Picture: Second G650 flies

Gulfstream’s second G650 has completed its first flight.

Gary Parsons - 1-Mar-2010

Gulfstream image

February 26: Gulfstream’s second G650, T2, completed its first flight on February 25, test pilots Gary Freeman and Scott Buethe at the controls. Also in the air was the first aircraft T1, underlining the busy test schedule the company is undertaking.

Pres Henne, senior Vice President, Programs, Engineering and Test, said “We plan to make half a dozen flights [with T2] to assess basic system functionality before proceeding to more intensive testing.” The G650 flight-test and certification plan will involve five aircraft and an estimated 1,800 hours of testing - each aircraft has specific tasks, with T1 focused on performance and flight controls, T2 on systems and T3 on avionics. The last two test aircraft will be the first production aircraft and will be used to evaluate the interior systems and ‘reduced vertical separation minimums’.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification is expected next year.

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