Gulfstream G500 and G600 achieve programme milestones

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. announced it recently joined the wing to the fuselage on the first Gulfstream G600 flight-test article, signifying steady progress in the G600 programme. As production continues for the G600, the Gulfstream G500 flight-test programme also achieved several milestones to include receiving the programme’s first type inspection authorisation (TIA) from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA issued the TIA for inlet compatibility and allowed Gulfstream to perform this testing for certification credit.

The G500 flight-test programme officially began May 18, 2015, when the first G500 flight-test article, T1, completed its first flight. Since then, T1 has reached a maximum speed of Mach 0.995, a maximum altitude of 53,000 feet (16,154 metres) and recently completed its 100th flight. The test fleet, which includes four flighttest articles (T1-T4), has accumulated more than 800 hours of flying time.

“Achieving these milestones speaks to the maturity of both programmes and demonstrates our commitment to ensuring these aircraft deliver the performance, safety and reliability we promised,” said Mark Burns, President, Gulfstream. “The wing-to-fuselage join is a significant step in manufacturing the first G600 and reflects our continued steady progress towards first flight. The official launch of certification testing on the G500 highlights the efforts being made to achieve certification in 2017. Together, these accomplishments attest to why Gulfstream is the leader in business aviation.”

The G500 can fly 5,000 nautical miles (9,260 km) at Mach 0.85 or 3,800 nm (7,038 km) at Mach 0.90. The G600 is capable of travelling 6,200 nm (11,482 km) at Mach 0.85 or 4,800 nm (8,890 km) at Mach 0.90. The G500 is slated to receive type certification in 2017 and deliver in 2018. The G600 is projected to enter service in 2019.