customers could opt for the G650ER with a
7,500nm (13,890km) range – 500nm (926km)
more than the standard version.
The G650 marked a change in
manufacturing techniques and included the
chemical bonding of airframe components to
reduce the volume of conventional riveting.
The prototype G650 (N650GA, c/n 6001)
made its rst ight on November 25, 2009
and the G650 (known as the GVI for FAA
purposes) gained its type certi cate on
September 7, 2012.
The model proved successful with
customers and more than 250 have been
built to date. A number have been bought for
charter operations, such as by Korean Air and
Qatar Executive. Other customers include
the Azerbaijan Government, corporate users
such as JC Bamford Excavators, avionics and
engine giant Honeywell and the watchmaker
Patek Philippe.
Having established the G650, Gulfstream
turned its attention to a new aircraft family.
Two new models were designed and are now
under development: the G500 (which has no
relationship to the earlier model with the same
name) and a stretched version, the G600.
Their fuselage design followed the philosophyof the G650 and they both have wider cabins
than the G450 and G550, although not quite
as large as the G650. The cabin has the
larger windows used on the G650 and has
been completely redesigned with updated
seating and a new infotainment system.
In a move away from Rolls-Royce, the
G500, which has an NBAA IFR range of
5,000nm (9,260km), is powered by 15,144lb/
st Pratt & Whitney Canada PW814GA
turbofans and the G600 has higher rated
15,680lb/st PW815GA engines.
The new jets have completely redesigned
ight decks with active control side sticks
similar to those designed for the F-35 ghter
by BAE Systems, y-by-wire systems and
ten touchscreen Gulfstream Symmetry Flight
Deck control panels. This incorporates
synthetic vision and the EVS system
accessed by the pilot through a HUD (head-
up display). The G500 prototype (N500GA,
c/n 72001) made its maiden ight on May 18,
2015 and three other development aircraft as
well as one fully out tted production aircraft
are under test with a target of the end of 2017
for certi cation (as the GVII). The European
debut for the G500 was made at Farnboroughin 2016 when the fourth test aircraft (N504GS
c/n 72004) was own in from the Savannah
factory in just under seven hours.
With the G500 test programme well under
way, the G600 prototype (N600G, c/n 73001)
took to the air on December 17, 2016 and
there are now four G600s ying towards rst
customer deliveries in the fourth quarter of- The G600 has a 4ft (1.22m) longer
cabin than the G500 and has greater range at
6,200nm (11,482km), at Mach 0.85 carrying
eight passengers and four crew – although
it can be con gured for up to 19 passengers
and crew. The cabin can be arranged in four
separate areas and has a large restroom and
the option of a galley at the front or rear of
the cabin. Its top speed is Mach 0.925 and
it cruises at 51,000ft (15,545m) – well above
airline traffic.
As Gulfstream Aerospace moves towards
2018 and 2019 it remains at the forefront of
business aviation. It continues to sell the
G280 super-midsize jet, the airframe of which
is built in Israel by IAI and tted out in the
US, and will have a line-up of the fast, long-
range, large cabin G500, G550, G600 and
G650/650ER.
http://www.aviation-news.co.uk 63Prototype G600, N600G, takes off on the type’s maiden ight on December 17 last year. Photo courtesy of Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.The spacious and luxurious cabin of a G650. Photo courtesy of Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.58-63_gulfstreamDC.mfDC.mfDC.indd 63 04/08/2017 14:16