Only three weeks since the fourth G700 flight-test aircraft, the fifth aircraft in the programme made its maiden flight on 23 October 2020. This aircraft will be used mostly to test avionics.
The aircraft flew for three hours and eight minutes, reaching an altitude of 48,000ft (14,630m) and a top speed of Mach 0.935.
“The G700 flight-test programme is progressing exceptionally well,” said Mark Burns, president at Gulfstream. “Every day, we come closer to our goal of delivering this revolutionary aircraft to our customers. We are steadily increasing flights, flight hours and the completion of numerous company tests, further raising the bar for business aviation around the world.”
Flight testing progress since the first G700 flight on 14 February 2020 has covered cold weather, flutter, aerodynamic stalls and envelope expansion. The aircraft has also flown beyond its maximum operating speed and cruise altitude, reaching Mach 0.99 and an altitude of 54,000ft (16,459m). In typical operations, the G700 has a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.925 and a maximum cruise altitude of 51,000ft (15,545m).
