LHP trim: 8” x 10.

75”

Inflight Report

Gulfstream G550
America’s highest flying, longest range, most capable, pure business jet.

By Fred George equivalent still-air distance, assuming 51-knot winds on the nose
and a 0.80 Mach long-range cruise speed.
Photography courtesy of Gulfstream Aerospace

Moreover, the G550 has the highest thrust-to-weight ratio, the

fastest climb times and the most payload of any pure business jet.
oday, there are two performance contests going on in the Plainly put, it flies the highest and the farthest with the best fuel

T heavy iron business aircraft market. Gulfstream’s G550 is

competing for first place. Everyone else is competing for
second place.
economy of any ultra-long-range business aircraft.
The G550’s drag reduction improvements are even more effec-
tive at higher cruise speeds. Gulfstream claims it will be able to
If that conclusion seems brash, consider this: B/CA’s May 2003 cruise 6,000 miles with eight passengers at 0.85 Mach, a 300-mile
Purchase Planning Handbook shows that the G550, with topped improvement compared to its predecessor, the GV. Virtually no
tanks, can fly a longer distance with more passengers than any other business aircraft can beat that combination of range and
other current production business jet. It’s the one and only busi- speed. On 5,000 mile and shorter trips, the G550 will be able to
ness jet than can fly eight passengers from New York to Tokyo cruise at 0.87 Mach, thereby reducing travel time on westbound
against 99 percent probability headwinds. That’s a 6,624-nm transatlantic trips between common European and North

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tion BAE Systems head-up guidance sys-

tem and a Kollsman/OpGal infrared sen-
sor Enhanced Vision System.
Finally, the G550 empty actually weighs
100 pounds less than a comparably
equipped GV, even though it has two
more cabin windows and two more pas-
senger seats. One major reason is the air-
craft’s PlaneView avionics system weighs
150 pounds less compared to the GV’s
SPZ-8500 avionics suite because of lighter
weight components and reduced wire
count. Improved cabin completion materi-
als also reduce weight.
That’s the top level picture. Read on for
the details.

