In 1999, the G550 program began as an advanced cockpit project and evolved into a complete aircraft upgrade. Gulfstream’s current technological glory proves to be its PlaneView glass cockpit with Enhanced Vision System (EVS).

Gulfstream’s ultra-long-range G550 fleet surpassed 100,000 flight hours and 43,000 takeoffs and landings since the jet entered service in September 2003. There are currently some 120 flying and the fleet leader has logged more than 4,000 hours. According to producers and consumers, both with high expectations, the aircraft and its sophisticated avionics suite are performing well.

Background and Manufacturing

A wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics, Gulfstream has designed, manufactured and supported a large family of business jets for nearly 50 years. Gulfstream was the first manufacturer to come to market with an ultra-long-range business jet, the GV, in 1997.

Before the G550 came to market, Gulfstream consulted its Customer Advisory Board (CAB), which includes 75 customers. The company selected 15 CAB members to serve on its G550 Customer Advisory Team (CAT). During G550 development, CAT discussions primarily dealt with creating a flight deck that had easy access to charts, maps and airport information. The PlaneView flight deck was a result of those discussions and resulted in 16 fewer avionics boxes and the elimination of an auxiliary radio rack.

"In developing the G550, we were determined to redefine what a cockpit could do and what it would look like," said Mike Mena, former G550 development program manager. "In the process, we were always aware that what we developed would need to be maintained and serviced. We relied on the expertise of our colleagues in Gulfstream product support as well as from our customers who served on the G550 CAT."

The technical team for this aircraft included members from the company’s engineering, manufacturing, manufacturing technologies, procurement, material and quality offices. The team was given the task to produce an aircraft that could excel in a market that already contained high-performance jets. They were to focus on design and efficiency. The collaboration of this technical team enabled the G550 to receive both production and type certificates from the FAA on the same day, August 14, 2003. The technical team lost no appreciable time between the GV and the G550, sleeping and breathing how to build a faster, stronger machine. In 2004, the G550 team received the 2003 Robert J. Collier Trophy.

Avionics

Both Gulfstream customers and FAA pilots provided input for the innovative PlaneView cockpit, which is integrated into every system on the jet and gives pilots and maintenance crews instantaneous system status. PlaneView is exclusive to Gulfstream and was built on the Honeywell Primus Epic avionics. EVS is another Gulfstream exclusive and is standard equipment on the G550 and G450 and can be retrofitted on GV, GIV/IV-SP, G500 and G350 aircraft. The FAA certified Gulfstream EVS in 2001. The system was inspired by the forward-looking infrared technology developed and manufactured by Kollsman. Working with Gulfstream, Kollsman developed the new camera with shortwave infrared (SWIR).

EVS allows pilots an incredible advantage during night or other low-visibility conditions because it integrates a nose-mounted camera that works in the SWIR spectrum. SWIR is extraordinarily receptive to surrounding natural light and is also tuned to the frequency of runway lights. EVS virtually turns night into day, affording Gulfstream the opportunity to test the G550 at night with confidence in one of the country’s most difficult aviation areas - Aspen, Colo. PlaneView offers topographical maps showing the height of terrain relative to flight path. If a pilot gets too close, a voice will call out in warning and give the pilot the best possible escape route. EVS also displays the terrain on the head-up display and autopilot engages if cabin pressure is lost, bringing the jet into an emergency descent and leveling out to a breathable altitude. The exceptional safety benefits provided by the G550 avionics are enhanced by its operational advantages. During any ILS approach, including Category I airfields, EVS-trained crews can descend below published minimums to 100 feet before visual detection of the runway or approach lights. EVS received the FAA’s Excellence in Aviation Research Award for 2004 and the 2002 Honeywell Bendix Award for Aviation Safety.

The G550 avionics equipment is smaller than the avionics equipment on the GV, enabling the removal of a radio rack and adding 58 more cubic feet of usable cabin space. PlaneView is also the first system to provide Jeppesen Flight Deck charts and maps. The suite provides four 14-inch high-resolution liquid crystal displays and, according to Gulfstream, is twice as reliable and provides 35 percent more display area than the Honeywell SPZ-8500 for the GV. PlaneView employs Gulfstream’s signature cursor control device that operates like a computer’s mouse and gives pilots precise change control during turbulent conditions. The device controls graphical flight planning, graphical radio tuning, display selection and more. It is also redundant with traditional controls. The system is streamlined and eliminates screen clutter.

According to Mena, "For hardware upgrades or replacement of parts, PlaneView’s modular design allows technicians to remove a portion of the hardware, whether that’s a component on a radio rack or an LCD screen, without disturbing the entire avionics suite. The software-based avionics can be easily upgraded by uploading new software via an onboard loader or by using a laptop computer." The systems central maintenance computer affords both technicians and pilots an overview of the aircraft’s multiple onboard systems. The system’s design is a credit to its technical team; users can assess onboard systems for functionality and can detect any variance, facilitating the diagnosis and investigation of root problems.

