The 400th* Gulfstream GVI Enters Service

Almost two weeks ago, on December 5, Gulfstream Aerospace announced that the 400th Gulfstream GVI had been delivered. It was the delivery of the 400th unit built. Serial number 6400, registered as N651MP, was flown to its new base at Birmingham, AL. Since then, the same owner has received its second G650ER - N652MP / 6405.

Today, a business aviation milestone was reached when the 400th* Gulfstream GVI entered service. Serial number 6401, registered as A7-CGG, flew overnight as QQE460 from Savannah, GA to Stansted, UK. Notably, it is Qatar Executive W.L.L.'s seventh G650ER. The Doha-based operator now has the world's largest fleet of the type.

The 400 GVIs delivered to date include 156 G650s and 244 G650ERs.

This remarkable event comes almost seven years to the day after the first two G650s were delivered on December 20, 2012. Serial number 6007 was delivered to Wynn Resorts as N711SW and serial number 6010 was accepted by Exxon Mobil as N100A.

 The EIS of the 400th GVI represents an average production rate of 4.75 units per month during the past seven years. A mighty impressive number for Gulfstream's flagship model.

* this number represents fully furnished aircraft and excludes airframes 6001 and 6002 that served as flight test aircraft for GAC.

G650ER (serial number 6087) N650GA  at Dulles, Virginia.

Photo by Frederick K. Larkin

Gulfstream Introduces Its New Flagship - the G700

As expected, Gulfstream Aerospace unveiled its newest model yesterday at the NBAA convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. Formally named GVIII-G700, it is being marketed as the G700. Although its advertised range (7,500NM @ M.85 or 6,400NM @ M.90) is the same as that of the G650ER, industry sources have suggested that after the flight test program its range capability may match or slightly exceed the 7,700NM range of Bombardier's Global 7500.
The G700 has design features that set it apart from the company's current flagship. These include:
- a 10-foot-longer fuselage that will enable another cabin zone (four vs the three on a G650ER) in addition to a dedicated crew rest station;
- ten vs eight cabin windows per side;
- Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines that will each provide up to 18,250 lbs. of thrust, or 8% more than the 16,900 lbs. produced by each of the G650ER's R-R BR725s;
-new curved winglets designed by Daher; and
- active-control sidesticks (like those on the smaller G500 and G600 models), instead of the traditional control yokes.
After the Pearl 700 engines have been certified, the first G700 is expected to fly during the first half of next year. Post certification, entry into service should be during 2022. Thanks to its order for 10 units of the US$75 million machine, Qatar Executive W.L.L. of Doha is the G700's launch customer. Flexjet, LLC, with its impressive US$1.2 billion order for 16 G700s, will be the first North American fleet operator of the eighth generation Gulfstream.


Photo courtesy of Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

A Gulfstream IV Milestone

The corporate-owned Gulfstream IV that has served its original operator for the longest period of time is celebrating its 30th anniversary today. Serial number 1095 was registered to Eli Lilly and Company of Indianapolis, Indiana as N311EL on May 23, 1989. Although it is now wearing its third paint scheme, it has been based at KIND throughout the past three decades.

The company's flight department began over 53 years ago, with the delivery of a Grumman G-159 Gulfstream (serial number 161, N307EL) in January 1966. Today, Eli Lilly's fleet consists of a pair of stunning looking Gulfstream IVs: N311EL (s/n 1095) and N312EL (s/n 1105). The impressive length of service by these two G-IVs is a testament to both the model's robust design and its ability to successfully satisfy the company's logistical requirements.

N311EL at Heathrow in 1994 by Paul Seymour

N311EL at Luton in 2007 by Bob Holland

N311EL at Toronto in 2015 by Reinhard Zinabold

Canadian Gulfstreams - Part 6

During the past 60 years, three key specifications have driven the evolution of corporate jet design. They are: range, speed and cabin size. A new standard was set with the first flight of the Gulfstream G650 on November 25, 2009. It can fly 7,000NM at Mach .85 - a 17% improvement on the G550's maximum range of 6,000NM at M.85. Perhaps more importantly, the G650 can travel 6,000NM at M.90. Gulfstream has since introduced an enhanced fuel capacity modification that is available for G650s either in service or on order. The G650ER can fly 7,500NM at M.85 or 6,400NM at M.90.