Slipperier Structure,
Fine-Tuning Systems
It’s easy to differentiate a G550 from a GV
The G550's engine thrust has been dialed up to Numerous drag-reducing improvements, such as
15,385 lbf, yielding shorter takeoff field lengths. from a distance because of its seventh VGs that wrap around the winglet junctions,
cabin window and cabin door that’s repo- improve range performance, especially above
American city pairs to about seven to eight sitioned 2 feet forward. But you have to 0.80 Mach.
hours. Leave Paris after a late lunch meet- walk close to the aircraft to notice all the Boeing Long Beach to Gulfstream Sav-
ing with clients. Arrive home in New York small drag-reducing modifications. If you annah, he brought along lessons learned
in time to discuss schoolwork with the push the speed up to nearly 500 KTAS, for from the MD-11 and Boeing 717 programs.
kids over dinner. example, you’ll see about 8 to 9 percent For example, the G550’s thrust recovery
Gulfstream achieved such performance lower fuel flows. outflow valve, pioneered on the B717,
gains not by adding fuel, but mostly by Many of these changes were initiated by exhausts cabin pressurization air in a nearly
decreasing drag with dozens of tiny aero- Preston “Pres” Henne, senior vice president aft direction. Following the example of the
dynamic modifications to the wings, fuse- programs, engineering and test at 717, the G550’s wing flap trailing edges now
lage, empennage and engine nacelles. Gulfstream. When Henne moved from are quite blunt, thereby promoting clean
Rolls-Royce Deutschland also has
improved the fuel efficiency of later pro- Gulfstream G550 Specifications
duction BR700-710 engines, also con-
tributing to increased range performance. B/CA Equipped Price . . . . . . . . $45,750,000 BOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48,300/21,909
The G550 has uprated engines that pro- Max Payload . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,200/2,812
duce more takeoff thrust. This enables the Characteristics
Useful Load . . . . . . . . . . 43,100/19,550
G550, with a 500-pound heavier MTOW Seating. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4+16/19 Executive Payload . . . . . . . . . 1,600/726
than the GV, to sport a 200-foot shorter Wing Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80.1 Max Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . 40,994/18,595
standard-day takeoff field length. As air- Power Loading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.96 Payload With Max Fuel . . . . . . 2,106/955
port density altitude increases, the G550’s Noise (EPNdB). . . . . . . . 79.4/90.2/90.8
TOFL improvement, vis-à-vis the GV, Fuel With Max Payload. . . 36,900/16,738
becomes substantially larger. Dimensions (ft/m) Fuel With
Such performance, though, comes at the External . . . . . . . . . . . . . . See three-view Executive Payload . . . . . . 40,994/18,595
expense of net usable cabin volume. Even Internal Limits
though it has 200 to 220 cubic feet more Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50.1/15.3
usable cabin volume than the GV, as a MMO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.885
Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.2/1.9
result of more compact avionics and better FL/VMO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FL 270/340
Width (Maximum) . . . . . . . . . . 7.3/2.2
use of interior space, and the cabin door Width (Floor) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.5/1.7
PSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.2
has been moved forward 2 feet and a sev-
enth oval window has been added to the Climb
Power
fuselage, the G550 still has the smallest Time to FL 370 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 min.
Engines. . . . . . . . 2 RR BR700-710-C4-11
passenger compartment of any ultra-long- Output/Flat Rating OAT°C . . . . . 15,385 lb
FAR Part 25 OEI Rate (fpm). . . . . . . . 594
range jet. FAR Part 25 OEI Gradient (ft/nm) . . . 242
ea/ISA+15°C
Up front, on the flight deck, the G550
TBO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OC Ceilings (ft/m)
shows off its best features. Gulfstream’s
new PlaneView cockpit, a private label and Weights (lb/kg) Certificated . . . . . . . . . . . 51,000/15,545
highly customized version of Honeywell’s All-Engine Service . . . . . . 42,700/13,015
Max Ramp . . . . . . . . . . . 91,400/41,458
Primus Epic avionics suite, has the poten- Engine-Out Service . . . . . . 25,820/7,870
Max Takeoff. . . . . . . . . . . 91,000/41,277
tial to become a tangible example of the Sea Level Cabin . . . . . . . . 29,200/8,900
Cockpit of the Future (see “Primus Epic Max Landing . . . . . . . . . . 75,300/34,156
PlaneView Avionics” sidebar). Standard Zero Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . 54,500/24,721c Certification . . . . . . . . . . . FAR Part 25, 2002
equipment also includes a second-genera-

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Inflight Report

Gulfstream 550
These three graphs are designed to provide a broad sketch of the Gulfstream 550's performance, based upon preliminary estimates from Gulfstream's engineer-
ing team. Do not use these data for flight planning. Such data will be available for operators from Gulfstream when the aircraft enters service late this year.
Time and Fuel vs. Distance — This graph shows the performance of the G550 at 0.80 Mach recommended long-range cruise and 0.85 Mach normal cruise. The
average best range cruise may be slightly slower. The numbers at the hour lines indicate the miles flown and the fuel burned for each of the two cruise profiles.
Specific Range — This graph shows the relationship between cruise speed and fuel consumption at representative cruise altitudes for a mid-weight G550.
Compared with the GV, the G550 squeezes about 4 percent more efficiency out of a pound of fuel at long-range cruise and achieves about 8 percent better fuel
efficiency at high-speed cruise.
Range/Payload Profile — The purpose of this graph is to provide simulations of various trips under a variety of payload and two airport density altitude conditions,
with the goal of flying the longest distance at 0.80 Mach. Assume a 48,300-pound spec BOW. Each of the four payload/range lines is plotted from multiple data
points supplied by Gulfstream Aerospace, ending at the maximum range for each payload condition. The time and fuel burn dashed lines are based upon the 0.80
Mach cruise profile shown in the Time and Fuel vs. Distance chart. The runway distances assume a slats extended, flaps 20-degrees configuration.

