The Gulfstream G650 is a twin-engine business jet airplane produced by Gulfstream Aerospace.
The model is designated Gulfstream GVI in its type certificate. Gulfstream began the
G650 program in 2005 and revealed it to the public in 2008. The G650 is the company's
largest and fastest business jet with a top speed of Mach 0.925.
Design and development
The Gulfstream G650 was formally launched as an internal company project in May 2005,
and publicly unveiled on March 13, 2008. At the public announcement occasion, company
executives stated the new model would become Gulfstream's largest, fastest and most expensive
business jet on entry to the market. The G650 has a cruise speed of Mach 0.85 to
0.90, with maximum speed of Mach 0.925 and a range of up to 7,000 nmi. It can be equipped
with a full kitchen and bar and may be equipped with a variety of entertainment features including
satellite phones and wireless Internet. The jet uses two Rolls-Royce BR725 engines, each
producing a maximum thrust of 17,000 pounds-force. Gulfstream states that with a weight of less
than 100,000 pounds, it is able to land at small airports avoiding the busy airports
around the world. To provide better usage of the internal volume,
Gulfstream designers rejected the usual circular fuselage cross-section in favor of an oval
which uses a flatter lower portion. The cabin is 8 feet 6 inches wide and 6 feet 5 inches
high. The fuselage is of metal construction; composite materials are used for empennage,
winglets, rear pressure bulkhead, engine cowlings, cabin floor structure and many fairings. The
eight oval cabin windows on each side of the fuselage are 28 inches wide.
The wing uses greater sweep than previous Gulfstream aircraft. It does not use leading-edge
high-lift devices, and tracks for rear-mounted flaps are completely enclosed within the airfoil
contour. The wing's leading edge is a continuously-changing curve, and the airfoil varies continuously
from root to tip. The aircraft controls are completely fly-by-wire,
with no mechanical control between pilot and flight surfaces. The surfaces are moved by
dual hydraulic systems. More airliners today are using fly-by-wire, but only one other
current business jet is so equipped. The G650 shares its yokes and column with the G550
in an effort to receive a common type rating. The wing design was completed in 2006. A total
of 1,400 hours of wind tunnel testing was completed by 2008. A pressure-test fuselage
was built and tested, including an ultimate-pressure test of 18.37 psi.
The G650 taxied under its own power for the first time on September 26, 2009. A public
rollout ceremony was later held on September 29, 2009. The G650 had its maiden flight on
November 25, 2009. Flight testing for the maximum operating speed
of Mach 0.925 was announced as completed on May 4, 2010. Gulfstream reported on August
26, 2010 that the G650 hit a maximum speed of Mach 0.995 during a dive as part of its
1,800-hour flight test program. In April 2011, a G650 crashed during flight testing. The
G650 test aircraft were grounded until May 28, 2011, when the remaining test aircraft
were allowed to return to flight testing. On September 7, 2012, the G650 received its
type certificate from the US Federal Aviation Administration. Its first delivery was to
an American customer named Preston Henn on December 27, 2012.
The G650 had a normal list price of $64.5 million in 2013, but there was a three-year
waiting list. Some aircraft produced for delivery in 2013 sold for more than $70 million to
buyers that wanted to take immediate delivery. On May 18, 2014 Gulfstream announced at the
annual European Business Aviation Association exhibition, that it had developed an extended
range version called the G650ER. The G650ER is capable of flying 7,500 nautical miles
at Mach 0.85, due to its 4,000 pounds increase in fuel capacity. Gulfstream stated that a
G650ER development aircraft had flown non-stop from Hong Kong to Teterboro, New Jersey, U.S.
in March, a distance of 7,494 nautical miles; it had also flown non-stop from Los Angeles
to Melbourne in Australia. The extra fuel is housed in existing space inside the G650's
wings and aircraft already built may be quickly upgraded to the ER version. Gulfstream stated
that it hoped the G650ER would be certified before the end of 2014, for deliveries to
begin in early 2015. Also in May 2014, Gulfstream confirmed that
the G650 would be offered to the United States Air Force for its program to replace the E-8C
JSTARS air-to-ground surveillance and targeting aircraft. The still emerging requirements
call for an aircraft with a 10-13 man crew and a belly-mounted radar 3.9–6 m long.
Variants G650
Initial production version G650ER
Extended Range version, with maximum takeoff weight increased by 4,000 pounds and an equivalent
increase in fuel capacity; capable of flying 7,500 nautical miles at Mach 0.85.
Incidents and accidents
On April 2, 2011, the second G650 test aircraft crashed during takeoff from the Roswell International
Air Center, New Mexico, killing the four Gulfstream employees on board. The aircraft was conducting
a takeoff-performance test during which an engine failure was simulated by reducing the
right engine's thrust to idle. The G650 became airborne briefly at a high angle of attack
before its right wingtip hit the runway, then slid on the ground and caught fire.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of the crash was an aerodynamic
stall of the aircraft due to a failure to properly develop and validate takeoff speeds,
persistent and increasingly aggressive attempts to achieve a V2 speed that was too low. It
found that Gulfstream's investigation of the two previous uncommanded roll events was inadequate.
Following the crash, Gulfstream raised the V2 speed of the G650 from 135 to 150 knots.
The NTSB accused Gulfstream of withholding information and the use of legal counsel during
the investigation, which were denied by the company.
Specifications
Data from Gulfstream data, Flightglobal cabin details
General characteristics Crew: 2 pilots
Capacity: 11–18 passengers Payload: 6,500 lb
Length: 99 ft 9 in Wingspan: 99 ft 7 in
Height: 25 ft 4 in Wing area: 1,283 ft²
Aspect ratio: 7.7 Max. takeoff weight: 99,600 lb
Powerplant: 2 × Rolls-Royce Deutschland BR725 turbofan, 16,100 lbf each
Maximum landing weight: 83,500 lb Wing sweep: 36 degrees
Performance Maximum speed: Mach 0.925 Fast cruise
Cruise speed: Long range cruise: Mach 0.85 Normal cruise: Mach 0.90
Range: Long range cruise: 7,000 nautical miles Fast cruise: 6,000 nmi
Service ceiling: 51,000 ft Wing loading: 77.7 lb/ft²
Cabin pressurization: 10.7 psi See also
Related development Gulfstream G550
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
Bombardier Global Express Dassault Falcon 7X
Embraer Lineage 1000 References
External links G650 page on Gulfstream.com
"Gulfstream Introduces the All-New Gulfstream G650", Gulfstream
"Gulfstream launches 'biggest, furthest, fastest' G650 business jet", Flightglobal.com
"Honeywell International gets $3 billion pact for Gulfstream G650 aircraft", CNN
"Goodrich to Provide Key Systems for New Gulfstream G650 Large Business Jet", Goodrich
"G650: As good as it gets?", Flight International Features of the G650 Jet Liner