Gulfstream’s G700has been among the most anticipated business jets over the past several years. This jet was set to become one of the largest purpose-builtbusiness jetsand one of the fastest. However, what is most impressive about this aircraft is its incredible range. The G700, an ultra-long-range aircraft, shattered its initial range projections during flight testing to become the business jet with the longest range.
Photo: Georgi Bidenko I Shutterstock
Initially, the aircraft was introduced in 2019. However, after several years of testing,Gulfstreamrealized it had achieved higher performance specifications than initially intended. The aircraft recently acquired its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) type certification on Friday, March 29th.
This allowed Gulfstream to begin deliveries of the nearly fifty aircraft it had produced while it was awaiting its final certification. Let’s take a closer look at the history of the Gulfstream G700 and its certification path. Let’s also take a closer look at some of the design features that have allowed this aircraft to become the business jet with the longest range.
The Gulfstream G700 Achieves FAA Type Certification
The G700 is now the fastest business jet in Gulfstream’s fleet.
Path to certification
As previously mentioned, the Gulfstream G700 was initially introduced in 2019 at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Convention & Exhibition in Las Vegas, Nevada. The announcement came with a video of the prototype aircraft taxiing on its own at the Gulfstream headquarters in Savannah, Georgia.
The aircraft was a stretched version of the successful Gulfstream G50 and had a projected maximum range of 7,500 nautical miles (8,603 miles). The cockpit was shared with the previous Gulfstream models, the G500 and the G600.
Since its initial introduction to the business jet industry, the G700 has gone through significant flight testing during the certification process. During flight testing in 2021, the G700 set a speed record while flying from Savannah to Doha and again from Doha to Paris. The aircraft completed these flights in 13 hours and six minutes and six hours and 15 minutes, respectively. These were both records for the fastest flight between the two given cities.
Photo: Georgiphoto | Shutterstock
As flight testing continued, Gulfstream noticed other significant improvements. After 4,100 total hours of flight testing, in late 2023, Gulfstream announced that the maximum range of the aircraft had increased by 250 nautical miles (288 miles). This brought the aircraft’s maximum overall range to 7,750 nautical miles (8,919 miles).
Gulfstream’s G700 had been in the late stages of the certification process until its type certification was finally awarded on Friday, March 29th. Almost fifty aircraft were already in production or completed at the time of the certification, meaning the Savannah-based aircraft manufacturer could begin delivering the type immediately. PerAerotime, Gulfstream is expecting to deliver approximately 50 total G700s in 2024, which is a significant number of the 160 total aircraft it expects to deliver.
Notable design features
As mentioned earlier, the Gulfstream G700 is a stretched version of the G650. It shares a wing with the G650 but adds wider winglets. This brings the total measurements of the aircraft to:
- Length: 109 feet ten inches
- Wingspan: 103 feet
- Height: 25 feet five inches
The G700 is fitted with active control sidesticks and utilizes the Honeywell Primus Epic flight deck. This system includes synthetic and enhanced vision systems.
It also utilizes two Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines, which provide over 18,250 pounds of force each. This helped the aircraft reach higher cruise and maximum speeds than initially intended. The aircraft has the following specifications:
|
Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) |
56,365 pounds |
|---|---|
|
Maximum payload |
6,385 pounds |
|
Fuel capacity |
49,400 pounds |
|
Fuel consumption (per hour) |
509 gallons |
|
Cruise speed |
Mach 0.88 (675 miles per hour) |
|
Maximum speed |
Mach 0.935 (717.4 miles per hour) |
|
Ceiling |
51,000 feet |
The aircraft has a much longer cabin than the G650, although it is about one foot shorter than its main competitor, the Bombardier Global 7500. Baggage volume is the same as the G650, at 195 cubic feet. However, the cabin has the same cross-section, which is as follows:
- Cabin length: 56 feet eleven inches
- Cabin height: six feet three inches
- Cabin width: eight feet two inches
Photo: Georgiphoto | Shutterstock
This interior cabin can fit up to five areas and has ten windows on each side, whereas the G650 only has eight each. It can fit a maximum of 19 passengers or ten in a sleeping arrangement. The cabin includes the standard filtered air system in most Gulfstream jets. This system replenishes cabin air every two to three minutes. The cabin also offers Jet ConneX Ka-band WiFi for all passengers in the cabin.
Achieving the longest range of any business jet
As previously mentioned, during the certification process, Gulfstream announced that the G700 had surpassed its initial range projections. Initially, the aircraft was expected to match the Bombardier Global 7500’s range of 7,500 nautical miles (8,630 miles). However, during the flight testing process, the G700 was upgraded to reach a maximum range of 7,750 nautical miles (8,919 miles). This will be the furthest range of any purpose-built business jet, which excludes commercial airlines converted to private jets, such as Boeing Business Jets.
Other performance upgrades include new takeoff and landing distances. These new specifications are confirmed to be 5,995 feet and 3,150 feet, respectively. Both of these were improvements on initial projections.
