Gulfstream can, if necessary, request additional data
from the plane without any crew interaction. All of the
data can be analyzed to identify systems’ condition
status, which allows for exceptionally fast maintenance
turnaround times and the ability to predict fleet
maintenance trends. The G650 is equipped with the most
advanced flight deck in general aviation, PlaneView II.
The cockpit includes four 14-inch, adaptive, liquid
crystal displays; three PlaneBook subscriptions; a
standby multi-function controller that combines current
display controller functionality with standby flight
instruments; automatic descent mode; wide area
augmentation system/localizer performance with vertical
guidance (WAAS-LPV), future air navigation system (FANS)
1/A; controller-pilot datalink communications (CPDLC);
automatic dependent surveillance-contract (ADS-C); and a
fully automatic, three-dimensional scanning weather
radar with an integral terrain database for efficient
ground-clutter elimination.
In
addition, the G650 uses state-of-the-art vision systems
to improve pilot situational awareness and flight
safety. These standard systems include the Gulfstream
Enhanced Vision System (EVS II), the Synthetic
Vision-Primary Flight Display (SV-PFD) and the Head-Up
Display (HUD II). “Working together with our supplier
partners, we’ve been able to provide a level of safety
and situational awareness heretofore unseen in business
aviation,” said Pres Henne, senior vice president,
Programs, Engineering and Test, Gulfstream.
Comfort figures prominently into the G650. The
unfinished aircraft cabin measures 102 inches wide and
77 inches high, providing for a longer living area, more
seat recline, expanded leg room and increased stateroom
capabilities. The G650’s comfortable and
productive cabin environment is the result of a cabin
altitude of 4,850 feet at FL510 and 3,300 feet at FL410,
which reduces fatigue, increases mental alertness and
enhances productivity. The G650’s new 16 cabin windows
are the largest in the industry, providing for even more
natural light and visually expanding the aircraft’s
already spacious interior.
The Gulfstream Cabin Management System serves as the hub
of the cabin network. This Gulfstream-designed and
-controlled system allows for digital control of the
cabin systems, including high-definition audio and video
components. The passenger control units are loaded onto
an iPod Touch® and provide the floor plan of the
aircraft. Intuitive controls are provided for lighting,
temperature, entertainment equipment, attendant call and
other cabin functions, including the Gulfstream
CabinView Passenger Flight Information System.
The cabin adheres to Gulfstream’s Cabin Essential design
philosophy. This means the cabin systems (lighting,
power, cabin control, cabin entertainment, and the water
and waste systems) are designed with redundancy that
minimizes the risk of losing cabin functionality. Gulfstream
announced the G650 on March 13, 2008, five years after
it began designing the business jet. The announcement,
witnessed by more than 7,000 employees, customers and
suppliers, took place in the new G650 manufacturing
building at Gulfstream’s headquarters in Savannah, Ga.
The G650 rolled out under its own power on Sept. 30,
2009, and flew for the first time nearly two months
later, on Nov. 25, 2009. Over the next 35
months, seven flight-test aircraft were involved in the
flight-test program, accumulating more than 3,889 hours
over 1,181 flights. The G650 demonstrated its
exceptional high-speed, fuel-efficient cruising
capabilities on May 2, 2010, when it flew at its maximum
operating Mach number of 0.925 for the first time. It
achieved high-speed cruise on October 2010, when a test
aircraft flew a 5,000-nautical-mile (9,260 km) closed
circuit at Mach 0.90 over the Atlantic Ocean in 9 hours
and 45 minutes.
In
February 2011, the G650 flew from Burbank to Savannah, a
distance of more than 1,900 miles, in just 3 hours and
26 minutes. The aircraft accomplished the mission at
speeds between Mach 0.91 and 0.92 with a brief segment
at the aircraft’s maximum operating Mach number of
0.925. The trip set a city-pair speed record and was
named a most memorable flight for speed over a
recognized course by the National Aeronautic
Association.
The aircraft received a provisional type certificate
from the FAA on Nov. 18, 2011. The aircraft
made its first trans-Atlantic crossing on May 12 en
route to the European Business Aviation Convention &
Exhibition in Geneva. The G650 flew 3,780 nautical miles
(7,000 km) squawk-free in just 6 hours and 55 minutes,
setting a city-pair speed record. “Receiving
this type certificate is a testament to the hard work,
dedication and ingenuity of the Gulfstream team and our
many supplier partners,” Henne said. “We knew the G650
was going to be an incredible aircraft, and it is.”
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