Gulfstream Flies Final G600 Test Aircraft

As Gulfstream nears FAA certification for its new series of luxury business jets, the G500 and G600, the company announced it has flown the final G600 test aircraft. The G500 and G600 are both highly advanced bizjets incorporating fly-by-wire, touchscreen avionics and active control sidestick technology.

This is the fifth G600 test bed Gulfstream has produced and it is a fully conforming airplane with a complete interior installed to test creature comforts and entertainment for the passengers in the cabin. The four other airplanes in the G600 test program have conducted more than 180 flights and accumulated 790 test flight hours.

Unlike many first flights, that test the basic flight characteristics of an airplane, the maiden flight of the final G600 test bed was extensive, lasting 2 hours and 55 minutes. During the flight, the G600 climbed to 55,000 feet and sped along at Mach 0.85.

“We now have 10 aircraft flying in our concurrent Gulfstream G500 and G600 flight-test programs,” said Gulfstream’s president Mark Burns. “That’s a remarkable achievement for business aviation and a first for the company.”

Certification for the G500, announced along with the G600 in late 2014, is expected by the end of this year, with first deliveries in early 2018.