The Dassault Cargo Falcon 20 is a French jet aircraft that, on
April 17, 1973, became the first to carry a Federal Express air
package. This was a new milestone in the history of air
transport in the United States and created a new category of
airline, the exclusive air express carrier. Within a decade, no
less than thirty-three were flying on the spokes of the Federal
Express network. The service was so successful that, by the
early 1980s, its front-line aircraft were expanded to the
McDonnell Douglas DC-10Cs, whose cargo holds were big enough to
carry several Falcons each. The first Dassault Falcon made its
maiden flight on May 4, 1973. It is a well-proportioned, all
metal low-wing monoplane, with full cantilever wing and tail
surfaces, pressurized fuselage, and retractable tricycle dual-
wheel landing gear. It is powered by two aft-mounted General
Electric CF-700-2D turbofan engines. For cargo use, the Series
20 was modified by several basic changes, the success of which
is a tribute to the inherent soundne