The Dassault Falcon 2000 is a twinjet aircraft that shares the wing and forward fuselage section with its predecessor, the Falcon 900 tri-jet model. The business jet can accommodate up to ten passengers and is developed by French Dassault Aviation. Falcon 2000 performed its maiden flight of 1 hour and 15 minutes on March 4th, 1993. The aircraft was introduced to the business jet market in 1995.

The first Falcon 2000 was a 7-ft shorter version of the Falcon 900. The aircraft is powered by two General Electric/AlliedSignal CFE738-1-1B2 engines and has a range of 2,841 NM (5,262 km). Dassault performed multiple improvements on the Falcon 2000 design. The aircraft came with an improved wing and cockpit instruments. The leading edge of the wing and the inboard slats are removed. The new cockpit advanced instruments with the Collins Pro Line 4 avionics suite.

A wide range of variants

Over three decades, Dassault produced seven different variants of the Falcon 2000. Dassault Aviation felt the need to cater to various customers in the business jet market. The Falcon 2000EX was built in 2003 with an improved range of 3,878 NM (7,182 km). The 2000EX featured two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW308C turbofan engines.

In 2004, Dassault introduced a new variant, the Falcon 2000EX EA Sy. The new variant features the Honeywell Primus Epic-based EA Sy avionics suite. The cabin pressurization and oxygen systems were modified.

In 2007, the Falcon 2000DX, with a shorter range of 3,250 NM (6,020 km), was certified. The new variant was introduced to cater to the specific requirements of customers. According to Dassault Aviation,

“The Falcon 2000DX offers the same spacious, quiet interior as its longer-range sibling, the 2000EX, but was developed for customers with less extensive city pair requirements. The design makes it the only business jet in its class capable of landing with fuel tanks nearly full.” – Dassault Aviation.

In 2009, Dassault introduced a longer-range variant of the Falcon 2000EX EA Sy, the Falcon 2000LX. The 2000LX introduced the blended winglets, increasing the operating range to 4,000 NM (7,400 km). The blended winglets were later certified as a retrofit for all previous Falcon 2000 variants.

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Further variations

Dassault introduced two new variants, the Falcon 2000S and the 2000LXS, with short-field characteristics. The short-runway features reduced the landing distance by 2,300 ft (700 m). The two variants were developed to open up a wide range of smaller-runway airports. The two “S” variants added 50% more airports to the operating capability of the Falcon 2000 series.

Dassault developed two surveillance variants to primarily cater to the needs of the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) and the French Naval Aviation. The Falcon 2000 MSA (Maritime Surveillance Aircraft) and 2000 MRA (Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft) versions were well received by JCG.

There are a total of 675 Falcon 2000 series aircraft built to date. The 2000 series is in production as of October 2022.

What are your thoughts on the Dassault Falcon 2000 design and variants? Have you taken a flight onboard a Falcon 2000 series? Tell us in the comments section.