Story ID: 586
Gulfstream's G500 Bizjet Completes Worldwide Dash
By: Charles Alcock
Caption: Gulfstream's G500 is preparing to enter service later in 2018, after completing a 130,000-nm world tour.
Word Count: 198

Gulfstream Aerospace’s G500 touched down at TAG Farnborough Airport, ahead of the 2018 Farnborough Airshow, at the end of a globe-girdling world tour. Over a seven-month period, the soon-to-be-certified twinjet flew 130,000 nm, stopping at 44 cities in 18 countries on six continents. During an 18-day segment of the tour, the fly-by-wire G500 managed to reach 20 cities.

The G500 is set to complete simultaneous U.S. FAA and EASA type certification in time to enter service later this year. At a top speed of Mach 0.90, the aircraft can fly up to 4,400 nm, rising to 5,200 nm at a long-range cruise speed of Mach 0.85. That’s 200 nm more than Gulfstream had originally projected.

In the cockpit, pilots use the new Symmetry flight deck, which includes 10 touchscreens and the business aviation sector’s first BAE active control sidesticks. The passenger cabin features large windows to maximize natural light and 100 percent fresh air.

During the world tour, the G500 set 22 city-pair speed records. This included flying at Mach 0.90 from West Palm Beach, Florida, to Seville, Spain, in just 7 hours and 4 minutes, and from Geneva, Switzerland, to Chicago in 8 hours and 1 minute.

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