Gulfstream 500

The flight-test Gulfstream G500 (dubbed T1) made its first cross-country trip for the 2015 National Business Aviation Association Convention and Exhibition, arriving at Las Vegas Henderson Executive Airport on November 13. With Gulfstream test pilots at the controls, the new twinjet flew from Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport into 75-knot headwinds, accomplishing the 1,630-nm trip in 4 hours 36 minutes. It averaged a speed of Mach 0.85 and altitude of 45,000 feet. T1 is focused on flight performance and controls and first flew on May 18. To date, it has completed 44 test flights and has been flown to 50,000 feet and Mach 0.995. Certification is slated for 2017.

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