Gulfstream G280 Sets City-Pair Record Running On SAJF Renewable Fuel
Although it’s still pending approval from the U.S. National Aeronautic Association, Gulfstream’s G280 super-midsized business jet set its 64th city-pair record on Jan. 16 while flying from Savannah, Georgia, to Van Nuys, California. It’s important to note that this occurred while the G280 was running on Sustainable Alternative Jet Fuel (SAJF). Gulfstream says it has been using a 30-70 blend of low-carbon, drop-in SAJF and Jet-A fuel in daily operations at its Savannah headquarters since 2016.
The Alternate
Entered into service in 2012, the G280 is powered by two Honeywell HTF7250G engines and offers a maximum range of 3,600 nautical miles (6,667 kilometers) at Mach 0.80 with four passengers, but has a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.85. The aircraft’s recent city-pair record covered 2,243 nautical miles (4,154 kilometers) in 4 hours 49 minutes. A day later, Gulfstream demoed the G280 flying on SAJF as part of a Business Jets Fuel Green: A Step Toward Sustainability industry event promoting development and adoption of SAJF.
Mark Burns, Gulfstream president, says Gulfstream has been involved with SAJF since its G450 became the first business jet to cross the Atlantic in 2011 using a blended fuel source. “Since then, we’ve taken ever-greater steps in supporting sustainability, including securing a dedicated supply of SAJF for our corporate, demonstration, and flight-test fleet,” he says. Gulfstream company aircraft have already flown roughly 700,000 nautical miles on SAJF, saving 750-plus metric tons of carbon dioxide. “SAJF is not only better for the environment, but using this fuel to set city-pair records highlights its performance capabilities,” Burns says.
“Chemically Equivalent”
By mid-2019, Gulfstream plans to offer SAJF to customers at its Long Beach, California, facility. It also plans to use SAJF for large-cabin completion flights departing Long Beach. Noting that the FAA has confirmed SAJF as safe to use, Gulfstream says SAJF is “chemically equivalent” to conventional Jet-A fuel and offers the same performance and safety standards. “Each gallon of fuel burned achieves more than a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, relative to petroleum-based jet fuel, on a lifecycle basis,” Gulfstream says.
In addition to the G280, Gulfstream manufacturers the G500, G550, G600, G650, and G650ER. You’ll find numerous pre-owned Gulfstream aircraft for sale every day at Controller.com, including the Gulfstream IV, G450, G200, and G150.
Source: Gulfstream
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