Inside the Gulfstream G600

Before a new aircraft can be sold to the public, it has to be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration.

That’s a long, complex, and costly process—which is why manufacturers tend to keep upgrading their old models, making all-new designs about as common as winged unicorns. Gulfstream took on the challenge, though, by putting not just one, but two clean-sheet jets in the pipeline at once. And despite manufacturing challenges like contract disputes, both planes are fully on track. The smaller G500 got its FAA certificate in July, and the G600 is now flying field tests for FAA inspectors. The G600 is expected to be certified later this year, with deliveries starting early in 2019. Both jets offer a jump forward in comfort, technology, and performance. Come take an early bird tour of the Gulfstream G600 over the next few slides.

Interior

The G600 cabin—about 13,7m (45 feet) long—seats up to 19 passengers in four living areas, with oversize quilted seats, sleeping berths for nine, a crew rest area, and an optional shower. The galley, with custom stone flooring, can be located forward or aft.

Interior

The mirrored mid-cabin bulkhead reflects the high-altitude light that streams in from the extra-large oval windows, with accents provided by the deep colors and grains of oak veneer. The geometric pattern on the carpet mimics the herringbone design of the seats. One hundred percent fresh air plus a maximum cabin altitude of 1,487m (4,850 feet) helps to prevent jet lag.

Interior

Conference tables can be stowed out of the way when not needed, and seats lie flat for overnight flights. In fact, the cabin design won top honors for private jets in the 2018 International Yacht & Aviation Awards.

Cockpit

The cockpit is equipped with the latest fly-by-wire avionics systems and 10 touchscreen displays. New active-control sidesticks provide the same tactile feedback as traditional control yokes, while freeing up space for the pilots. The G600 can fly at speeds up to Mach 0.9 and cover up to !2.000 km (7,500 miles), putting most global city pairs within nonstop reach—in fact, the G600 recently logged a speed record between the U.S. and Asia.

Photos Courtesy Gulfstream

The G600 sells for about Euro 49,5 ($58 million). We should see the first owner take delivery of their completed jet early next year.

Gulfstream Announces G500 and G600 Business Jets Delivery

The annual European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva is one of the year’s most important opportunities for aircraft manufacturers to generate buzz and excitement for their upcoming releases.

And at this year’s conference—which ran from May 28 to 31—Gulfstream made an impressive showing with full displays of its upcoming G500 and G600 models, as well as the brand’s flagship G650ER.

Gulfstream 500 interior

Though Gulfstream did not introduce any brand new models this year (Bombardier debuted the Global 5500 and 6500), it did provide updates regarding its two new upcoming business jets, the G500 and G600. Further along in development, the G500—which made its first appearance at EBACE last year—has just completed function and reliability testing, paving the way for it to receive FAA type certification later in the summer. When the aircraft is finally delivered before the end of the year, it will be able to travel up to Km 9630 (5,984 miles) at 1049 kmh (652 mph) (Mach .85), and seat 19 passengers.

Gulfstream G500  Photo: Courtesy Gulfstream/Matt Stephan

The G600—the bigger, longer-range sibling of the G500—made its European debut at the show. It flew into Geneva from the company’s home in Savannah, Ga., making the trip while traveling at an average speed of 691 mph (Mach .9) and setting a city-pair speed record between the two cities. The G500 isn’t as far along in the certification process as its stablemate, but the company is confident that the jet will have received FAA approval by the end of the year.

Gulfstream G650ER  Photo: Courtesy Gulfstream

The third jet on display wasn’t new—the G650 debuted in 2012, followed two years later by the extended range ER version—but it continues to impress. Gulfstream announced that before the show, the largest, farthest-flying jet in Gulfstream’s portfolio set a new speed record between White Plains, N.Y., and Shanghai, flying over the North Pole to take the shortest route. This latest record is one of more than 70 the multi-time Best of the Best winning G650ER has earned over the years.

If all goes according to plan, Gulfstream has a jam-packed year ahead of it, and we’ll keep you up to date every step of the way.