The Unlikely Triumph of a 3-Engine Jet Over Modern Design.

In a world where ultra-modern twin-engine aircraft dominate the skies of business aviation, one French jet continues flying higher, farther, and accessing places where its rivals wouldn't even dare to land. The Dassault Falcon 900 LX is one of them. With a range of 4,750 nautical miles, or 8,800 kilometers, this tri-jet connects London to Seattle non-stop, crosses oceans and continents with enviable ease, while its two side-mounted engines and a third strategically positioned in the tail defy industry trends. But the question remains, in 2025, when giants like Gulfstream and Bombardier bet on simpler configurations, why does Dassault insist on this architecture dating back to the 70s? If you're also passionate about the world of aviation, consider subscribing to the channel and supporting our team. In the early 60s, while commercial aviation exploded in popularity, one niche remained unexplored – business jets that could cross continents with the comfort of a living room and the speed of a military aircraft. Dassault Aviation, a French manufacturer with military DNA forged in World War II, saw this opportunity. The Falcon 20, launched in the 60s, was the first step – an elegant twin-engine that quickly won over corporations and governments around the world. But there was a problem – the Atlantic. At that time, regulations prohibited twin-engine aircraft from crossing oceans. At least three or four engines were required to ensure safety over vast stretches of water. And that's how, in the early 70s, a revolutionary idea was born. In 1974, Dassault initiated the Falcon 50 project, the first French business jet capable of trans-oceanic flights. Demand came especially from the United States, where executives wanted to cross the country or the ocean without stops. The solution? Add a third engine. The first prototype flew on November 7, 1976, obtaining French certification on February 27, 1979 and American certification on March 7 of the same year. With three Garrett TFE731-3 turbofan engines and pioneering supercritical wings, it revolutionized the market. But there were limitations. The fuselage was narrow, derived directly from the Falcon 20. The range, though impressive for the time, still left something to be desired on some routes. And cabin comfort didn't meet the standards that the most demanding customers were beginning to expect. Dassault knew they could do better. And that's exactly what they did. In the early 80s, while the Falcon 50 was consolidating its success, Dassault engineers were secretly working on an ambitious project. The Falcon 900 began in the 1980s, flew for the first time in September 1984, and was certified in 1986. But this wasn't just an update. It was a complete transformation. The new fuselage, wider and more comfortable, incorporated advanced composite materials, making the aircraft lighter without sacrificing strength. The Falcon 900 featured a glass cockpit and universal avionics systems, representing a monumental technological leap. Three Allied Signal TFE731 engines provided nearly 5,000 pounds of thrust each, enough power for extraordinary performance. The market responded with enthusiasm. Corporations, governments, and even military forces adopted the Falcon 900 as the gold standard in long-range business aviation. But Dassault didn't stop there. In the following decades, the Falcon 900 underwent constant evolution reminiscent of natural selection. Each generation more refined, more capable, more efficient. The family grew. The 900A brought incremental improvements. The 900B expanded range. The 900EX introduced more powerful engines and modern avionics. Subsequent versions included the 900EX, easy with new avionics, the 900C, and the 900DX. Each iteration learned from the previous one, refined systems, optimized performance. Until in 2008, during the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition, eBase, Dassault announced something special. The Falcon 900LX, launched in 2008 with deliveries beginning in 2010, incorporates high-speed winglets developed by Aviation Partners Inc. These small extensions at the wingtips weren't mere aesthetic details. They were pure science translated into reduced drag and expanded range. And there's also a version few know about, the Falcon 900MPA, a military variant for maritime patrol equipped with Exocet missiles. Because when you have engineering excellence, even militaries trust its most critical missions to it. We come to the crux of the question. Why three engines when two would be simpler, cheaper, easier to maintain? The answer surprises with its mathematical and physical elegance. The Falcon 900LX uses three Honeywell TFE731-60 engines, each producing 5,000 