Dassault is testing the market for the ultimate executive status symbol-a supersonic corporate jet. Design studies have thus far shown that an eight-passenger, Mach 1.8 aircraft with a range of 4,000 nmi could be built with existing engines and would meet Stage 3 noise rules.

According to executive vice-president Bruno Revellin-Falcoz, Dassault's customers have asked the company to look at a supersonic aircraft because it saves time on very long flights. The supersonic aircraft could fly from Los Angeles to Sydney, for example, in 8 1/2 hours, including a refueling stop. Today's long-range subsonic jets could make the trip non-stop, but would still take five hours longer.

Dassault's design is a 104-foot long, cranked-delta aircraft with a canard foreplane and three engines. It would use the Snecma M88 or GE F414, with the afterburner replaced by a noise-suppressing ejector nozzle and thrust reverser. Three engines are preferred for overwater flight and make for a simpler design than a four-engined type, with the center engine reducing base drag at the rear of the fuselage.

Maximum takeoff weight would be 86,000 pounds, more than half of which would be fuel. The cabin would be about as large as that of a Falcon 50EX. The Mach 1.8 cruising speed was selected to minimize the need for high-temperature materials in the airframe and engine, with the aircraft designed to land at a 14 degree pitch angle to eliminate the need for a drooping nose or synthetic vision system.

As the only company in the world which builds both business jets and supersonic aircraft, Dassault is uniquely qualified to study an aircraft of this type. Dassault plans to conduct more market surveys late this year, once it has established the price and performance of the supersonic aircraft. If the results are favorable, the company will seek industrial partners to share the investment. The project would take around five years from launch to first delivery.

By Bill Sweetman