Gulfstream Aerospace's new large-cabin G500 is close to completing function and reliability (F&R) testing. Once concluded this summer, the step marks the end of the flying required for FAA type certification. The aircraft has also completed certification tests for flight into known icing and high-elevation conditions. At the same time, the G500's sibling, the G600, is well into its certification program, remaining on track for approval later this year.
Gulfstream’s fourth G500 flight-test aircraft remained in the air for 11 hours and 12 minutes, traveling 5,204 nm (9,638 km), during F&R testing—a program best. This aircraft has completed 240 of the 300 hours of mandatory F&R testing and has flown more than 100,300 nm during 69 flights to 41 airports in 21 countries on six continents. All five flight-test G500s have completed a combined 4,955 flight hours over 1,355 flights.
“We share our customers’ excitement about the G500’s pending certification and entry into service,” said Mark Burns, president of Gulfstream Aerospace (Booth T139). “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.”
In the meantime, the G600 is completing mechanical systems certification testing. The five flight-test G600s have accumulated approximately 1,950 flight hours during 510 flights. The aircraft recently finished collecting data that FlightSafety International (Booth F79) will use to build a level-D simulator.
“The Gulfstream G600 program continues to benefit from what we’ve accomplished with the G500,” said Burns. “We have had excellent results in G600 certification testing and are scheduled to begin field-performance testing this summer.”