pounds of thrust at sea level up to ISA-17 degrees. These aren't heavy monsters. Each TFE731-60 weighs only about 770 to 880 pounds or 350 to 400 kilograms, a fraction of the larger engines that equivalent twin-engine aircraft need to carry. The distribution is strategic. Two engines on the sides of the rear fuselage, a third central one in the tail cone equipped with an exclusive thrust reverser. In the tail, a Honeywell GTC P36-150 APU provides a simple and reliable auxiliary system. Here's the ingenious trick. By using three smaller engines instead of two larger ones, Dassault achieves multiple simultaneous advantages. Lower total drag as compact engines are embedded more aerodynamically. More stable and balanced thrust distribution along the fuselage and superior redundancy. If one engine fails, you lose only a third of the power, not half. With over 11,000 TFE731 engines in service and 100 million hours of operation logged, the reliability and fuel efficiency of this engine family are proven. It's mature engineering, battle-tested, globally available, maintenance, easier and cheaper than you'd imagine, thanks to production scale. But the advantages go far beyond basic mathematics. And this is where things get really interesting. There's an acronym few passengers know, but that defines air routes. ETOPS. Essentially, regulations that limit how far a twin engine can fly from a suitable alternate airport. Even with the most generous ETOPS certifications, there are restrictions. The Falcon 900LX doesn't worry about that. While twin engines are limited by time to alternate airports, trijets don't face the same ETOPS restrictions. This means freer, more direct, more efficient routes. Crossing oceans and polar regions without restrictive planning. Flying over the Pacific, over Antarctica, over any vast expanse without worrying about regulatory corridors. But there's more. Trijets have slightly better takeoff performance due to additional thrust, being especially advantageous at hot and high airports. Short runways at high altitude, a nightmare for many business jets, are natural territory for the Falcon 900LX. With fuel for a 3,000 nautical mile, 5,500 kilometer trip, the Falcon 900LX can take off from runways shorter than 3,900 feet or 1,200 meters at sea level and shorter than 4,900 feet or 1,500 meters in environments similar to Denver, a mile above sea level. Challenging airports like London City, Aspen, St. Moritz, Gstaad and Toluca, all accessible. Hot or high or both, the 900LX delivers ample range. Throttle response is smoother and more balanced. Three distributed power sources mean more refined control, more precise adjustments, a more stable flight experience for both pilots and passengers. And when we talk about absolute performance numbers, the Falcon 900LX doesn't disappoint. Operational ceiling of 51,000 feet or 15,545 meters, altitudes where thin air means less turbulence, more favorable winds, smoother and more efficient flights. Cruise speed of 850 kilometers per hour or Mach 0.87, fast enough to compete with any rival in the category. Range of 4,750 nautical miles or 8,800 kilometers with eight passengers, connecting cities like Chicago to Geneva, Mumbai to London, Hong Kong to Sydney, all non-stop. Landing distance of just 2,927 feet or 892 meters and takeoff of 5,250 feet or 1,600 meters. Numbers that open doors, literally, to hundreds of airports inaccessible to larger jets. Compared with twin-engine rivals like the Gulfstream IV or G450, the Falcon 900LX doesn't just compete, it frequently surpasses them. It consumes approximately one-third less fuel than its closest competitor on trips of the same distance. There's a frequently forgotten but crucial aspect, operating and maintenance costs over the lifetime. And here, another paradox reveals itself. Intuitively, three engines should cost more to maintain than two, more parts, more inspections, more complexity. Reality, however, is somewhat different. Based on 450 annual hours of owner operation and fuel at $6 per gallon, the Falcon 900LX has total variable costs of $2.26 million, fixed costs of $972,000 and an annual budget of $3.24 million, resulting in $7,189 per hour. For an aircraft of this category, capable of these performances, these are competitive numbers. In 2023, the equipped price of the Falcon 900LX was $44.7 million, positioning it strategically in the premium market without being prohibitive for high-net-worth companies and individuals who value performance over a superficial economy. But this investment buys more than performance numbers. It buys experience. And in the cabin of the Falcon 900LX, experience is synonymous with refined luxury. The three engines aren't just about going farther or higher, they're about