Gulfstream G500 Closes in on Certification

Gulfstream announced that one of its latest luxury bizjet offerings, the G500, is making good progress toward certification. The Savannah, Georgia-based company said the certification effort for the twinjet is on schedule, with the coveted FAA signoff and first deliveries expected later this year.

For the G500 certification effort Gulfstream has been using five test aircraft, which have collectively accumulated 2,600 hours of flight time. So far, the testing has resulted in the completion of the development phase. However, further company and FAA certification testing are still underway.

Gulfstream said extensive customer input was used for the development of the interior. Recently a few members from Gulfstream’s Advanced Technology Customer Advisory Team (ATCAT) were invited to experience the final selections first hand in the test aircraft that features the production interior.

“Our customers tell us that the added flexibility of the cabin, the comfort of our newly designed seats and the enhanced satellite communications will ensure that the G500 customer experience is second to none,” said Gulfstream’s president Mark Burns.

The flight performance test aircraft has achieved a maximum speed of Mach 0.995 and an altitude of 53,000 feet.

The G500 is designed to provide its customers with a range of 3,800 nm at Mach 0.90 and 5,000 nm at Mach 0.85.