SECOND GULFSTREAM G650 FLIES FOR FIRST TIME
Two G650 Test Articles Airborne Simultaneously
 First flight of the Gulfstream G650 T2 on Feb. 25, 2010. |
SAVANNAH, Ga., February 26, 2010 — Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), announced today that a second ultra-large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G650 has completed its first flight.
The second test article — known as T2 — took off from Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport at 12:50 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 25, with senior experimental test pilots Gary Freeman and Scott Buethe in the cockpit. The aircraft flew for 2 hours and 33 minutes, reaching an altitude of 37,000 feet (11,278 m) and a speed of Mach 0.80 before landing back in Savannah.
In a company first, both G650 flight-test aircraft — T2 and T1 — were airborne simultaneously and were tracked by dual telemetry facilities in real time.
“T2 performed extremely well during the initial tests of its integrated flight control system and handling,” said Pres Henne, senior vice president, Programs, Engineering and Test, Gulfstream. “We plan to make half a dozen flights to assess basic system functionality before proceeding to more intensive testing.”
“The conditions were very gusty and blustery, yet T2, like T1, handled great,” said Freeman. “To control the aircraft precisely requires small, light control input from the pilot. It’s an easy jet to fly.”
The G650 flight-test and certification plan involves five aircraft and an estimated 1,800 hours of testing. Each aircraft is used for a specific series of tests, with T1 focused on performance and flight controls, T2 on systems and T3 on avionics. The two production aircraft in the test program — P1 and P2 — will be used to evaluate the interior systems and reduced vertical separation minimums (RVSMs), respectively.
T1, which spent approximately six hours in the air on Thursday, has completed 18 flights over more than 43 hours. The aircraft has reached a maximum speed of Mach 0.90 and a top altitude of 47,000 feet (14,326 m). Test pilots are progressively opening the flight envelope in conjunction with load testing of a ground-test airframe designated S6.
Gulfstream expects to receive concurrent G650 certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in 2011.
Gulfstream announced the G650 program on March 13, 2008. On Sept. 29, 2009, the aircraft rolled out under its own power in front of a crowd of more than 7,000 people. It completed its first flight on Nov. 25, 2009, and remains on schedule for entry-into-service in 2012.
The G650 offers the longest range at the fastest speed in its class. Powered by best-in-class Rolls-Royce BR725 engines, the business jet is capable of traveling 7,000 nautical miles (12,964 km) at Mach 0.85 and has a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.925.
NOTE TO EDITORS
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation designs, develops, manufactures, markets, services and supports the world’s most technologically advanced business-jet aircraft. Gulfstream has produced some 1,800 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 wide-cabin, high-speed Gulfstream G150®; the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G200®; the new large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G250®; the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G350®; the large-cabin, long-range G450®; the large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G500®; the large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G550® and the ultra-large-cabin, ultra-long-range G650®. Gulfstream also offers aircraft ownership services via Gulfstream Financial Services Division and Gulfstream Pre-Owned Aircraft Sales®. The company employs more than 9,000 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, Va., employs approximately 91,700 people worldwide. The company is a market leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies. More information about General Dynamics is available online at www.gd.com.
