Dassault Falcon 50

Design and development

The first prototype flew on 7 November 1976, with French airworthiness certification on 27 February 1979, followed by U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certification on 7 March 1979. Dassault developed a maritime surveillance and environmental protection version as the Gardian 50.

The Falcon 50 was later updated as the Falcon 50EX, the first of which flew in 1996, and the last of which was delivered in 2008. The Falcon 50EX features improved engines and other enhancements to give further range improvements to an already long-range jet. The Falcon 50EX designation applies to serial numbers 253–352, which marks the end of the production line for the Falcon 50/50EX.

Successors to the Falcon 50 are the Falcon 7X and the Falcon 900 featuring a larger fuselage and the same three-engine arrangement. Dassault announced in January 2008 what is essentially a replacement aircraft for the Falcon 50, codenamed the "SMS" (Super Mid Size). The basic design process, including engine selection, was supposed to be completed by early 2009. However, in a June 2009 press conference, CEO Charles Edelstenne said that all design choices had been reopened and the goal was extended to the end of the year.

Dassault and Aviation Partners Inc. have developed and certified High Mach blended winglets for the Falcon 50 & 50EX as a retrofit kit.

By 2018, Falcon 50s from the mid-late 1980s were priced at $0.879 to $1.6 million while 1998-2003 Falcon 50EXs can be had for $2.95 to $3.95 million.

Variants

;Falcon 50 :Basic initial variant with Honeywell TFE 731-3-1C engines and optional auxiliary power unit (APU); 252 manufactured, with one serving as a prototype for the Falcon 50EX.

;Falcon 50EX

:Marketing name for Falcon 50 with 3 DEEC (Digital Electronic Engine Control) controlled TFE 731-40 engines; an APU installed as standard equipment; changes to the rudder control system; updated avionics; and other improvements; 100 manufactured, plus one modified Falcon 50

;Falcon 50 "Susanna" :Single Falcon 50 for Iraq modified with a Cyrano IV-C5 radar and hardpoints to carry two AM-39 Exocet antiship missiles. Used for training Mirage F1 crews and possibly carried out the attack on the USS Stark on May 17, 1987. This aircraft was flown to Iran during the Persian Gulf War and was not returned.

Operators

Military and government operators

; Benin ; Bolivia

• Bolivian Air Force ; Bulgaria
• Bulgarian Air Force - former operator ; Burundi ; Djibouti
• Djibouti Air Force ; France
• French Air Force - former operator
• French Navy operate eight Falcon 50M for maritime surveillance. ; Egypt
• Egyptian Air Force - former operator ; Iran
• Iranian Air Force
• Iranian government ; Iraq
• Iraqi Air Force - former operator of three Falcon 50s, one of which was the aforementioned Falcon 50 "Susanna" ; Italy
• The Italian Air Force operated four Falcon 50s from 1985 until 2005, when two aircraft were retired. ; Jordan
• Royal Jordanian Air Force
• Jordanian Royal Flight; Libya ; Morocco
• Royal Moroccan Air Force ; Portugal
• Portuguese Air Force ; Rwanda ; Serbia
• Government of Serbia ; South Africa
• South African Air Force ; Spain
• Spanish Air Force ; Sudan
• Sudan Government ; Switzerland
• Swiss Air Force ; Venezuela
• Venezuelan Air Force

Accidents and incidents

• 27 September 2018: a runway overrun by chartered Falcon 50 N114TD, at Greenville, South Carolina, USA, resulted in the death of the pilot and copilot, as well as serious injuries to two passengers. The pilots had reportedly violated several FAA regulations, in undertaking the flight that led to the incident.
• 23 December 2025: a Falcon 50 crashed near Kesikkavak, Haymana, Turkey, killing eight people. Among the deceased was the commander of the Libyan Armed Forces, Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad.

Specifications (50EX)

|prime units?=met General characteristics

|max takeoff weight kg=18008 |max takeoff weight note=

• Max Landing Weight: 16200 kg Powerplant -- Performance -- |never exceed speed kmh= |never exceed speed note= |minimum control speed kmh= |minimum control speed note= |wing loading kg/m2= |fuel consumption kg/km= |thrust/weight=

• Take-off run: 1504 m

• Landing run: 685 m

References

Bibliography

• Federal Aviation Administration Type Certificate Data Sheet No. A46EU, Revision 18: Dassault Aviation Mystere-Falcon 50, Mystere-Falcon 900, Falcon 900EX; August 17, 2016
• Taylor, John W. R. (editor). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1988–89. Coulsdon, Surrey, UK: Jane's Information Group. .

References

1. "News Channel - Homepage - flightglobal.com".
2. Taylor 1988, p.75.
3. Taylor 1993, p.928
4. "News Channel - Homepage - flightglobal.com".
5. "News Channel - Homepage - flightglobal.com".
6. Mark Huber. (December 2018). "For many models, market hitting the apex".
7. Type Certificate Data Sheet A46EU, p. 4
8. Type Certificate Data Sheet A46EU, p. 16
9. (2018). "Iraqi Mirages in Combat: The story of the F.1EQ in Iraq". CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
10. (14 July 2019). "How a Modified Iraqi Falcon 50 Business Jet Nearly Destroyed a US Frigate".
11. (February 2020). "L'attaque de la frégate Stark par un "Falcon" 50 irakien le 17 mai 1987". Le Fana de l'Aviation.
12. "In 1987, a Secret Iraqi Warplane Struck an American Frigate and Killed 37 Sailors".
13. (2019-07-10). "The USS Stark Incident: That time a Modified Iraqi Falcon 50 Business Jet almost Sank a US Navy Frigate".
14. "Official website Aeronautica Militare".
15. Mondor, Colleen. "Illegal Charter and the Falcon 50 Crash {{!}} AIN".
16. Fraser, Suzan. (23 December 2025). "Libya’s military chief and 7 others are killed in a plane crash after takeoff from Turkey". AP News.
17. "Super Mid-Size Jets". Flight International.
18. Taylor 1988, pp.75–76.