During certification flying, the Gulfstream G700 has demonstrated increases in range and speed as well as improvements in cabin altitude. Range has increased to 7,750nm/14,353km at Mach 0.85, or 6,650nm/12,316km at Mach 0.90, gaining 250nm/463km at both speeds over original projections. The maximum operating speed has also increased to Mach 0.935 from Mach 0.925, the highest speed in the Gulfstream fleet. Cabin altitude has been further reduced to 2,840ft/866m while flying at 41,000ft/12,497m.
“We are undertaking one of the most extensive flight test programmes as the G700 is the first business aircraft to undergo FAA certification following the passage of the 2020 Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act,” says president Mark Burns. “As a result, we will be delivering an extremely mature, rigorously tested aircraft that will outperform expectations in speed, range and cabin comfort. Our certification efforts continue to advance, and we look forward to delivering the G700 to customers around the world.”
Throughout the flight test programme, two fully outfitted G700 aircraft have travelled the world testing the interior and giving customers the opportunity to experience the industry’s most spacious cabin, which also features low noise levels, 20 Gulfstream panoramic oval windows and 100 per cent fresh air. To date, these two aircraft have flown approximately 246,000nm/455,592km and set more than 45 city-pair speed records.
The G700 flight test programme is nearing completion, with more than 4,100 test hours flown across five flight test aircraft, in addition to the two outfitted production test aircraft.