SAVANNAH, Ga., December 20, 2013 — Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. today recognized the one-year anniversary of the first customer delivery of the ultra-large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G650. In a year’s time, the company has delivered nearly 50 G650 aircraft to
customers.
“The G650 has proven to be a game-changer, not only for Gulfstream, but for business aviation overall,” said Larry Flynn, president, Gulfstream. “Customers continue to tell us how impressed they are with the aircraft, which sets a new world standard for performance, range, speed, safety and comfort.”
Gulfstream announced the G650 on March 13, 2008. In front of more than 7,000 employees, customers and suppliers, the aircraft rolled out under its own power on Sept. 29, 2009, and took its first flight nearly two months later, on Nov. 25, 2009. Seven flight-test aircraft participated in the flight-test program, accumulating more than 4,418 hours over 1,319 flights.
The aircraft earned its type certificate from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on
Sept. 7, 2012, and its certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency on Dec. 21, 2012.
Other countries and territories that have certified the G650 include Aruba, Australia, Bermuda,
Cayman Islands, Isle of Man, Mexico, New Zealand and San Marino. Aircraft are based in Asia,
Europe, the Middle East, North America and South America.
To demonstrate the aircraft’s capabilities, the G650 completed a world demonstration tour from
January 2013 through September 2013. In total, the demonstrator aircraft visited 125 cities in 33
countries and accumulated more than 640 flight hours. During those 10 months, the jet traveled
280,783 nautical miles/520,010 kilometers.
In July, the G650 completed the fastest westbound, around-the-world flight for any nonsupersonic
aircraft. It took 41 hours, 7 minutes, establishing a world record in the C-1.l aircraft
class. The aircraft recorded an average speed of 568.5 miles per hour (915 kilometers per hour)
on the journey, claiming 22 city-pair speed records in the process. The G650 now has a total of
38 records since setting its first (Burbank, Calif., to Savannah) in January 2011.
When the G650 was announced, it was originally projected to have a 5,000 nm/9,260 km range
at Mach 0.90. Just prior to the aircraft’s entry into service, Gulfstream announced enhanced
performance characteristics, including 1,000 nm more range at this speed. The G650 can travel farther faster than any other business jet with a range of 6,000 nm/11,112 km at its high-speed cruise of Mach 0.90, or 7,000 nm/12,964 km at Mach 0.85.
“The G650 has had the most successful product introduction in the history of business aviation.
Within hours of its announcement, we had secured 200 orders for the aircraft,” said Scott Neal,
senior vice president, Worldwide Sales and Marketing, Gulfstream. “The feedback we
continually receive from customers is that the G650 has exceeded their wildest expectations.”
The G650 cabin includes a number of technologically advanced systems, including the
Gulfstream-designed Cabin Management System, which allows passengers to use personal
electronic devices to control the cabin’s high-definition audio and video components as well as
cabin lighting, cabin temperature, window shades and other cabin functions, including the
Gulfstream CabinView Passenger Flight Information System.
The cabin adheres to Gulfstream’s Cabin Essential design philosophy. This means the cabin
systems (lighting, power, cabin control, cabin entertainment, and the water and waste systems)
are designed with redundancy that minimizes the risk of losing cabin functionality.
Each of its two Rolls-Royce BR725 A1-12 engines provides 16,900 pounds of thrust, yet the
aircraft burns less fuel and produces fewer emissions than many other aircraft.