going better. The cabin measures 33.2 feet, or 10.11 meters in length, 7.7 feet, or 2.34 meters in width, and 6.2 feet, or 1.88 meters in height, with a volume of 1,264 cubic feet, or 35.8 meters cubed, accommodating up to 14 to 16 passengers. Three distinct zones transform the metal tube into a multifunctional environment, a reception area with complete galley, a conference zone for productive meetings, and a rest area for relaxation or concentrated work. All 24 cabin windows are located within the passenger seating area, ensuring abundant natural light and panoramic views for everyone. Pressurization maintains the cabin at the equivalent of 5,900 feet, or 1,800 meters, altitude, even when flying at 51,000 feet, or 15,545 meters, reducing fatigue and jet lag. An innovative ambient lighting system allows passengers to create the perfect environment for work, rest, or dinner, with LED producing high-quality white light and programmable settings. Connectivity is also a priority. Owners can opt for Dassault's Falcon Connect system for high-speed internet and voice calls, keeping executives productive even at 51,000 feet altitude. But while passengers enjoy luxury in the cockpit, pilots operate technology that blurs the lines between civil and military aviation. Dassault doesn't just manufacture business jets, they manufacture the Rafale, one of the world's most advanced fighters, and this military heritage permeates every system of the Falcon 900 LX. The EZ-2 avionics based on the Honeywell Primus Epic is the benchmark standard for situational awareness and flight planning. Four 14.1-inch multifunction displays present flight, navigation, systems, and engine information with crystal clarity. Trackball controls eliminate confusion, allowing pilots to access functions quickly. But the crown jewel is the Falcon Eye combined vision system that provides unprecedented situational awareness in all weather conditions, day or night, adding a significant safety margin, especially at airports with difficult terrain. Synthetic and night vision, inspired directly from the Rafale fighter, allows approaches down to 100 feet, or 30 meters, before the runway is visually sighted. Total redundancy ensures that individual failures never compromise safety. Triple systems for navigation, communication, flight controls, the Dassault philosophy crystallized in one phrase, fly like a fighter, land like a gentleman. Ultra smooth and responsive flight controls facilitate manual piloting, increasing safety and passenger comfort. With all this technology, all this capability, all this heritage, one question remains, what is the legacy of the last trijet? More than 500 units of the Falcon 900 family have been produced since the 1980s. Governments, armed forces, multinational corporations, billionaires all recognize the value. The Royal Air Force operates two 900LXs under civil contract since March 2022, with transition to full military service planned. According to Dassault Aviation's official report published in January 2025, the company delivered 31 Falcon jets during 2024. Current values in the used market reflect sustained demand, from $18 million for 2010 models up to $45 million for 2024 models. Depreciation exists, of course, but it's controlled, assigned of an aircraft that retains value because it retains capabilities that no rival offers in exactly the same way. And the future? The heirs are already here. The Falcon 7X and Falcon 8X continue the trijet tradition with even larger fuselages, even longer ranges, even more advanced technology. The Falcon 7X was the first business jet with fly-by-wire controls pushing boundaries again. But while the world simplified aviation, reducing everything to engines and optimization algorithms, Dassault perfected complexity. And in that perfection, they found something rare. Machines that don't just transport people through space, but elevate the very idea of what business aviation can be. The Dassault Falcon 900LX isn't a relic. It's a machine that understands that the path between two points is rarely simple when it comes to excellence. It's a statement that military heritage can inform civilian luxury. It's proof that tradition and innovation aren't opposites, but partners. The trijet configuration of the Falcon 8X offers additional safety and operational flexibility, opening access to more airports and improving performance in hot and high conditions, in addition to allowing more direct routes on long trips over water. These principles, tested and proven over decades, don't age. They only refine themselves. The last civil trijet still in production isn't an anachronism. It's a reminder that some questions have counterintuitive answers, and that sometimes three really is the magic number.