The G500 is now FAA-certified. (Gulfstream)
Gulfstream’s G500 has received both its type certification and its production certificate from the FAA, the company said today. The business jet manufacturer plans to begin G500 deliveries in the fourth quarter of this year.
“Receiving the type certification and production certificate on the same day speaks to the rigor inherent in the G500 program and the commitment to excellence of the entire Gulfstream team,” said Mark Burns, president of Gulfstream. “The tens of thousands of lab hours combined with the more than 5,000 hours we’ve flown the five G500 flight-test aircraft will help ensure we deliver a high-performing, reliable, mature aircraft to customers.”
The G500 is the first business jet to offer active control sidesticks which are developed by BAE Systems. It also features 10 touchscreens in a Honeywell-powered Symmetry flight deck with a synthetic vision-primary flight display and HUD II and a third-generation enhanced vision system, developed by Elbit Systems. The G500’s fly-by-wire system is provided by Thales, with GE Aviation supplying power management and health management systems along with the data concentration and network.
At its long-range cruise speed of Mach 0.85, the G500 has a range of 5,200 nm. At its high-speed cruise of Mach 0.90, the G500 will fly 4,400 nm. During the G500 certification program, Gulfstream demonstrated a takeoff distance of 5,200 feet.