviator Jacqueline Auriol achieved the women's world speed record using the first prototype.Īs a result of an early distributor arrangement with American airline Pan American (Pan Am), American-delivered aircraft were marketed under the name Fan Jet Falcon it soon became popularly known as the Falcon 20. The first production aircraft was introduced on 3 June 1965. On, the prototype made its maiden flight. It is a low-wing monoplane design, powered by a pair of rear-mounted General Electric CF700 turbofan engines. Initially known as the Dassault-Breguet Mystère 20, approval to proceed with development of the aircraft was issued during December 1961. The first business jet developed by the firm, it became the first of a family of business jets to be produced under the same name of these, both the smaller Falcon 10 and the larger trijet Falcon 50 were direct derivatives of the Falcon 20. The Dassault Falcon 20 is a French business jet developed and manufactured by Dassault Aviation.
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