Gulfstream Aerospace, the wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics that designs, develops, manufacturers, markets, and services business jet aircraft, unveiled two new business jets this past Tuesday–the G500 and G600. Optimized to perform, the new family of business jets was developed from a clean-sheet design and features superior speed, distance, comfort, and operating technology. Focused around the process of optimization, Gulfstream Aerospace claims that, “What makes the G500 and G600 game changers is Gulfstream’s unrelenting quest to create a paradigm shift in aviation where ‘best in class’ does not hinge on a single parameter such as speed, reliability, range, cabin size or efficiency, but is defined by an aircraft’s optimized ability to be undeniably the single best platform for the specified mission.”
One of the major features prevalent in both the G500 and G600 is the outstanding high-performance comfort, featuring spacious leather seats and couches and separate living areas, while offering a wider cabin environment pressurized to the lowest cabin altitude on the market. Gulfstream engineers also found a way to introduce 100 percent fresh air into the cabin, which is replenished every two minutes. According to Gulfstream Aerospace, the G500 and G600 also “represent the dawn of a new era in flight deck design, integration, functionality, ergonomics, and even aesthetics.” The cockpit features new digitally-linked active control sidesticks–improving visibility of the avionics suite and overall pilot comfort–and an immersive Gulfstream Symmetry Flight Deck, an intelligent design that utilizes 10 interchangeable touch screens and eliminates switches.
Both the G500 and G600 can carry up to 18 passengers, have forward and aft lavatories, feature a full-size galley, and are powered by versions of the new Pratt & Whitney Canada PW800 series engine. The Gulfstream G600’s performance specifications are as follows: a maximum range of 6,200 nautical miles, a high-speed cruise of Mach 0.90, a takeoff distance of 5,700 feet, a landing distance of 3,100 feet, and a maximum cruise altitude of 51,000 feet. Other than the Gulfstream G500’s maximum range (5,000 nautical miles), its performance specifications are the same. These advanced features, along with the Gulfstream-designed wing, also results in industry leading fuel efficiency, according to Gulfstream Aerospace. The first flight of the G500 is scheduled for 2015 with deliveries projected to begin in 2018, while the G600’s flight-test is expected to take place 12 to 18 months after the G500’s and deliveries are projected to begin in 2019. Flexjet and Qatar Airways have already placed orders. No price has been released for either jet, yet the Gulfstream G650’s $65 million price tag is a good starting estimate.
Scroll down for photos of the all-new Gulfstream flight deck and cabin interior, along with a video featuring the full-length unveiling of the two newest members of the Gulfstream business jet family, courtesy of Gulfstream Aerospace’s YouTube channel. For more information on the G500 and G600, visit gulfstream.com.
Video by Gulfstream Aerospace/YouTube.com
Photos by Gulfstream/forbes.com
