Gulfstream Aerospace has one of the highest profiles among business aircraft manufacturers exhibiting at the Dubai Airshow this week, despite the fact that the event is being staged barely a week ahead of the annual U.S. NBAA show that opens in Las Vegas on November 17. The U.S. manufacturer has its G280, G450, G550 and G650ER jets on display here, as well as a presentation about special missions versions of its aircraft in the U.S. Pavilion.

Meanwhile, back at its headquarters in Savannah, Georgia, Gulfstream’s engineering team is hard at work developing the new G500 and G600 jets. According to Gulfstream president Mark Burns, flight testing of the initial G500 model is progressing well with four aircraft now being used for various tests, including fatigue and flutter tests. The first test aircraft has now logged more than 100 hours, including flights up to 42,500 feet and with some missions lasting more than five hours.

Prior to starting flight testing, Gulfstream conducted more than 37,000 hours of simulated ground tests. “We’re confident that we’ll meet the [performance] specifications [for the G500 and G600], and we’ll see what we can do beyond those,” Burns told AIN. “We’re looking really good for the specifications.”

Gulfstream has been pleased with the market’s response to the new large-cabin, long-range aircraft. “We’ve had a lot of interest from international customers and people have been amazed by the technology we’re delivering, especially in the cockpit,” said Burns. In some cases, customers have switched orders from the existing G650 model. Burns acknowledged that delays to the planned service entry of the rival Bombardier Global 7000 and 8000 jets has sparked some potential interest in the G500 and G600.

According to Burns, the business aviation market is clearly thriving more in the U.S. these days, marking a reversal of fortunes from the time just a few years ago when markets outside North America accounted for as much as 70 percent of all demand. “Now it’s more like a 60:40 ratio towards sales in the U.S., but the G650 seems impervious to the market turmoil. In the last quarter we’ve sold the aircraft in China, Russia, Brazil and the Middle East,” concluded Burns.