The first G300 departed Ben Gurion International Airport at 8:05 a.m. local time and flew for 2 hours and 25 minutes at Mach 0.75 and an altitude of 30,000 feet, or 9,144 metres. Gulfstream described the debut as an important step for an aircraft designed to reshape expectations in its category.
“With its combination of safety, technology, performance and cabin comfort, the G300 is a game changer for the super-midsize category,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream. “This latest investment, designed to exceed our customers’ expectations for large-cabin features in a mid-cabin aircraft, brings another new category leader to our next-generation fleet. With the addition of the G300, Gulfstream truly offers an aircraft for every mission. Achieving first flight at this stage in the program is a remarkable achievement.”
The G300 offers the largest interior in the super-midsize class, with 10 Gulfstream Panoramic Oval Windows illuminating a cabin that can seat up to 10 passengers. It includes two living areas, a fully appointed galley and generous baggage capacity, supported by a cabin altitude of 4,800 feet at 41,000 feet and systems providing 100 percent fresh air and quiet acoustics.
Performance figures include a range of 3,600 nautical miles, or 6,667 kilometres, at Mach 0.80 and 3,000 nautical miles, or 5,556 kilometres, at Mach 0.84. Gulfstream attributes its fuel efficiency to the combination of its clean, swept wing design and Honeywell HTF7250G engines.
The aircraft’s Harmony Flight Deck incorporates six touch screens with Phase-of-Flight intelligence along with a Synthetic Vision-Primary Flight Display and Gulfstream’s Predictive Landing Performance System. Before first flight, the programme completed more than 2,000 hours of ground testing, with two additional test aircraft already in production.
