Gulfstream’s all-new wide-cabin G500 business jet has completed its first flight, the company announced on Monday. The airplane launched on Monday morning at 10:39 a.m. from Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport, and flew for about two and a quarter hours, with a crew of two pilots and a flight-test engineer. The crew tested all the primary flight-control systems, evaluated handling qualities throughout the flight regime, climbed to 15,000 feet, and performed a simulated approach and go-around. The aircraft flew at a maximum speed of 194 knots. The company said it has also logged 34,000 hours of lab testing for the G500.
Five aircraft will be flown in the G500 test program, including a fully outfitted production aircraft that will allow the company to test all the interior elements and complete integration of the aircraft systems. The finished airplane will be capable of flying up to Mach 0.925 and cover distances up to 5,000 nm. The all-new flight deck will feature Honeywell Primus Epic avionics and active control sidesticks, integrated touchscreen controllers, and a next-generation enhanced vision system. The G500 is expected to be type-certified by the FAA and EASA in 2017, with deliveries to start in 2018. The company is also working on an all-new G600, another wide-cabin design, which hasn’t yet flown.