Time and Fuel vs. Distance Specific Range

7,000 0.20
35,411 lb
38,358 lb 6,317nm
Normal Long-Range 6,002 nm 38,358 lb 0.19
6,000 6,746 nm FL 450
0.85 Mach 0.80 Mach
Long-Range Cruise

29,562 lb 0.18 FL 410

5,000 29,522 lb
4,746 nm
Specific Range (nm/lb)

5,413 nm
22,816 lb
0.17
23,954 lb
Distance (nm)

High-Speed Cruise
4,000 3,775 nm 4,505 nm FL 370
0.16
16,550 lb 18,705 lb

Data Source: Gulfstream Aerospace

3,000 2,804 nm 3,591 nm
0.15
Data Source: Gulfstream Aerospace

10,765 lb 13,776 lb
1,832 nm 2,672 nm
2,000 0.14
9,167 lb Conditions: 70,000 lb, zero wind, ISA
5,460 lb 1,747nm
1,000 860 nm Conditions: zero wind, ISA, 0.13
4,878 lb 200-nm NBAA IFR reserves
818 nm
0 0.12
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 455 460 465 470 475 480 485 490
Time (hr) Speed (KTAS)

Range/Payload Profile
Takeoff Field Length (ft) Fuel Burn
(hr) 6,667 12,267 20,767 28,967
SL 5,000 ft Gross Takeoff Time 3 6 9 12
ISA ISA+20°C Weight (lb) (hr)

95,000
5,910 9,070 91,000
5,780 8,835 90,000

5,130 7,660 85,000 load

Pay loa
d
Max Pay
ayload 00-lb load
4,530 6,670 80,000 lb P 1,6 P a y
00- Zero
3,0

3,980 5,800 75,000

3,630 5,020 70,000

Data Source: Gulfstream Aerospace

3,550 4,320 65,000

3,470 3,990 60,000 Conditions: zero wind, ISA, 0.80 Mach,

long-range cruise, 200-nm NBAA reserves
3,390 3,850 55,000

50,000
0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000
Range (nm)

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airflow separation aft of the wing. longed high-altitude cruise. ensuring full authority rudder control.
Rudder, elevator and thrust reverser Left and right engine-driven hydraulics The primary flight controls are
seals installed on the G550 also help to power the primary flight controls, spoilers, hydraulically boosted. The horizontal sta-
reduce drag. Repositioned, redesigned and speed brakes and stall recovery stick push- bilizer, powered by an electrically driven
more numerous vortex generators help er. The more critical left side also can be jackscrew, moves with flap position to
prevent Mach-induced airflow separation powered by an auxiliary electric pump or a compensate for pitch changes with con-
on the fuselage just aft of the cockpit, the right-to-left power transfer unit. It powers figuration changes. Flap and stab move-
winglet-to-wing junction and various air- the landing gear, brakes, flaps and nose- ment is harmonized by a computer rather
foils. The pylon fairing aerodynamics were wheel steering. The left side aux pump also than being programmed by simple
refined and the leading edge vents were provides rudder boost in the event that mechanical linkage. A Mach trim system
reshaped. Low-drag fairings were fitted to both engine-driven pumps are inoperative, compensates for relaxed aerodynamic
various antennas and the skeg. Some
antennas were realigned with local flow Gulfstream 550
patterns. The APU and air cycle machine
exhaust outlets were reshaped to cut drag
in cruise.
The G550’s systems also have evolved.
The problematic Vickers hydraulic pumps
are gone, replaced by more-reliable Abex
units. Incandescent bulbs inside the GV’s
annunciator light switches made them hot
to the touch. And they were short-lived. 93.5'
(28.5 m)
LEDs replace the grain-o’-wheat bulbs in
G550 annunciators. They’re cool to the
touch and they last an order of magnitude
longer.
The GV’s electrical system has been 25.8'
retained. Essentially, it’s a DC system sup- (7.9 m)
plied by five transformer rectifiers pow-
ered by four AC generators — one on each
engine, a third on the APU and a fourth, 96.4'
hydraulically powered standby unit linked (29.4 m)
to the left hydraulic system. AC power,
though, is used for electrical anti-ice
heaters and the battery chargers.
All the fuel is stored in left and right
wing tanks, replenished either by a single
point pressure refueling receptacle or
over-wing fuel ports. Gulfstream quotes
the fuel capacity as 41,300 pounds, based
upon 6.75 pounds/gallon. Using the B/CA
6.7 pound/gallon standard, the fuel capac-
ity is 40,994 pounds, as reflected in the
accompanying specifications box. DC 35.2'
(10.7 m)
electric main and alternate fuel pumps in
each tank supply the engines and provide
motive flow to jet pumps that scavenge
fuel from low points in the wings. Cross
flow and inter-tank transfer functions are
available to correct fuel imbalance. A heat-
ed fuel return system automatically recir-
culates warm fuel from the engines to the
fuel tanks to prevent gelling during pro-

