GULFSTREAM G650 ACHIEVES HIGH-SPEED CRUISE PROJECTIONS ON TEST AIRCRAFT’S FIFTH FLIGHT

Aircraft Travels 5,000 Nautical Miles Nonstop At Mach 0.90

Just prior to the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Meeting and Convention in Atlanta, Gulfstream test pilots and engineers made a compelling demonstration of the Gulfstream G650’s exceptional high-speed cruise capabilities, flying a 5,000-nautical-mile (9,260 km) closed circuit at Mach 0.90 over the Atlantic Ocean in 9 hours and 45 minutes.
“Never has a business jet flown so far, so fast, so flawlessly,” said Pres Henne, senior vice president, Programs, Engineering and Test, Gulfstream. “This airplane defines a new level of productivity. Part of that is the ability to move executives in comfort swiftly around the world.”
Aircraft Serial Number (S/N) 6004, the fourth test aircraft in the flight-test program, and the first with a full interior, departed Savannah at 9:57 a.m. local time on Oct. 9 for the fastest ultra-long-range flight ever flown by a business jet. The aircraft had flown a total of only 12 hours previously, including seven hours with a fully installed interior. The jet is on display for order holders at the NBAA industry conference in Atlanta this week.
Weight at take-off was 99,538 pounds (45,150 kg). The aircraft has a maximum take-off weight of 99,600 pounds (45,178 kg), allowing it to operate from weight-restricted airports such as Teterboro and Aspen.
A crew of six manned the aircraft: Senior Experimental Test Pilot Tom Horne; Production Test Pilots Al Moros and Rick Gowthrop; Flight Test Engineer Michael Brinley; and Interior Specialists Allen Blaylock and Mike Phipps. Blaylock and Phipps used the time aloft to examine the new cabin installation under cold-soak conditions, evaluating the many new features of the G650 cabin, including communications and entertainment equipment and the airplane’s advanced Gulfstream Cabin Management System (GCMS).
Although six were aboard, the aircraft was ballasted to simulate a crew of four and eight passengers.
Climb out was at 250 knots to 10,000 feet (3,048 m), then 300 knots, transitioning to Mach 0.85 until reaching cruise altitude. Twenty-three minutes after brake release, the aircraft leveled off at its initial cruise altitude of 39,000 feet (11,887 m) and accelerated to Mach 0.90, later making step climbs to a final cruise altitude of 45,000 feet (13,716 m).
Due to the aircraft’s experimental status and its current lack of reduced vertical separation minimum (RVSM) approval, there were some restrictions to the route that could be selected for a high-speed demonstration. Therefore, the aircraft flew in an offshore warning area in a 200- nautical-mile race-track pattern with 70-mile (113 km) turns flown at an approximate bank angle of 12 degrees. Temperature along the route was close to ISA with the worst case being ISA+7.
Descent was at Mach 0.90, transitioning to 300 knots and then 250 knots at 10,000 feet (3,048 m) with a return landing with NBAA IFR reserves in Savannah.
“At those speeds, we could have been in Buenos Aires for dinner, or in Hawaii for lunch due to the time zone change” said Horne. “We continue to be impressed by the reliability and capability of this airplane at this early stage in its development.”
The G650 has a range of 7,000 nm (12,964 km) at Mach 0.85. It is the largest, fastest, longest-range purpose-built business jet. Certification is planned for 2011 with customer deliveries beginning in 2012.

GULFSTREAM CELEBRATES ROLLOUT OF 300th G550

Milestone Comes Eight Years After Aircraft Entered Service

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. recently rolled out the 300th Gulfstream G550 aircraft at its manufacturing facility in Savannah. The large-cabin, ultra-long-range business jet received its certificate of airworthiness from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), thereby completing its initial phase of manufacturing.
“This is a proud day for Gulfstream,” said Joe Lombardo, president, Gulfstream. “I want to thank our employees for their hard work and dedication in making this possible. Because of the G550’s performance, range and reliability, it continues to be the leader in the ultra-long-range segment.”
The 300th G550 is also nearly the 500th aircraft in the GV family, which includes the GV, G550 and G500. Gulfstream suppliers Fokker and Vought recently celebrated milestones for delivery of the 500th tail and wing, respectively, for the GV series of aircraft.
“This is a fantastic achievement,” said Pres Henne, Gulfstream senior vice president, Programs, Engineering and Test. “We have delivered 300 G550s, nearly 200 GVs and we’re still going strong. The production rate of the G550 has never been higher. The original estimate for this whole market segment was 300.”
From mid-October until late February, the aircraft will be painted in Savannah and outfitted at Gulfstream’s Brunswick, Ga., facility in preparation for its scheduled delivery to an undisclosed international customer in February.
The G550 along with its sister, the G500, were officially introduced Sept, 9, 2002, at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention in Orlando, Fla. The first G550 was delivered on Sept. 17, 2003. Later that year, the G550 development team was honored for its technological breakthrough with the National Aeronautic Association’s Robert J. Collier Trophy, the most prestigious aviation award in the United States.
Powered by enhanced Rolls-Royce BR710 turbofan engines, the G550 has a range of 6,750 nm (12,501 km) at Mach 0.80 and a high-speed cruise capability of Mach 0.87. With its long legs, the G550 easily links Washington, D.C., with Dubai, London with Singapore and Tokyo with Paris.
The G550 fleet recently surpassed 404,000 flight hours. The G550 has a 12-month dispatch reliability rate of 99.89 percent. In addition, it has compiled 50 city-speed records, including one this year. On Feb. 17, a G550 reached a top speed of 532.19 mph in a flight from London to Tokyo.
The G550 is equipped with the Gulfstream PlaneView® cockpit, the most advanced flight deck in business aviation. The cabin aboard the aircraft combines productivity with exceptional comfort. It features up to four distinct living areas, three temperature zones and a choice of 12 floor plan configurations with seating for up to 18 passengers.

