In 1970, while American manufacturers built comfortable cruisers, Dassault built a missile with seats. The Falcon 10 was essentially a 70% scale Falcon 20 - same highly swept wings, same Garrett TFE731 turbofans (newly introduced and revolutionary), same fighter - jet DNA.

EUROCONTROL lists the Falcon 10/100 at about 490 KTAS in cruise, with a service ceiling around FL420 and a published range around 1,900 NM. For a light business jet designed more than half a century ago, that is still a respectable flight profile.

And there is a reason for it.

The Falcon 10 uses a swept wing with leading-edge slats and high-lift flaps. The flaps can extend to 52 degrees. That combination gives the aircraft the ability to carry serious cruise performance while still getting the airplane slowed down for the approach and landing.

Production continued through the 1980s, and 226 Falcon 10 and Falcon 100 aircraft were ultimately delivered.

• It was a clean-sheet design, not simply a small Falcon 20.

The Falcon 10 was developed from the Falcon 20 family, but Dassault redesigned important parts of the aircraft, including the fuselage and wing. That is why calling it simply a "70% Falcon 20" misses the engineering story.

• The Falcon 100 brought EFIS to a very small business jet.

Dassault describes the Falcon 100 as the first certified business aircraft equipped with EFIS technology and colour screens replacing conventional electromechanical cockpit instruments. It also gained an externally accessible baggage compartment and an improved cabin.

• John King still flies one.

John and Martha King, the founders of King Schools, have operated a Falcon 10 for years. John has described it as his favourite airplane and famously said that flying it makes it hard not to giggle. That is about as good a pilot's review as you're likely to get.

Learjet 35A: approximately 2,200 NM range, up to 8 passengers depending on configuration. It is a faster, longer-legged competitor with a very different cabin and operating character.

Cessna Citation II: roughly 1,560 to 1,700 NM depending on the source, mission assumptions and variant, with around 7 passengers in a typical executive configuration. It offers a more conventional light-jet proposition and a large worldwide operating history.

Beechjet 400A: around 1,500 NM and typically 6 to 8 passengers. It is another compact twin-engine jet that buyers often consider when looking at older light-jet aircraft.

The interesting point is this: the Falcon 10 does not win every category.
It does not need to.
Its appeal is the combination of speed, Dassault aerodynamics, relatively small airframe size and genuine pilot appeal.

The Dassault Falcon 10 is aviation's classic Ferrari - old, expensive to maintain, and absolutely thrilling. It doesn't have modern avionics or efficiency, but it has something better: soul.

For the buyer seeking a Falcon 10, you're not acquiring transportation; you're acquiring a legend. The jet that says speed is the ultimate luxury, and that French engineering has no equal.

The Falcon 10 is not for everyone.

If you want the newest cabin, the latest cockpit and the lowest possible maintenance exposure, there are newer aircraft that deserve your attention.

But if you understand airplanes, the Falcon 10 is difficult to ignore.

If you are searching for a Dassault Falcon 10 for Sale or Dassault Falcon 100 for Sale, we would rather start with your mission than send you ten random aircraft for sale.

Looking for a Dassault Falcon 10 or Falcon 100 for Sale?
Give us the mission first:

• How many passengers?
• Which routes?
• How much range do you need?
• What year or configuration do you prefer?
• What are your requirements for engines, maintenance and avionics?
• Where will the aircraft be registered and operated?

We will search the open market and our off-market network and come back with aircraft that fit the requirement.