More compact Primus Epic PlaneView avionics and better packaging allowed the cabin door to be moved two feet forward. The change increases cabin
volume by 200 to 220 cubic feet, depending upon galley configuration, and makes possible four seating areas.

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Inflight Report

pitch stability at high speed. A yaw G550 has been fitted with a new engine point, thereby improving runway and one-
damper improves directional stability and bleeds-off pressurization system that engine-inoperative climb performance.
yaw-roll coupling characteristics. enables the APU to supply bleed air to the The G550’s BR700-710-C4-11 turbofans
The G550 retains the GV’s all-fresh air cabin until the aircraft reaches 1,500 feet are now rated at 15,385 lbf to ISA+15°C
pressurization system, with dual air cycle radio altitude. The function helps allow compared with 14,750 lbf to ISA+20°C for
machines providing the refrigeration. The the engines to produce more thrust up to a the GV’s -A1-10 engines.
Engine bleed air also is used for wing
and engine anti-ice. The windshields and
various probes are electrically heated for
anti-ice protection. The APU, an operat-
ing engine or a ground service cart can
supply pneumatic air for engine start.
Below 30,000 feet, the APU also may be
used for an assisted engine airstart. It’s
worth noting the APU can be started in
flight up to 39,000 feet and is certified for
operations up to 45,000 feet.
The Rolls-Royce Deutschland engines
(formerly BMW-Rolls-Royce) account for
about 10,000 pounds of the G550’s empty
weight. They feature a 48-inch-wide
chord fan, a four-to-one bypass ratio, 10
axial flow compressor stages powered by
two high-pressure turbines, followed by
Primus Epic PlaneView Avionics two low-pressure turbine stages that power
the fan. Rolls-Royce briefly experimented
The G550 sports an avionics suite that’s as revolutionary as was the SPZ-8000 when it debuted with a 20 lobe mixer nozzle for the -C4-11
on the GIV in the mid-1980s. Four active matrix LCD screens, in portrait configuration, dominate engine to improve fuel efficiency, but
almost all the instrument panel area, offering almost one-third more display area than the GV’s found that the original 10 lobe forced
six CRTs. The outboard screens are PFDs, capable of displaying a full-width attitude indicator mixer for the -A1-10 yielded better overall
that’s larger than anything yet installed on a production aircraft. performance.
The inboard screens are dedicated to a new integrated navigation (I-NAV) system that com-
bines background terrain, TAWS, TCAS, weather radar and flight plan route data. I-NAV also Flying With PlaneView and VGS
enables the crew to select special use airspace boundaries, airports, navaids and intersections The G550’s flying qualities are very similar
on the screen. The inboard screens also combine traditional Gulfstream EICAS functionality with to those of the GV, so please refer to our
April 1999 Analysis (page 54) for specifics.
improved, interactive systems synoptic diagrams.
In essence, the GV and G550 have the
PlaneView uses hub-and-spoke architecture, similar to, but more advanced than, the GV’s nicest handling qualities of any
Primus 2000 equipment. Three Modular Avionics Units provide digital air data processing, FMS, Gulfstream since the GII made its debut
fault warning, EGPWS, wind-shear detection and high-level display processing functions, thereby in the late 1960s, in B/CA’s opinion.
reducing the number of stand-alone remote boxes. This reduces wire count, weight and power The G550’s cockpit, though, is unlike
consumption, while promising to increase MTBF by at least one-third. anything ever fitted to a production
In the triple-wide center console are three MCDUs linked to triple FMSes, all of which are inter- Gulfstream aircraft. In late April, we
connected. FMS performance management software has been updated to include wet runway strapped into the left seat of T1,
computations for takeoff and landing, plus slope and ground spoiler malfunctions. All FMS per- Gulfstream’s GV engineering “mule” that’s
formance computations now comply with the latest FAR Part 25 Amendment 92 requirements. been retrofitted with all the aero mods and
avionics upgrades that production G550
The center MCDU is usually configured as a radio tuning unit because there are no dedicated
aircraft will feature. Accompanied by engi-
radio tuning heads aboard the aircraft. Other features include triple Honeywell Laseref V IRSes neering test pilot Jake Howard, we depart-
that are smaller and lighter than previous designs. Laseref V boxes also are self-aligning. They ed Savannah for a two-plus-hour nighttime
don’t have to be shimmed and they can realign after power loss in flight. Compact Modular Radio demonstration flight to Asheville, N.C.,
Cabinets house Primus Epic radios that replace Primus II radios installed on the GV. The MRCs and return.
are housed in the left and right electrical equipment racks aft of the cockpit. Pulling out of the chocks at dusk, it
The standby instruments in the panel also have been improved. The Meggitt standby attitude immediately became apparent that the IR
indicator has been replaced with an L3 (formerly Goodrich) integrated standby instrument sys- EVS system provides a much improved
tem that should deliver much improved reliability. view of the ramp and taxiways in low light
PlaneView, though, has yet to live up to its full potential. Several promised features are yet to conditions, even with all landing and taxi
lights switched on. Ground fog would
be incorporated. At present, there is no high- and low-speed envelope protection linked to the
have shown the system’s true capabilities.
auto-throttles, no electronic chart function, no head-down display of EVS and video imagery on EVS provides a considerably better view of
the LCD screens, no vertical profile display on the I-NAV screen and no link between the VGS run- obstructions and hazards than natural
way elevation and glidepath inputs and the FMS. Some of these functions should be certified by vision in low-visibility conditions.
first customer deliveries. Others will be accomplished by December 2004. The G550’s visual guidance system uses
a new remote box that reduces the size of

