Round-up 12/2

First off, managed to miss a G280 delivery. 4X-CVJ (2168) ferried Tel Aviv to Belfast on the 25th of January. Not sure why it wasn't carrying N968GA. G280 N269GA (2169) ferried Tel Aviv to Stansted on the 6th. G550 LX-PHS flew overnight 10th-11th Brunswick-Halifax-Luxembourg on delivery. This is believed to be con 5572 which was temporarily registered M-OPHS. G650 N1895T did a test flight from Long Beach on the 11th after more than 3 weeks on the ground. Delivery imminent?
Some pics have recently appeared of some greenies at Savannah. Also, N5GG (72014) appears on this blog for the first time. Quite surprising to see N503G without engines as it has previously been seen flying. N506GD is seen in front and have also been told that G600 N612GD is also engineless explaining perhaps why some of the early ones remain a mystery.

My contributor wishes to remain anonymous

Moroccan G650

First pictures have appeared on-line of the newly delivered G650 to Morocco. There's also an interior shot at this forum. N611GA (6311) is now registered as CN-AMH. A pic of it arriving at Le Bourget on the 6th can be seen here

via far-maroc forum



Savannah News

General Dynamics have just announced that a new service centre will be built at Savannah. To open in a year's time and will create about 200 new jobs. See link When the new service center, named Savannah Service Center East, is completed, Gulfstream will have more than 1 million sq ft/92,903 sq m of dedicated customer-support hangar space, offices and back shops in Savannah.

via GAC

Some news has come to light with details of the delay in the certification of the G500. See link Pratt & Whitney Canada, who are building the engines, are still trying to get certification of the nacelles which are built by Nordam (based at Tulsa). It is hoped this will soon be ironed out with first deliveries now slated for this summer.



First G500 deliveries imminent?

A picture of the 7th G500 has just come to light. This in theory will be the 2nd of this model to be delivered to a customer. I'm guessing from the colours that it's not for joint launch customer Flexjets. The first 5 are test aircraft and will probably be retained as such for at least a while. Gulfstream are suggesting that certification and first deliveries are not far away now.

N507GD (72007) via GAC



Flight Safety Gulfstream Update

Following my post at the end of last year, I have received some more pics from "Eric the Pilot" suggesting that the fuselage at Savannah is a G1 rather than a G2 as previously thought. An email to and from the expert Scott confirms that it is in fact the former N167PA (117). Thanks to both for helping solve this query.

Pics taken at SAV in January 2018



Round-up 26/12

As well as the delivery of G650 A7-CGD on the 21st, there were also 2 more deliveries that day. N709DS (6285) delivered Long Beach-Boise-Boeing Field and B-3271 (6280) delivered Savannah to Teterboro. Another G650ER upgrade was 6285. To finish off, am trying to identify the G2 forward fuselage located at Savannah carrying Flight Safety titles. Does anyone know which one it is?



Another future G650

Have just received these pics taken at Savannah. The greenie shot (N293GA/6293) was taken in August while the shot of it painted as VP-CJH was taken a  week ago. It has since been ferried to Appleton for completion and is due to be delivered to the customer in February 2018.



50 years of Gulfstream at Savannah

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Gulfstream facility at Savannah in 1967. 19 G-1159s were previously produced at Bethpage NY. Those included c/ns 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9,11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 34, 35, 37, and 40. The last G2 to be built at Bethpage (c/n 40) first flew on December 12, 1968. The first G2 to be built at Savannah (c/n 8) first flew on November 15, 1967. So, there was a 13-month period during which G2s were being produced concurrently at the two facilities. All subsequent Gulfstream generations have been produced at Savannah, with the exception of the G100, G150, G200 and G280 models built by Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Savannah in 1968 via GAC

N225MS (008) at Opa Locka in 2010. The first Savannah built G2

3rd G600 flies

The 3rd G600 N730GD (73003) took it's first flight yesterday at Savannah. Less than 5 months after the flight of the first one. Full story at gulfstreamnews.com

via GAC



Polish G550 in full colours

Some sneaky pics from Savannah have appeared on social media of 1 of the 2 Polish Government G550s on order. This one carries the serial 0002 on the engine.



2nd G600 flies

The 2nd G600 N720GD (73002) made it's first flight yesterday from Savannah just 10 weeks after the prototype first flew. Used the callsign "Gulf Test 67". Full details at gulfstreamnews.com/

picture via GAC



G600 makes it's first flight

The first G600 (N600G) has just taken to the air from Savannah. Took off at 1350EST as Gulf Test 11 and returned 2 hours and 53 minutes later. See gulfstreamnews.com

picture via Gulfstream Aerospace

G600 nears first flight

The first G600 N600G (73001) has been moved to the Flight Test Centre at Savannah and the maiden flight is hoped to be completed "soon". See www.gulfstreamnews.com

picture via Gulfstream Aerospace



Savannah Nostalgia

It's a mere 39 years since I visited Savannah for the first (and currently only) time. 21st September 1977. It was certainly not as big an organisation that it is now and they only built one model at a time as opposed to the 5 as I type. The Grumman Gulfstream 2 was in production then and I was lucky enough to get a couple of pics. I even got a picture of the production line which I don't think you can do now. There was only one machine outside at that time.

G2 212 became N807GA and N551MD

G2 143 N334 John Galbreath



First G600 takes shape

Gulfstream announced yesterday that the first G600 fuselage was mated with it's wing. See gulfstreamnews.com

picture via Gulfstream Aerospace



More from SAV

Frederick K. Larkin was lucky enough to be invited to Savannah yesterday and has sent me these pictures of G500 N500GA. Also, a bonus shot of FKL's ride to SAV.



New models announced today

Gulfstream have today announced 2 new models at Savannah. The G500 and G600. See gulfstreamnews.com
See the video of the presentation at Youtube

picture courtesy of Gulfstream Aerospace

For the first time, Gulfstream have moved away from engine supplier Rolls Royce and will use Pratt & Whitney PW800s. The G600 will have a range of 6200nm (G550 = 6000nm). The G500 will have a range of 5000nm (G450 = 4200nm). Other major change is no yoke, just a sidestick control. G500 N500GA was introduced to the press today.

Qatar Aw have signed a MoU for up to 20 G500 and G650ER. See gulfstreamnews Flexjet have ordered up to 50 G450, G500 and G650. See gulfstreamnews

 

Deliveries of the G500 slated for 2018 with the G600 about a year later.

picture via AIN Online