Gulfstream’s second super mid-size G250 - serial No. 002 - has just completed its first flight. Gulfstream Aerospace reports that the test flight lasted one hour, 57 minutes, and the airplane reached 195 knots and flew as high as 20,000 feet. The first test article - serial No. 001 - has amassed more than 70 flight hours since its first flight in December 2009, and has already reached its maximum certified speed and altitude: Mach 0.85 and 45,000 feet.
The G250 flight test and certification plan involves three airplanes and an estimated 1,300 hours of testing. Serial No. 001 focuses on in-flight performance and handling; serial No. 002 is for avionics testing; and serial No. 003 is for testing function and reliability.
“We’re very pleased with the progress that we’ve made,” said Pres Henne, Gulfstream’s senior vice president, programs, engineering, and test. “Both aircraft have performed wonderfully. We have a lot of work ahead, but we are excited about where we are.”
Meanwhile, a true-to-size G250 cabin mock-up is making the rounds at general aviation airports across the United States.