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the HUD overhead unit. This substantial- Use of the VGS (visual guidance sys- night we flew, for example, an inversion
ly improves headroom in the left seat. In tem) can be almost mesmerizing at times. layer, that retained the heat of the day, and
addition, the combining glass has a larger The technology makes it so easy to look thin, but comparatively warm cirrus
viewing area than the original HUD 2020 through the display and out the wind- clouds caused a degree of infrared clutter.
system. shield that the pilot must consciously look This can be minimized with proper adjust-
We noted that at idle thrust, the aircraft down to maintain scan discipline. There’s ments to gain and contrast controls.
will accelerate beyond a comfortable taxi a whole lot more to monitor about the air- In our opinion, effective use of IR EVS
speed, requiring one thrust reverser to be plane, the engines, the PlaneView avionics is going to require plenty of classroom
deployed to prevent riding the brakes. and the systems than what’s presented on training and considerable practice in
However, our short taxi from Gulfstream’s the VGS combiner. flight, not unlike getting the most out of a
ramp to Runway 18 didn’t require use of Moreover, atmospheric and background modern weather radar in varying atmos-
the buckets other than for testing in accor- thermal conditions can cause the IR sensor pheric conditions.
dance with the taxi checklist. to display infrared imagery clutter. On the Flying with the VGS also requires some

