The G700 Leaves Its Maker Astounded
American company Gulfstream Aerospace was pleasantly surprised by its upcoming offering – the G700. In a recent certification flight, the aircraft demonstrated that it could fly faster and cover longer distances than the initial expectations. To be more precise, the claimed range for the G700 has increased to 7,750 nautical miles (14,353km) at Mach 0.85 or 6,650 nautical miles (12,316km) at Mach 0.90. That’s a gain of 250 nautical miles (463km) at both speeds.
The maximum operating speed also saw a bump, up from Mach 0.925 to Mach 0.935. That makes the G700 the fastest model in Gulfstream’s fleet. Another area where the aircraft exceeded original projections was in cabin altitude. A further reduction to 2,840 feet (866 metres) while flying at 41,000 feet (12,497 metres) was observed. That equates to a comfier experience for the passengers.
Gulfstream confirms that with more than 4,100 test hours clocked, the G700’s flight test program is close to completion.