News Release
GULFSTREAM FLIGHT-TEST TEAM TAKES COMPANY AIRCRAFT HIGHER AND FASTER - SEVEN DAYS A WEEK
Testing Aircraft Performance and System Functionality
Is All in a Day’s Work
SAVANNAH, Ga., Aug 17, 2004 – In the 46 years Gulfstream Aerospace has been developing and manufacturing airplanes, the business-jet maker’s flight-test team, which includes engineers, maintenance specialists, technicians, inspectors and pilots, has never been busier.
While conducting flight testing in support of a number of product development efforts, Gulfstream has operated a test fleet of up to 12 aircraft, logging more than 1,600 flight hours since the beginning of this year. At the height of flight-testing activities, the team logged in excess of 350 flight hours in a one-month period. Upon completion of the scheduled testing planned for the third and fourth quarters, the year-end total is expected to exceed 2,000 flight hours. In comparison, in 2001 during the early flight-testing of the ultra-long-range G550, Gulfstream’s fleet of test aircraft logged a mere 542 hours.
Historically, Gulfstream had always developed one aircraft at a time, according to Pres Henne, Gulfstream’s senior vice president, programs, engineering and test. In the early planning stages for the G550/G500 and the G450/G350, it became clear there would be significant customer advantages if all four models were developed simultaneously. This marked the first time the company would co-develop multiple aircraft models.
“We knew adding the G450/G350 into the flight-test schedule while keeping the same basic infrastructure would be a challenge,” Henne said. “To manage the increased volume of test projects, we added several key personnel to our experienced test team, improved our internal communications and refined our existing processes. With these changes, we were able to support multiple test programs on numerous aircraft and ensure all testing would be conducted accurately and with the highest level of safety.”
Gulfstream’s decision to develop the G450/G350 and the G550/G500 side-by-side, all of which feature virtually identical flight-deck systems, was the right one. The G550, which entered service in September 2003, earned the Gulfstream team its second Robert J. Collier Trophy, the pinnacle of excellence in the aviation industry. According to the 2003 trophy citation, the G550 development team earned the Collier for its “…leading edge achievement in designing, testing and building an innovative aircraft while incorporating measurable safety enhancements and far-reaching advances in aerospace technology.” Gulfstream earned the Collier Trophy seven years earlier for its development of the Gulfstream V.
“Since the beginning of this year, one of our highest priorities has been flight-testing the G450 in preparation for approvals from the FAA and both European agencies - the JAA (Joint Aviation Authorities) and EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency),” Henne said. “The FAA formally issued the G450 Type Certificate on August 12 here in Savannah. We anticipate EASA/JAA validation early in the fourth quarter.”
In 2004, Gulfstream added the large-cabin, mid-range G350 into its product-testing and certification schedules. The G350, which is expected to receive its FAA type certification by the end of this year, will share the same pilot type rating as the G450, G500 and G550, with minimal differences training. Pilots who fly two or more of these aircraft will appreciate the familiarity between cockpits and customers who own a multiple Gulfstream fleet will welcome reduced expenditures for training and maintenance.
“Because flight-testing is the last of a long list of tasks that need to be completed in the process of pursuing FAA certification, the success of our aircraft development programs can only be measured after our flight-test team completes the required ground and flight tests,” Henne added. “Each scheduler, maintenance technician, inspector, engineer and pilot, takes his and her respective responsibilities very seriously. To ensure aircraft downtime is minimized, they are flexible and responsive as they work together to resolve any outstanding technical issues. They know that their individual efforts are crucial to Gulfstream’s overall success.”
Henne attributes the success of Gulfstream’s flight-test program to the leadership demonstrated by Randy Gaston, vice president, flight operations; John O’Meara, director, flight operations test and chief test pilot; and by Barry McCarthy, director, flight lab and test.
Henne isn’t the only one confident with the abilities of Gulfstream’s flight-testing team. Earlier this year, NASA chose a GV aircraft to test its experimental Synthetic Vision and Runway Incursion Prevention Systems. In doing so, NASA not only had use of the aircraft, it had the benefit of Gulfstream’s experimental pilots, flight-test engineers and a dedicated maintenance team. Together, Gulfstream and NASA successfully evaluated the benefits of these advanced vision technologies.
Honeywell International relied on Gulfstream’s flight-test team during the development and testing phases of its Primus Epic® avionics system - the heart of Gulfstream’s PlaneView flight deck. The G550 was the first aircraft with Primus Epic avionics to be certified by the FAA.
Kollsman, Inc., co-developer of the first-of-its-kind Gulfstream EVS, also relied on Gulfstream’s flight-test team to test and fine-tune their new vision-enhancing system that has forever changed how pilots see outside the cockpit windshield. Gulfstream’s flight-test team supported the EVS project from the proof-of-concept of phase through the subsequent regulatory processes that culminated in September 2001 when the FAA issued Gulfstream the Supplemental Type Certificate for the EVS.
NOTE TO EDITORS
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), designs, develops, manufactures, markets, services and supports the world’s most technologically advanced business jet aircraft. Gulfstream has produced more than 1,400 aircraft for customers around the world since 1958. To meet the diverse transportation needs of the future, Gulfstream offers a comprehensive fleet of aircraft, comprising the mid-cabin, high-speed Gulfstream G100™; the wide-cabin, high-speed Gulfstream G150™; the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G200™; the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G300™; the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G350™; the large-cabin, long-range Gulfstream G400™; the large-cabin, long-range G450™; the large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G500™ and the large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G550™. Gulfstream also offers aircraft ownership services via Gulfstream Financial Services Division and Gulfstream Pre-Owned Aircraft Sales®. The company employs more than 6,750 people at seven major locations. We invite you to visit our Web site for more information and photos of Gulfstream aircraft at www.gulfstream.com.
General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, employs approximately 69,400 people worldwide and anticipates 2004 revenue of $19 billion. The company is a market leader in mission-critical information systems and technologies; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and business aviation. More information about the company can be found at www.generaldynamics.com.