EVS Certification and FAA Infighting

The G550’s infrared Enhanced Vision System is the first such technology they couldn’t derail EVS certification, they initiated an NPRM that would
to be installed on a production aircraft, culminating a 10-year, $20 mil- impose Special Conditions on operational use of EVS. This indeed would
lion R & D effort to certify the system for low-visibility approaches. The set precedent, because FAR Part 25 Special Conditions never were
system uses a cryogenically cooled, highly sensitive IR camera that’s intended to set operational criteria for use. AFS-400 Flight Standards is
tuned to detect both incandescent approach, runway and taxiway lights, tasked with operational approvals.
and background thermal images. The camera is about 100 times more By then, however, AFS-400 leadership also had changed. The ATD now
sensitive than uncooled designs and it also rejects almost all IR “noise” had a close ally in office at Flight Standards. AFS-400, at the request of
outside those two narrow temperature detection bands. the ATD, asked the FAA’s Associate General Counsel (AGC-200) to issue
Even so, Gulfstream’s engineering team a legal opinion to clarify that EVS would
knew that EVS would be difficult to certify not be used to determine visibility in lieu of
because the FAA had no regulatory prece- natural vision. Part 91.175 currently
dent to pave the way. As a result, the firm requires unaided natural vision to deter-
teamed up with FAA officials in the mid- mine visibility, the letter ruling stated
1990s to iron out all anticipated certifica- unambiguously. The ruling could have
tion problems, years before EVS ever flew reduced Gulfstream’s $1 million HUD/EVS
on a Gulfstream test aircraft. to the status of “nice to have” equipment
The government/industry partnership with no potential for operational credit in
appeared to work well. The FAA’s Long low-visibility conditions.
Beach and Atlanta offices, plus the former The adverse ruling from AGC-200 was
head of AFS-400 Flight Standards, reached issued in January 2001, a copy of which
agreement with Gulfstream on many thorny was forwarded to the ATD and then leaked
issues. B/CA contacted several FAA officials to at least one U.S. airliner manufacturer.
who flew with EVS and all endorsed its ben- Notably, Gulfstream wasn’t provided a copy
efits and capabilities. The consensus was of this legal opinion by the FAA. Gulfstream
that if you could see an EVS image on the officials fumed in private that ATD officials
HUD of the runway environment at ILS min- leaked the document to the airliner mak-
imums and if you could see the runway Kollsman/OpGal IR camera looks through a sapphire window ers, but never informed them even though
lights with unaided vision, then you could in a bubble on the bottom of the radome. the letter directly affected the previously
continue the approach to 100 feet agl. At that point, you would either con- agreed upon operational approval for EVS.
tinue the approach with unaided vision or go around. This would provide Patience prevailed. Gulfstream officials asked Nick Sabatini, the FAA’s
Gulfstream operators with a unique operational capability. They could land associate administrator for regulation and certification, plus several
at ILS Type 1 RVR 2400 (200/0.5) weather minimums airports in CAT II members of his Washington, D.C.-based team, to fly the system and then
RVR 1200 (100/0.25) weather conditions, provided that EVS could “see” provide them with feedback. Their timing was ideal. Leadership at AFS-
the items required by FAR Part 91.175. 400 changed again, this time with an official who had no ax to grind.
The FAA’s Seattle-based Air Transport Directorate, however, remained Sabatini and his team were impressed. As a result of their flying expe-
steadfastly opposed to approving EVS for use in lieu of natural vision. But riences, they initiated an NPRM that will change Part 91.175 to include
none of the ATD’s officials had ever flown with Gulfstream’s EVS as a means of complying with the need to “see” the runway envi-
Kollsman/OpGal EVS. They were basing their opinions on experience with ronment at minimums in order to proceed with the approach, assuming
primitive IR EVS technology introduced decades before. And several were the imagery is displayed on a HUD. So, Gulfstream appears to be back
more familiar with Boeing’s approach, which was years behind Gulf- on track to gain operational credit for the use of EVS in low-visibility con-
stream’s IR EVS technology development. As a result, the rest of the FAA’s ditions.And Seattle-based ATD appears to be on notice that there’s a new
team members overruled the ATD’s objections. sheriff in Washington who’s prepared to make buck-stops-here decisions
But then, in June 2000, officials at the ATD tried another tactic. Since regarding certification of new technologies.