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GULFSTREAM G450 SETS SPEED RECORD BETWEEN SAVANNAH AND SÃO PAULO

SAVANNAH, Ga., October 5, 2010 — A large-cabin, long-range Gulfstream G450 business jet recently established a city-pair speed record between Savannah and São Paulo, completing the 3,922-nautical-mile flight in less than nine hours.
The G450 took off from the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport at 8:07 a.m. local time with six passengers, one flight attendant and international captains Eric Parker and Jaime Bahamon on board. The aircraft, flying to the Latin American Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (LABACE), landed at the Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo eight hours and 50 minutes later.
The average cruise speed for the flight was Mach 0.80, with altitudes ranging from 41,000 to 45,000 feet.
The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) confirmed the flight as a U.S. record and forwarded the figures to the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) in Switzerland for approval as a world record. The Savannah-São Paulo record had previously been unclaimed.
Powered by two Rolls-Royce Tay Mk 611-8C engines, the G450 can fly 4,350 nautical miles -- Beijing to New Delhi or Moscow nonstop and can reach speeds of up to Mach 0.88. The aircraft features PlaneView®, the most advanced flight deck in its class, and the Gulfstream Enhanced Vision System (EVS) as standard equipment.
The G450 established its first speed record 10 days after it entered service on May 7, 2005, flying 3,550 nautical miles — Chicago to London — in 7:19 at an average speed of Mach 0.85. Since then, the aircraft has set four additional records, including Washington, D.C., to Luton, England — 3,290 nautical miles — in 6:12; Denver to Honolulu — 2,944 nautical miles — in 7:07; Oranjestad, Aruba, to Barcelona, Spain — 4,374 miles — in 8:56; and Tokyo to Hong Kong —1,694 nautical miles — in 3:58.
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GULFSTREAM TO SHOWCASE FIVE AIRCRAFT AT NBAA

Mid- and Large-Cabin Business Jets Will Be On Static Display Oct. 19-21, 2010
SAVANNAH, Ga., October 5, 2010 — Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. will display five aircraft at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) 2010 Meeting and Convention in Atlanta.
The company’s static display will include the large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G550; the large-cabin, long-range G450; the large-cabin, mid-range G200; the wide-cabin, high-speed G150; and the cabin mockup for the large-cabin, mid-range G250.
The aircraft and mockup will be available for viewing Oct. 19-21 at the Peachtree DeKalb Airport in Atlanta.
Additionally, Gulfstream will have the all-new, ultra-large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G650 aircraft, Serial Number 6004, available for private viewings by appointment only to order-holders and potential customers at a nearby hangar.
“We’re thrilled that we’re far enough along in our flight-test program to have the G650 here for NBAA,” said Larry Flynn, senior vice president, Marketing and Sales, Gulfstream. “The NBAA Meeting and Convention has become part of Gulfstream’s history, dating back to when we brought the GIV to the convention in New Orleans. This is an excellent opportunity for our customers to see these jets first-hand and for us to demonstrate their advanced technology, superior craftsmanship and outstanding performance.”
The 9,000-square-foot Gulfstream exhibit, with its focus on Product Support, will feature areas dedicated to:
 PlaneBook, a portable compact electronic document manager (EDM) that provides pilots immediate access to critical flight information during flight;
 the Gulfstream computerized maintenance program, CMP.net;
 Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) functionality, an improved navigational system that provides a number of benefits, including enhanced safety, increased flight-planning options and improved airport access;
 PlaneDeck™, a cockpit retrofit that converts the Primary Flight Displays from cathode ray tube (CRT) to liquid crystal displays (LCD) while maintaining Gulfstream’s six-panel display configuration;
 and Total Technical Training, an advanced hands-on aircraft maintenance training program.
Additionally, the exhibit will feature one-tenth scale models of the full Gulfstream fleet, from the G150 through the G650.
Gulfstream has a number of events planned for the conference in Atlanta, including a media briefing at 10 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 18. The 45-minute briefing will focus on the G250 and G650 programs, enhancements to the Gulfstream Product Support network and other news. It will be in Press Conference Room 1 (B207) at the Georgia World Congress Center.
On Tuesday, Oct. 19, the company will announce the military and commercial winners of the Gulfstream Outstanding Flight Award Program, which commemorates 51 years of superlative worldwide flight by Gulfstream aircraft. The winners will receive the Alber-Rowley Trophy, named for the first two pilots of the original Gulfstream I. Gulfstream will make the presentation during an awards dinner at the W Hotel in Atlanta.
The company will conduct a maintenance and operations session from 8 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, Oct. 20, in Room B406 of the Georgia World Congress Center. The session will focus on updates and technical presentations relevant to Gulfstream operators in the United States. Gulfstream operators, pilots and maintenance personnel can register for the conference via mygulfstream.com.
Several members of the company’s senior leadership team will be on hand for the three-day air show, including Joe Lombardo, president, Gulfstream Aerospace; Mark Burns, president, Product Support; Pres Henne, senior vice president, Programs, Engineering and Test; Buddy Sams, senior vice president, Government Programs and Sales; Dennis Stuligross, senior vice president, Operations; and Larry Flynn, senior vice president, Marketing and Sales, Gulfstream. GULFSTREAM