Gulfstream Starts Delivery of Enhanced G650 Aircraft
First Ultra-Large-Cabin, Ultra-Long-Range Jet Delivered To US Customer
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. announced Dec. 20 that it has delivered its first fully outfitted large-cabin, long-range Gulfstream G650 aircraft. The plane was delivered to a US customer. It is one of the largest and fastest jets in the general civil aviation category.
Gulfstream recently announced enhanced performance characteristics for the G650. The range for the aircraftis 6000 nautical miles (nm; 11,112 km) at its high-speed cruise of Mach 0.90. This is a 1000-nm (1852-km) increase over the original target of 5000 nm (9260 km). The additional capability makes trips between destinations such as Tokyo and New York, New York and Dubai, Shanghai and London and Moscow and Los Angeles possible at speeds faster than any other business jet.
The G650’s take-off balanced field length decreased to 5858’ (1786 m) from the original 6000’ (1829 m) at the aircraft’s maximum take-off weight of 99,600 lbs (45,179 kg).This improvement allows the G650 to fly farther from demanding, short runways.
The G650 has a maximum cruise speed of Mach 0.925, making it the fastest certified civilian aircraftin production. Each of its two Rolls-Royce BR725 A1-12 engines provides 16,900 pounds of thrust, yet the aircraft burns less fuel and produces fewer emissions than other aircraft, according to Gulfstream.
The G650 cabin includes a number of technologically advanced systems, such as the Gulfstream-designed Cabin Management System, which allows passengers to use personal electronic devices to control the cabin’s high-definition audio and video components as well as cabin lighting, cabin temperature, window shades and other cabin functions.
The cabin adheres to Gulfstream’s Cabin Essential design philosophy. This means the cabin systems (lighting, power, cabin control, cabin entertainment, and the water and waste systems) are designed with redundancy that minimizes the risk of losing cabin functionality.
The G650 earned its type certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration on Sept.7, 2012.
In related news, Gulfstream announced on Dec. 21 that the G650 received its Production Certificate (PC) from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Atlanta Manufacturing Inspection District Office. Gulfstream also earned a Type Certificate for the G650 from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The EASA Type Certificate was awarded on December 21, 2012. By securing EASA certification, the G650 can be registered in the 27 member states that form the European Union.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics.
Source: Gulfstream