Gulfstream Aerospace has announced on May 8th the second and third all-new Gulfstream G700 test aircraft have taken flight, further advancing toward certification and customer deliveries of the industry’s new flagship.
This announcement comes barely three months after the inaugural flight of the first prototype on February 14.
The second G700 flight-test aircraft had its first voyage on March 20, departing Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) and flying for 2 hours and 58 minutes. The aircraft reached an altitude of 45,000 feet/13,716 meters and a speed of Mach 0.85. Also departing from SAV, the third flight-test aircraft flew for the first time today, soaring over Savannah for 3 hours and 2 minutes. It also reached an altitude of 45,000 ft/13,716 m and a speed of Mach 0.85.
“The G700 flight-test program is running very well, a reflection of the extensive testing we conducted in our ground labs,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream. “All three flight-test aircraft are performing exactly as we expected them to, and that helps us ensure a safe and thorough certification of the highest performing, most spacious and technologically advanced aircraft in business aviation.”
The three flight-test aircraft have flown more than 100 hours since the program’s first flight on Feb. 14. The G700 has reached a maximum altitude of 54,000 ft/16,459 m and a maximum speed of Mach 0.94.
The current flight-test aircraft are being used for envelope expansion, flutter testing, flying qualities and flight control, as well as mechanical systems, flights into known icing and environmental control systems, among other tests.
