Gulfstream flies second G600 test aircraft

Gulfstream Aerospace reported that the second Gulfstream G600 completed its first flight, spending 4 hours and 26 minutes in the air and officially joining the flight-test campaign. The first G600 flight-test aircraft flew for the first time Dec. 17, 2016, and has already achieved more than 150 flight hours, to include flying 22 consecutive sorties without a single maintenance discrepancy. That aircraft is conducting flutter testing and expanding the flight envelope; the second G600 will soon begin flight-loads testing. Additionally, Gulfstream recently completed ultimate load testing of the G600 structural test article, a key step in the certification process. Gulfstream anticipates receiving type certification for the G600 from the Federal Aviation Administration in 2018, with customer deliveries scheduled for later the same year.