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Inflight Report

Once Howard determined we were com-

fortable flying the system, he obscured the
forward side of the combiner so that we
couldn’t see out the windshield. We then
flew a VGS/EVS approach to touchdown,
using the flare commands on the display
for the roundout for a smooth touchdown.
Then Howard reconfigured the aircraft for
takeoff and we followed through with a
touch and go — all done with the runway
environment imagery on the HUD, but
without natural, unaided vision. While this
would not be done in everyday operations,
it was a valuable confidence builder, show-
ing the advanced capabilities of the
VGS/EVS.
Conclusions? The VGS and PlaneView
avionics suite represent a considerable leap
Trailing-edge contours on the wing flaps promote clean air separation from wing, thus reducing drag.
forward in situational awareness, one that
should increase CFIT avoidance margins
technique adjustments. The flight director to land right on that spot. while providing operators with additional
generates guidance commands based upon Our first approach into Asheville, how- operational capabilities. But many of its
required flight path vector (FPV), not air- ever, wasn’t pretty. It reflected poor cock- advanced features won’t be available until
craft attitude. The pilot then moves air- pit resource management on our part and long after initial customer deliveries, as
craft attitude and throttles as necessary to lack of proficiency with PlaneView avion- discussed in the accompanying “Primus
make the FPV symbol coincide with the ics programming, especially the manual Epic PlaneView Avionics” sidebar.
flight director command symbol. Once switch between FMS and ILS guidance
you’ve become accustomed to this design modes. The second and subsequent Improved Cabin Comfort
characteristic, it’s possible to fly the air- approaches, though, were much improved, The GV boasted a 50.1-foot-long cabin,
craft with much greater precision than enabling us to see an accurate picture of but only 40.6 feet were available in the pas-
with an attitude-based system, in our system capabilities. senger cabin because of bulky left and
opinion. Superimpose the FPV on the One of the most impressive aspects of right electrical equipment racks mounted
runway touchdown zone during landing the system is the pilot interface. It’s readily aft of the cockpit. Once you install a galley
approach, for example, and you’re going apparent that Gulfstream transferred most and lav, about 25 feet is available for pas-
of the development work away from lab senger occupancy.
FSI’s Complete engineers and to flight test pilots at an The G550’s PlaneView avionics racks, in
early stage in the VGS development pro- contrast, are so much more compact than
Training Package gram. There’s a two-way rocker switch on the GV’s SPZ-8500 boxes, that Gulfstream
When the G550 enters service late this year, the yoke, for example, that enables the was able to move the cabin door forward
FlightSafety International will have a com- pilot to toggle on/off the EVS sensor once by 2 feet and realize a 42.6-foot-long cabin.
plete pilot training program in place, includ- the runway environment is in sight. In an In addition, more space-efficient cabin lay-
ing new classrooms with flat-panel displays instant, this declutters the VGS combiner, outs have been incorporated. As a result,
that emulate the PlaneView avionics sys- enabling the pilot to continue the forward galley configurations pick up
approach from 100 feet agl to touchdown
tem, new flight training devices and a Level
with unaided vision. Using the toggle in
D G550 simulator. the other direction selects complete or
FSI’s training now includes mechanic and condensed HUD symbology, again
flight attendant instruction for Gulfstream decluttering the display when needed.
operators as well. Mechanics receive class- The side-mounted cursor control device
room, mockup, systems and hands-on air- is another example of engineering test
craft training. pilot feedback. Gulfstream pilots rejected
Flight attendants, required by the G550 Honeywell’s off-the-shelf CCDs in favor
AFM as crewmembers when 10 or more of a custom designed, ergonomically
passengers are on board, will receive serv- shaped armrest with integral handgrip,
thumb cursor and switch assembly mount-
ice, safety, food prep, emergency medical
ed on the left and right cockpit side walls.
and evacuation training. The training course We found these devices highly intuitive
includes a cabin mockup that fills with and easy to use in flight. Best of all, the
smoke, another one that dunks into a deep- aircraft can be dispatched without them
water swimming pool and a third that fea- because all essential functions can be per-
tures an onboard galley to enable the cabin formed using traditional, conventional
crew to work within the confines of an actu- control devices. The G550 has an
al aircraft. either/and blend of cutting edge and con- The cabin door has been moved 2 feet forward
ventional avionics control devices. because of more compact avionics boxes.

