The Gulfstream G500 business jet’s function and reliability (F&R) testing program is nearing completion, which will allow it to progress to FAA type certification. The larger, longer-range G600 is already well into its certification program, too.
During flight testing, one of the five G500 flight test aircraft managed the longest flight of the program so far at 11 hours and 12 minutes, traveling 5,204 nautical miles (9,638km). The FAA requires 300 hours of flight testing for aircraft with new engines.
Gulfstream is completing those 300 hours by flying the aircraft in conditions representative of normal in-service experience. As part of the testing, the G500 is undertaking a six-month world tour slated to end on June 10 in Paris, France.
So far on the tour, the G500 has logged more than 240 flying hours, racking up over 100,300 nautical miles during 69 flights to 41 airports in 21 countries on six continents. Certification tests for flight into known icing and high-elevation conditions have already been completed.
In total, the five G500 aircraft in the flight test program have accumulated more than 4,955 flight hours over more than 1,355 flights.
Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream, said, “The work we’ve done over thousands of hours of testing will result in an all-new aircraft that performs with a level of maturity and reliability atypical of a clean-sheet design.
“The five G500s in the program are accumulating considerable flying hours, as planned, and performing extraordinarily well. The rigor and discipline of our program, which began with lab work years before our first flight, give us complete confidence that the aircraft we deliver to customers this year will surpass their exacting standards.”
The G600, meanwhile, has recently finished collecting data that will be used by FlightSafety International to build a Level D full-motion simulator. The aircraft is currently undergoing mechanical systems certification testing. The five G600 aircraft in the flight test program have logged more than 1,950 flight hours during more than 510 flights.
“The Gulfstream G600 program continues to benefit from what we’ve accomplished with the G500. We have had excellent results in G600 certification testing and are scheduled to begin field-performance testing this summer,” Burns said.
May 30, 2018
