US and European regulators have certificated Gulfstream’s ultra-long-range G800 business jet, which the company now says has range of 8,200nm (15,186km), up from a previously advertised 8,000nm.
The G800 “has earned type certification from the Federal Aviation Administration, along with certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and has done so with even greater performance capabilities than originally anticipated,” the Savannah company said on 16 April.
“With the certification of the G800, Gulfstream has again exceeded expectations thanks to the expertise and rigour of our flight-test, certification and manufacturing teams,” says Gulfstream president Mark Burns.
“We have been preparing for this accomplishment and are poised for a seamless G800 entry into service as US and European customer deliveries begin.”
The FAA and EASA certifications cap a delayed development programme and come slightly more than one year after the US regulator approved the 7,500nm-range G700, the new type’s sister ship.
Both aircraft are powered by twin Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 turbofans and have Honeywell’s Symmetry Flight Deck avionics.
Gulfstream revealed development of the G800 in October 2021, at the time saying it expected to begin deliveries in 2023. It pushed back the schedule on several occasions, with executives citing increased scrutiny by the FAA.
First flight of the G800 took place in June 2022.
Gulfstream says the G800’s certifications from the FAA and EASA “confirm enhanced performance for the aircraft”.
In addition to the 200nm bump in range, the company now puts the G800’s maximum operating speed at Mach 0.935, up from M0.925. It also says the G800 can fly 8,000nm at a cruise speed of Mach 0.87, up from M0.85 previously.
