One of Gulfstream’s smallest jets is called the Gulfstream G280. The aircraft was first designed from the Gulfstream G200 in early 2005. However, the aircraft was not always called the Gulfstream G280. Initially, it was designated as the G250. Gulfstream would eventually change the aircraft’s designation in July 2011. Let’s take a closer look at the features of the Gulfstream G280 and why Gulfstream changed its name.
Brief G280 history
Gulfstream began designing a follow-up to its successful aircraft, the Gulfstream G200, in 2005. The Savannah, Georgia-based manufacturer designed the aircraft with the help of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The Israeli manufacturer would be the primary producer of the aircraft.
Photo: Mike Fuchslocher | Shutterstock
The Gulfstream G250 first flew in December 2009 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Israel initially certified it in 2011 and then received full certification by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in September 2012. Gulfstream officially changed the name of the G250 to the G280 in July 2011.
Gulfstream and IAI have produced over 200 aircraft since the G280’s introduction. IAI manufactures the fuselage and landing gear, and another vendor, Triumph Group, manufactures the wing. Final assembly is completed in Israel before it is ferried to Dallas, Texas. While in Dallas, the aircraft gets its interior installed and is painted prior to delivery.
The fuselage length of the G280 is similar to its predecessor, the G200. However, Gulfstream removed the aircraft’s rear fuselage fuel tank, opening the cabin. This allowed 17 more inches of interior space within the cabin. Other changes to the fuselage include adding four more windows and adding access to the baggage compartment from the cabin. The new interior allowed ten passengers to fit in the aircraft with a 4,050-pound payload.
Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock
The G280 also introduced a brand-new wing design, which is similar to the Gulfstream G550’s airfoil. It’s over 100 square feet bigger than the G200’s wing. Other upgrades to the new aircraft include HTF7250G engines, wing anti-ice systems, and a larger t-tail. These upgrades helped the aircraft reach a service ceiling of 45,000 feet. Its new engines, helping the G280 achieve a maximum speed of Mach 0.84 (645 miles per hour), burn a total of 1,900 pounds of fuel per hour. The type’s maximum range clocks in at 3,600 nautical miles (4,143 miles).
Name change
The newly designed aircraft was first designated the G250 in 2005. However, by July 2011, Gulfstream had decided to rename the aircraft and called the aircraft the G280. Upon the announcement of renaming the aircraft, the Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Gulfstream at the time, Larry Flynn, told Flying Mag that the company “determined that G280 is a more amenable number sequence in certain cultures.” He also stated,
“We value our international customers highly, and this change reflects our commitment to understanding the diverse cultures of our global business environment.”
Specifically, the number 250 can be interpreted in different ways, depending on the language or culture. For example, in Mandarin Chinese, the number 250 can be translated as “stupid” or “idiotic.” Therefore, Gulfstream decided to call its new aircraft the G280 to appeal more to Chinese culture, signifying how important the market is to the company.
