Monthly Program Profile: Gulfstream G700
The Gulfstream G700 is a business jet that is in development by Savannah, Georgia-based Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. Introduced on Oct. 21, 2019, the G700 is an upgraded version of the GVI type—which is also marketed as the G650 and G650ER—that is equipped with new engines and which also features a longer fuselage and cabin, as well as an increased wingspan. Subsequent to its launch, the first flight of a G700—performed by an airframe registered as N700GA—took place on Feb. 14, 2020, from Savannah. Following the completion of its test program and certification, Gulfstream expects to deliver the first airframe in 2022.
A number of the limitations and specifications of the GVI-based G650 and G650ER are retained by the G700, including a maximum certified passenger capacity of 19. On the G700, those passengers are accommodated in a cabin that has a length—excluding the baggage area—of 56 ft. 11 in., finished height of 6 ft. 3 in. and finished width of 8 ft. 2 in., as well as a volume of 2,603 ft.3. The G700 is also able sleep up to 13 passengers in a cabin that can be divided into five living areas, with the space available in the cabin supplemented by a baggage compartment that has a 195-ft.3 volume
In contrast to the G650 and G650ER’s PlaneView II flight deck, the G700 is equipped with the Symmetry Flight Deck that is found on the G500 and G600. Pilots control the G700 using active-control sidesticks, with additional features such as touchscreen control units, an Enhanced Flight Vision System and synthetic vision system—both of which can be displayed on the pair of head-up displays—and Gulfstream’s Predictive Landing Performance System.
Mission And Performance
The operating limitations of the GVI type include a maximum operating limit speed (MMO) of 0.925 Mach and maximum operating altitude of 51,000 ft., figures that will be shared by the G700. Additional G700-specific performance figures that have been released by Gulfstream include long-range and high-speed cruise speeds of 0.85 Mach and 0.90 Mach, respectively, as well an initial cruise altitude of 41,000 ft. When carrying eight passengers and four crew, and assuming National Business Aviation Association instrument flight rules reserves and flight at the long-range cruise speed, the G700 has the same 7,500-nm theoretical range as the G650ER. As is also the case with the G650ER, when the G700 is operated at the high-speed cruise speed, that range is reduced by 1,100 nm to 6,400 nm. Based on the airframe’s maximum takeoff weight (MTOW), sea-level altitude and standard conditions, the takeoff distance of the G700 is 6,250 ft., a figure that is slightly less than the G650ER’s 6,299-ft. takeoff distance and 392 ft. more than the 5,858 ft. that the G650 requires for takeoff.
Variants
Also introduced in October 2019 was Rolls-Royce’s Pearl 700 engine, which has a rated takeoff thrust of 18,250 lb. and is the sole engine offered for the G700. According to Rolls-Royce, the combination of the company’s Advance2 engine core and a new low-pressure system enabled that takeoff thrust, which represents an increase of 8% in comparison to the company’s BR725 engine.
Beyond the inclusion of the Pearl 700 engines, other changes that have been made by Gulfstream to the G700 airframe include increases in dimensions, fuel capacity and maximum weights. Because the airplane has new winglets, the G700’s wingspan is increased by 3 ft. 5 in. in comparison to the G650 and G650ER, while the updated airframe’s MTOW was raised to 107,600 lb., an increase of 4,000 lb. over the G650ER and 8,000 lb. when compared to the G650. Gulfstream also promotes the G700 as being capable of carrying a 6,385-lb. maximum payload, a figure that is reduced to 2,235 lb. when the airframe is carrying the maximum fuel capacity of 49,400 lb.
Source: Aviation Week Intelligence Network Fleet & Data Services. For more information, http://pages.aviationweek.com/forecasts