US manufacturer Gulfstream yesterday announced the first flight of the new G800 long-range executive jet.
First announced in October last year, it has taken only eight months for the first prototype to get in the air. The two-hour test flight started and ended at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in Georgia.
“When the first G800 test aircraft rolled out at our announcement last fall, we changed the game once again for our industry,” said Gufstream president Mark Burns. “At Gulfstream, working closely with our customers allows us to continuously build on our successes and develop aircraft that exceed their expectations.
"The G800 pushes the boundaries of performance even further with Gulfstream-designed aerodynamics and cabin technology, and we look forward to our customers benefiting from the longer range at higher speeds in our exceptional cabin environment.”
The G800 has a range of 8000 nm at Mach 0.85 and 7000 nm at Mach 0.90, courtesy of an advanced high-speed wing and high-thrust Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines.
The 19-passenger executive jet is equipped with Gulfstream’s Symmetry Flight Deck and dual head-up displays featuring a Combined Vision System, which includes Enhanced Flight Vision System and Synthetic Vision System imagery.
“We have announced eight new aircraft in the past decade, strategically timed to capture market demand,” said Burns.
“We are seeing great interest in the G800, and this first flight brings us even closer to delivering a Gulfstream for every mission.”