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| Gulfstream G500 aircraft. Photo: Gulfstream |
[Avionics Today 10-15-2015] Gulfstream Aerospace has announced that it’s G500 has achieved several flight-test milestones, including surpassing more than 100 hours of flight. Gulfstream announced the G500 and G600 aircraft programs just last year, on Oct. 14, 2014.
As of Tuesday, the G500 flight test aircraft has completed more than 45 missions. In the five months since the aircraft’s first flight, it has reached an altitude of 38,500 feet/11,735 meters and a maximum airspeed of Mach 0.80.
“This plane has been flying exactly as expected, which highlights our commitment to quality and our attention to detail. It also reflects the investments we’ve made in labs to support the flight-test program,” said Dan Nale, senior vice president, Programs, Engineering and Test, Gulfstream. “The team recently flew three missions in one day, with hot refueling between flights, for a total flight time of nearly seven hours.”
The G500 flight-test and certification program includes four test aircraft. Each is used for a specific series of tests, with the first aircraft focused on flight performance and flight controls, the second on flight loads validation, the third on avionics, and the fourth on human factors and supporting systems. The program also includes one aircraft with a fully outfitted interior to validate the functionality and compatibility of various cabin systems when used at altitude.