GULFSTREAM

Gulfstream G700: Near supersonic

US business jet manufacturer Gulfstream recently announced that its newest long-range model, the G700, exceeded expectations regarding performance during certification flights. These improvements include a notable increase in flight range, operational speed and enhancements to the cabin pressurization system.

The G700 now features an expanded range of 7,750 nautical miles (approximately 14,353 kilometers) at Mach 0.85 (approximately 1,049 km/h) or 6,650 nm (12,316 km) at Mach 0.90 (1,111 km/h). This increase represents a significant gain of 250 nm (463 km) in both speeds compared to initial projections.

Additionally, the G700's maximum operating speed has been adjusted from Mach 0.925 (approximately 1,142 km/h) to Mach 0.935 (1,154 km/h), establishing it as the fastest jet ever produced by Gulfstream, which has been on the market since 1958. For comparison purposes, the speed of sound (Mach 1) is 1,234 km/h at sea level.

With regard to cabin comfort, the altitude environment was reduced to 2,840 feet (about 866 meters) while the aircraft flew at 41,000 feet (12,497 meters), a notable improvement for the occupants, as reported by the manufacturer North -American.

Mark Burns, president of Gulfstream, emphasized the importance of this milestone: “We are conducting one of the most comprehensive flight test programs in history, as the G700 is the first business jet to achieve Federal Aviation Administration certification following approval of the Aircraft Certification, Safety and Accountability Act of 2020. As a result, we will deliver an extremely mature and rigorously tested aircraft that will exceed expectations in speed, range and cabin comfort. Our certification efforts continue to advance, and we look forward to making the G700 available to customers around the world.”

Throughout the flight test program, two fully equipped G700 aircraft toured the world, testing the interior and providing potential customers with the opportunity to experience the plane, which features an impressive 20 windows. To date, these two aircraft have flown approximately 246,000 nautical miles (455,592 kilometers) and set more than 45 intercity speed records.

The G700 flight test program is nearing completion, with more than 4,100 hours of testing conducted on five flight test aircraft in addition to the two equipped production test aircraft. Delivery of the first units to customers is scheduled for 2024.

Vivaero