Gulfstream G500 and G600 achieve program milestones

Gulfstream Aerospace reported that it joined the wing to the fuselage on the first Gulfstream G600 flight-test article, signifying steady progress in the G600 program. As production continues for the G600, the Gulfstream G500 flight-test program also achieved several milestones to include receiving the program’s first Type Inspection Authorization (TIA) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA issued the TIA for inlet compatibility and allowed Gulfstream to perform this testing for certification credit. The G500 flight-test program officially began May 18th, 2015, when the first G500 flight-test article, T1, completed its first flight. Since then, T1 has reached a maximum speed of Mach 0.995, a maximum altitude of 53,000 feet/16,154 meters and recently completed its 100th flight. The test fleet, which includes four flight-test articles (T1-T4), has accumulated more than 800 hours of flying time.