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 trim: 8” x 10.75” RHP

completions were Gulfstream’s nemesis in

the mid-1990s. That all changed with the
acquisition of the K-C Aviation Centers
and a top-level commitment by Gulf-
stream to improve interior completion
quality. Operators now say that Gulfstream
completions are tops for quality, on-time
deliveries and weight control.
As a result, Gulfstream’s 48,300-pound
spec weight BOW is realistic and repeat-
able. However, that weight doesn’t include
popular options such as satcom, office
equipment and external camera systems.
It’s not unreasonable to assume that such
options will reduce the tanks-full payload
to eight passengers in most production
aircraft.

The Most Capable

Gulfstream Yet Produced
The G550’s nearly $46 million price tag,
not including satcom and other popular
cabin options, marks it as the most expen-
sive pure business jet ever produced. In
return, the aircraft delivers more capabili-
The G550 has the most spacious cabin ever offered in a Gulfstream, plus 25 percent more baggage
compartment capacity.
ties than any other business aircraft. No
other business aircraft currently offers
almost 6 feet more cabin length and 220 artificial illumination. These changes more range and better fuel efficiency.
cubic feet more volume. make the available cabin in either forward Certainly, no aircraft can match its opera-
Moving the cabin door enabled and aft galley configuration more compet- tional capabilities during low-visibility
Gulfstream to fit the aircraft with seven itive with that of archrival Bombardier instrument approaches.
signature-shape cabin windows on each Global Express. The G550 retains plenty of ties with the
side of the fuselage. Layouts now have a Baggage compartment volume also has GV, so pilots will be able to share a com-
window in the right side forward galley been improved, although it’s not nearly as mon type rating for both aircraft, in spite
and another in the left side forward lavato- large as the 226 cubic feet claimed by of the new avionics capabilities. And it
ry. There are three seating areas in the Gulfstream. The G550’s baggage com- should be less expensive to operate than
main cabin and a fourth, private suite in partment, though, is about one-fourth the GV because of improved fuel econo-
the aft cabin with its own lavatory. larger in volume than the GV’s trunk my and less avionics maintenance. Systems
Aft galley configured cabins now are 5 because of more space-efficient fresh water upgrades and new standby instruments
feet longer and have 200 cubic feet more tanks and relocation of the vacuum lav also should shave a few dollars off operat-
cabin volume. The main cabin is config- waste tank to the rear equipment compart- ing costs.
ured with three and one-half seating areas, ment in the unpressurized section of the The two extra windows, considerably
with plenty of light supplied by the 14 aft fuselage. longer cabin and fourth seating area will
windows. The aft galley makes do with Slow, overweight and checkered-quality make the G550’s cabin more comfortable
for passengers. The GV’s cabin, in con-
trast, was almost the same size as that of
the G400 (aka GIV-SP). Passengers will
also appreciate the increase in baggage
compartment volume.
The G550 very much is a product of
Gulfstream’s facing stiff competition in
the heavy-iron sector from Bombardier,
Boeing and Airbus in the late 1990s. The
Savannah-based firm owned this market
for three decades and there were few seri-
ous challengers until recent years. Now
that the G550 is poised for initial deliveries
this fall, it appears that, once again,
Gulfstream faces no contenders, at least
when pure performance and cockpit
sophistication are the measuring sticks.
For now, the G550 is the ultimate
The G550 is easily distinguished by seven large, oval, signature-design windows on each side of the Gulfstream, top dog among U.S.-made
fuselage. business jets. B/CA

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