Only three weeks following the introduction of a fourth G700 flight-test aircraft, the fifth aircraft in the program made its maiden flight on 23 October 2020.
Gulfstream business jets confirm that this aircraft will be used mostly to test avionics.
The aircraft flew for three hours and eight minutes, reaching an altitude of 48,000ft (14,630m) and a top speed of Mach 0.935.
Mark Burns, president at Gulfstream, commented:
“The G700 flight-test program is progressing exceptionally well.”
“Every day, we come closer to our goal of delivering this revolutionary aircraft to our customers. We are steadily increasing flights, flight hours and the completion of numerous company tests, further raising the bar for business aviation around the world.”
Flight testing progress since the first G700 flight on 14 February 2020 has covered cold weather, flutter, aerodynamic stalls and envelope expansion.
The aircraft has also flown beyond its maximum operating speed and cruise altitude, reaching Mach 0.99 and an altitude of 54,000ft (16,459m).
In typical operations, the G700 business jet has a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.925 and a maximum cruise altitude of 51,000ft (15,545m).
Currently to date the four flight-test Gulfstream G700 aircraft have logged 600 flight hours, and the long-range business jet remains set to enter service in 2022.
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