Gulfstream Adds Another G700 to Its Test Program

Gulfstream Aerospace said in a news release on April 15 that flight testing on its newest aircraft, the ultra-long-range G700, had surpassed the 1,100-hour mark in its first year of testing. In addition to the five test aircraft currently flying, the flight-test program now includes a fully completed production test aircraft to evaluate the interior elements throughout the aircraft’s up to five living areas, including all-new seating and Gulfstream’s new ultrahigh-definition circadian lighting system. The G700 interior also features a galley with more than 10 feet of counter space, a grand suite with an optional shower, a six-place conference and dining table, 20 panoramic windows and the Gulfstream Cabin Experience with 100 percent fresh, never recirculated air, low cabin altitude, and whisper-quiet noise levels.

Gulfstream is also testing the G700′s enhanced Symmetry Flight Deck, including the award-winning Gulfstream Predictive Landing Performance System. The system gives pilots advanced warning of potential runway excursions to allow them to adjust approaches or go around. The G700 Symmetry Flight Deck also includes Gulfstream’s Enhanced Flight Vision System and Synthetic Vision on dual head-up displays. During envelope expansion testing, the test aircraft safely performed well beyond its maximum operations speed and cruise altitude, flying perfectly at Mach 0.99 and at 54,000 ft/16,459 m. More recently, the G700 began flight-into-known-icing (FIKI) testing and successfully completed high-altitude engine-performance testing at Telluride Regional Airport in Colorado, at an altitude of 9,078 feet/2,767 meters. The aircraft is also undergoing high-intensity radiated fields/indirect effects of lightning (HIRF/IEL) testing.