Not to be left behind, Bombardier has responded with its new Global 7500. While it and the G650ER share the same published long-range cruise speed of M.85, high-speed cruise speed of M.90 and top speed of M.925, the Global 7500 has an advertised maximum range of 7,700NM versus the G650ER's 7,500NM. The most significant difference between the two aircraft appears to be cabin size. Assuming the installation of a dedicated crew rest station aft of the cockpit, the G650ER has a three zone cabin, while the Global 7500's longer fuselage accommodates a four zone cabin.

Given that more than 400 G650s/G650ERs have been ordered to date, it will be interesting to see how large the market ultimately is for corporate jets that cost more than US$65 million.

Of the more than 340 Gulfstream G650s/G650ERs currently operating, so far only two wear Canadian registrations. The first example, a G650 (6162, C-GNDN), was delivered new to a family in Calgary in December 2015. Having previously had a G450 and a G550, this upgrade might have been expected. The second unit is a G650ER (6252, C-FYRC). It had previously served as a Gulfstream Aerospace demonstrator before being purchased by a Calgary investor in November 2017.

Photo of 6252 at Montreal by Bill Fawcett.

Photo of 6162 at Farnborough by Bob Holland.

Canadian Gulfstreams - Part 5

Until 1995, corporations and governments that required an aircraft capable of flying more than 5,000NM non-stop had to use modified airliners. The first purpose built business aircraft with such an extensive range was the Gulfstream V. It first flew on November 28, 1995 and could fly 6,500NM while cruising en route at Mach .80. That was a 54% improvement over the Gulfstream IV/IV-SPs' range of 4,220NM at M.80. Bombardier's entry into the ultra long range competition, the Global Express, first flew on October 13, 1996. It also offered a range of 6,500NM at M.80. Dassault later became the third player in the exclusive market niche with the first flight of its Falcon 7X on May 5, 2005. It could fly 5,950NM at M.80.

Since then, all three airframers have introduced variants of these models. They tend to feature slightly improved range and speed capabilities. Gulfstream's G550 flies 6,750NM at M.80. Bombardier's Global 6000 (originally named Global Express XRS) flies 6500NM at M.82, while the slightly shorter Global 5000 flies 5,200NM at M.85. Finally, Dassault's Falcon 8X flies 6,450NM at M.80.

The first Canadian fifth generation Gulfstream was a new G550 (c/n 5230, C-GNDN) that was delivered to a family in Calgary in June 2009. It became C-GXDN in January 2015, then was exported in January 2016. The second one to join the CCAR was a Gulfstream V (c/n 692, C-GLFV) that arrived at its Toronto base in November 2009. The appropriately registered airplane still wore its original Toyota Motor livery.

In March 2011, another new G550 (c/n 5306, C-GBGC) was delivered to a major gold miner in Toronto. Later reregistered as   C-GGPM, it remains with the same operator today. Subsequently, three previously owned units have joined the Canadian corporate fleet. They are c/n 641, C-GUGU in Vancouver; c/n 5283, C-GMCR in Calgary; and c/n 5491, C-GLFG also in Calgary.

As has been the case with the fourth generation Gulfstreams, the fifth generation models have had a difficult time penetrating the Canadian market. The favourite type within this exclusive niche is the Bombardier Global family that is produced in Toronto. Today, the Canadian Civil Aircraft Register shows that Canadian corporations (excluding Bombardier) operate 29 Globals, eight Falcon 7Xs, two Gulfstream Vs and three Gulfstream G550s.

C-GLFV, the penultimate Gulfstream V. Photo by Frederick K. Larkin

G550s C-GBGC and C-GNDN by Bob Holland