Gulfstream Delivers Last G450, Prepares For G500
More than 360 aircraft delivered. More than 964,000 flight hours in the book. More than 461,000 flights recorded. Those are a few of the more notable statistics tied to the Gulfstream G450, the twin-engine business jet Gulfstream Aerospace made its last delivery of in mid-January. In the G450’s place now comes the twin-engine Gulfstream G500, bringing with it what Gulfstream calls the “next generation of business aviation.” A subsidiary of General Dynamics, Gulfstream has turned out 2,800-plus aircraft since launching in 1958. In addition to the G500, the company’s models for sale include the G280, G550, G650, and G650ER.
Support Remains
Entering service in 2005, the G450 exceeded Gulfstream’s expectations from the beginning in terms of its flight range, traveling 4,350 nautical miles (8,056 kilometers) at Mach 0.80 and 3,500 nautical miles (6,482 kilometers) at Mach 0.85. In a statement, Mark Burns, president of the Savannah, Georgia-based Gulfstream, noted that while the G450 made its mark in the aviation industry, the aircraft remains a key member of the Gulfstream family. “We will continue to provide industry-leading product support and sustaining engineering for our G450 customers,” Burns said.
Over the G450’s 12-year run, Burns noted that in addition to being one of the best-selling business jets on the market, pilots and passengers loved the G450 due to its technological advances, smooth handling, impressive range, and passenger comfort. “During its 30-year history, the GIV series transformed business aviation, and the G500 is already well on its way to doing the same, with the industry’s first active control sidesticks and the most integrated application of touch-screen controls in the flight deck.”
Seating up to 16 and sleeping up to six passengers, the G450 offers a 45.1-foot (13.74-meter) cabin interior with a 6.2-foot (1.88-meter) cabin height. The aircraft, which powers on twin Rolls-Royce engines and sports 12 Gulfstream signature oval windows, can cruise at a top 548 mph (881 km/h) speed and reach a top 45,000-foot (13.7-kilometer) cruising altitude.
Enter The G500
Expected to receive its type certification early this year, the G500—along with Gulfstream’s upcoming G600 twin-engine business jet that’s expected to enter the market in 2019—is touted as offering the most technologically advanced design in the civilian aircraft space. In addition to providing business aviation’s first active control sidesticks, the aircraft will include the Symmetry Flight deck complete with 10 touchscreens.
Currently, five G500 models are undergoing flight testing. Introduced in 2014 and first flying in 2015, the G500 follows in the G450’s path by delivering more range than Gulfstream originally anticipated, flying 5,200 nautical miles (9,630 kilometers) at Mach 0.85 and 4,400 nautical miles (8,149 kilometers) at Mach 0.90.
Source: Gulfstream Aerospace