Dassault has a tremendous history of innovation in composites, having worked in close partnership with HEXCEL to develop new parts and new technologies that extend the use of composites in aircraft design. The V10F (Falcon 10), launched in the early 1980’s, was a groundbreaking aircraft, featuring the first carbon wing to obtain FAR/JAR 25 certification.

“For Dassault, the idea is to replace conventional metallic parts that require time consuming assembly with highly integrated composite parts”, said Monsieur Philippe Vautey, New Technologies and Materials Department Manager, aircraft engineering division, from Dassault Aviation.

The Falcon 7X continues the innovative tradition, with further penetration of composites in an aircraft design that makes the most of HEXCEL’s latest composite technologies. The Falcon 7X benefits from two differing HEXCEL technologies: high performance structural prepregs and direct processing, using a package of advanced multiaxial reinforcements with Resin Transfer Moulding. With a global solution, Hexcel is therefore a major supplier and a key contributor to the innovation of this aircraft.

Hexcel’s NC2® multiaxial reinforcements are a new concept non crimp technology that provides strength and stiffness exactly where they are required, due to the pre-placement of oriented plies that are joined by stitching technology. NC2 allows great flexibility of fiber orientation and width of the reinforcement and can produce thick materials with thin plies, thereby providing customers with a cost-effective solution that saves time during production. This new technology can accommodate heavy tows and high modulus fibers, with total freedom regarding ply orientation. An illustration of the effectiveness of this approach is the vertical stabilizer of the Falcon 7X. Typically built in aluminium on aircraft of this type, the Falcon 7X has a composite vertical stabilizer (carbon, epoxy) built using Resin Transfer moulding technology in a way that is cost-competitive and enables a high production rate. The fin box is manufactured using a one shot RTM process with HexFlow® RTM 6 matrix combined with Hexcel NC2 multiaxial reinforcements. The horizontal tail plane is also a composite construction, made with AS4 Magnamite® carbon fibres and with 8552 HexPly® prepreg. Many other parts of the Falcon 7X such as interior components, fairings and doors also use HexPly® prepregs from Hexcel.
The Falcon 7X is a great example of what can be achieved by partnership and it points to the future in terms of what we can expect for composites.

About Hexcel

Hexcel Corporation is a leading advanced structural materials company. It develops, manufactures and markets lightweight, high-performance reinforcement products, composite materials and composite structures for use in commercial aerospace, space and defense, electronics and industrial applications. Hexcel had sales in 2004 of over $1 billion.

Hexcel is more than a materials manufacturer - we are a composite solutions provider. HexWeb® honeycombs have been used by the aerospace industry for many years as lightweight core materials that greatly stiffen a structure for minimal weight gain.

Prepreg is a fibre-reinforcement that has been impregnated with resin. The reinforcement can be woven, unidirectional tape or one of Hexcel’s non crimp fabrics, such as NC2 multiaxial reinforcements.

Hexcel’s newer resin matrix developments – HexFIT®, HexMC®, HexFlow® - are now making composites a cost-effective alternative to metals for an increasing number of applications.

Redux® adhesives have been used by the aerospace industry for over 50 years for bonding metal to metal, composites and honeycomb structures.

Contact: Sophie Meyniel (France)
Tel : 33 4 72 25 26 33
Sophie.Meniel@hexcel.com

Contact : Rachel Atkinson (UK)
Tel : 44 (0)1223 838475
Rachel.Atkinson@hexcel.com

Photo on request: communications@hexcel.com