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By Eddy Metcalf |
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January 27, 2011 - The fifth and final Gulfstream G650
flight-test aircraft took to the skies on Monday, flying
for 2 hours and 46 minutes. All five aircraft that are
part of the flight-test campaign have now entered the
program.
Serial Number (S/N) 6005 launched from the Savannah,
Hilton Head International Airport at 12:07 p.m. local
time with experimental test pilots Bill Dobbs and Al
Moros at the controls and flight-test engineers Heather
Burke and Nathaniel Rutland in the cabin. The aircraft reached a maximum speed of Mach 0.94 and a top altitude of 51,000 feet (15,545 m) before landing at 2:53 p.m. local time. The high Mach number was achieved to validate the aircraft?s maximum speed for stability characteristics, a requirement for receiving a Certificate of Airworthiness from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). |
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Such high
speeds are outside the aircraft?s normal flight envelope. The
G650?s maximum allowable Mach number is Mach 0.925. Throughout
the flight, the crew evaluated the aircraft?s avionics,
flight-control systems and handling qualities. ?This flight
represents a significant milestone in the overall certification
program,? said Pres Henne, senior vice president, Programs,
Engineering and Test, Gulfstream.
?We?ve had
four aircraft flying for some time now, so we?ve already
accomplished a broad range of tests. In addition, the fatigue
test article has moved to the structural-test hangar, where it
will be used to evaluate the lifelong structural integrity of
the aircraft. The flight-test program is moving along at a brisk
pace.?
Before its
first flight, S/N 6005 underwent certification ground tests for
lightning and high-intensity radiated fields (HIRF). Performed
at the company?s headquarters in |
S/N 6001, which flew for the first time on Nov. 25, 2009, has completed the initial flight control system (FCS) certification test, which covers handling qualities under backup flight-control mode. This includes handling qualities at low and high speeds, as well as operations under electric backup. The aircraft also completed company tests for minimum control speeds in the air and on the ground. ?Minimum control speeds are equal to or better than predictions,? Henne said.
Focused on the
engine and the auxiliary power unit, S/N 6002 joined the flight-test
program on Feb. 25, 2010. Since then, the company has completed tests of
the aircraft?s engines and systems under negative g-force conditions.
Flight-test engineers have also completed initial field performance
tests, including brake-control optimization and assessing the VMU, or
the calibrated airspeed at which the aircraft can lift off. S/N 6003, which made its flying debut in May 2010, is undergoing development tests for the aircraft?s anti-ice system. It?s also in the midst of avionics tests for the latest PlaneView II software. This includes assessing the aircraft?s cockpit displays, communication, navigation, recorders, terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS) and enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS). This aircraft also successfully completed flyover noise certification tests, conducted jointly with FAA and EASA specialists. |
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