Engines and Specs

Two Rolls-Royce BR710s, each with 15,385 pounds of thrust, power these jets that have a long-range-cruise distance of 6,750 nm with cruise speeds up to Mach.885, making it the only business jet in its class to travel so far, so fast. Rolls-Royce recently delivered its 500th BR710 turbofan; the engine has been in service for more than 11 years and also powers the Gulfstream V and G500. The aircraft weighs in at a maximum 91,000 pounds and at 96 feet long can carry eight passengers and four crewmembers, non-stop, coast to coast. As with any business jet, there are different interior configurations, allowing a maximum of 18 passengers. The G550 requires only 3,500 feet of airstrip for takeoff, which allows it access to a larger number of airports. The wings hold 41,200 pounds or 6,192 gallons of fuel. The jet can cruise up to 51,000 feet for a smooth, quiet ride. Gulfstream’s signature oval windows allow occupants a fuller view of the world below and the jet boasts the lowest cabin altitude in its class (6,000 feet cabin altitude at 51,000 feet). In January 2006, the G550, G500, G450 and G350 business jets all received certification by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

The G550 landing gear is the tricycle type, with the main landing gear located on the inboard portion of each wing, retracting inward and into the main fuselage. A steerable nose landing gear assembly is beneath the cockpit and retracts forward into the nose section of the fuselage. Goodrich Landing Gear Corporation produces both the nose and main landing gears. Gulfstream has been working with Goodrich for more than 30 years, which has given Goodrich a wealth of background knowledge and aided in the production of these current auxiliary components.

Maintenance

The new G550 appears to be a maintenance friendly aircraft for a number of reasons, not least of which is that Gulfstream includes multiple models of system commonalities inherent to its aircraft. All of Gulfstream’s large-cabin aircraft share the same pilot type rating and the G550 features a lot of the same onboard systems as the G500, G450 and G350. The commonalities of systems translate to common maintenance procedures, training and spare parts. Also, early in the design stage, engineers consulted with the aircraft technicians and mechanics. Specialists were asked how to make the jet and its system easier to maintain and install.

There are some 30 maintenance access panels on the G550, a third of those are spring-loaded and open by depressing them. These panels are used for circuit breaker covers and operation of the main entrance door. The other panels are only used for maintenance and are secured with screws and fasteners. The jets aft cone contains the boiler room where both the main batteries and oil reservoirs are located. The boiler room is accessed through the maintenance door and up the maintenance ladder. During preflight checks, pilots and technicians need only climb halfway up the ladder to check fluid levels, filters and APU circuit breakers. If, say, the dump cable in the lavatory breaks, it too is easily accessible and doesn’t require interior removal. The engines were designed by Rolls-Royce to be worked on while they are still attached to the aircraft. Inspection time for the jet varies according to the complexity; it can take a half-hour for a "look see" or up to two days for a complete check up.

When asked if there are any "weak points" on this aircraft, Gulfstream’s Mena replied, "The G550 currently enjoys a dispatch reliability rate of 99.8 percent." Technicians use the aircraft’s central maintenance computer (CMC) to diagnose numerous avionics systems, including display, navigation and communications. Based on information for the CMC, the technician follows a predetermined sequence of steps to narrow down the possible cause and ultimately identify a single source. The jet seems to have little or no maintenance issues and can even tell a mechanic where the issue is if it does develop one.

To help reduce maintenance costs, Gulfstream began the MSG-3 maintenance program, which is based on statistical analysis and extends mandatory maintenance checks from nine- and 12-month intervals to 18- and 24-month intervals. This extension has discounted costs by as much as 30 percent and has improved availability because the jets are not serviced as frequently.

Customer Service and Support

Investing more than $150 million in maintaining a spare parts inventory and distributing that inventory among 12 worldwide facilities, Gulfstream ensures that customers are not out searching for a part. AOG aircraft can also support a client and Gulfstream claims 99 percent of those cases will receive immediate care.

There are more than 40 service representatives located around the globe, which include Gulfstream centers, General Dynamics centers and non-Gulfstream repair stations and line facilities. There are 12 company-owned service centers, six of those under the Gulfstream Product Support banner and six under the General Dynamics Aviation Services name. Gulfstream Product Support Service Centers are located in Long Beach, Calif.; Appleton, Wis.; Dallas; Savannah, Ga.; Brunswick, Ga.; and Luton, England. General Dynamics Aviation Services locations are located in Las Vegas; Dallas; Minneapolis; Appleton, Wis.; Westfield, Mass.; and West Palm Beach, Fla.

The company also has nine authorized warranty centers and five authorized line centers that work on Gulfstream aircraft as well as other types of aircraft that the center has received authorization from its manufacturer. Gulfstream also offers a fully transferable warranty for the G550 – five years of 2,500 hours for engines and five years for avionics, APU and all other production aircraft components. Only the engine manufacturer, Rolls Royce, covers the engines portion of the five-year warranty. Gulfstream does not offer a cost-per-hour or other specialized programs.

Gulfstream provides a full array of services, including maintenance checks, refurbishment, inspections and installation of system upgrades and their service centers support the GIV/GIV-SP, GV and all in-production Gulfstream aircraft, which comprise the G150, G200, G350, G450, G500 and G550.

With the new PlaneView avionics suite, increased range and a greater interior completion weight allowance, Gulfstream has produced a jet that seems beyond reproach.