Two new Gulfstream aircraft, the G500 and G600, are on target for introduction into service later this year. The G500 is nearing completion of the last flying requirements, the function and reliability testing required by the FAA, and should earn its type certificate later this summer.
Marc Burns, Gulfstream’s president, said “We share our customers’ excitement about the G500’s pending certification and entry into service. The work we’ve done over thousands of hours of testing will result in an all-new aircraft that performs with a level of maturity and reliability atypical of a clean-sheet design. The five G500s in the program are accumulating considerable flying hours, as planned, and performing extraordinarily well. The rigor and discipline of our program, which began with lab work years before our first flight, give us complete confidence that the aircraft we deliver to customers will surpass their exacting standards.”
The G600 program, a test aircraft which was flown to Geneva for the show, continues to benefit from its sister G500. To date, results have been strong, and field-performance testing is scheduled to begin this summer. Both programs will enter service in 2018.
The G500 prototypes have flown more than 4,955 flight hours over 1,355 flights, including an 11 hour 12 minute test flight. The G600 aircraft have flown 1,950 hours over 510 flights, including the 7 hours 49 minute flight from Savannah to Geneva at an average speed of M 0.90.
Key features of these new aircraft include the new Gulfstream Symmetry Flight Deck with Active Control Sidesticks. Powered by the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW800 engines, these aircraft have both long-range and high speed capabilities, as shown in the table below:
The Bottom Line:
Gulfstream is on track with its G500 and G600 programs, which will enter service later this year, complementing the G650 in Gulfstream’s product line. Bringing two new products on line in the same year is a first for Gulfstream, who have managed the two aircraft development process well.
