Aircraft Now Involved In Function And Reliability Testing
Gulfstream's second G250 flight-test aircraft has recently
successfully completed natural icing tests, bringing the aircraft
several steps closer to its certification later this year by the
FAA and the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel. Serial Number (S/N)
2002 left its home base in Israel last month, crossed the Atlantic
and landed in Smryna, TN, where it spent several weeks flying to
the Great Lakes region to hunt for natural icing conditions
aloft.
The G250 successfully completed the test points required for
certification, including allowing ice to build up on the aircraft's
unprotected surfaces and then verifying the aircraft's stability
and control characteristics, as well as evaluating the ice
protection systems and the tolerance of the aircraft after being
exposed to icing conditions for 45 minutes. "The G250 performed
exceptionally well," said Pres Henne, senior vice president,
Programs, Engineering and Test, Gulfstream. "During one particular
flight, the crew encountered icing concentrations in excess of the
regulatory design envelope. The aircraft remained in this condition
for an equivalent icing exposure time of more than 50 minutes to
allow adequate accumulation of ice. Despite the extremely demanding
conditions and ice accumulation on all untreated surfaces, the
aircraft performed flawlessly."
The anti-ice system on the leading edge of the G250 wing was
adapted from large-cabin Gulfstream aircraft. Heated bleed air from
the engines is routed to the leading edges to prevent ice
formation. S/N 2002 will now undergo overnight cold-soak trials,
having completed a similar test in Finland. The aircraft has also
completed hot-weather testing on the coast of the Red Sea.
S/N 2003 has started function and reliability testing in Israel,
where the G250 is manufactured in cooperation with Israel Aerospace
Industries (IAI). Function and reliability tests demonstrate that
the aircraft, its components and its systems consistently operate
as expected. Reaching this point is considered a major milestone
toward certification.
With flight test well under way, manufacturing continues for the
first production aircraft, S/N 2004. The empennage and wing have
been joined to the fuselage, and installation of the aircraft's
systems has begun. Component-level fatigue testing on the main
landing gear and rudder continues, while the full-up fatigue test
article, S/N 1999, proceeds with preparation for testing over
40,000 cycles.
The three aircraft in the flight-test program have already
accrued more than 955 hours in 324 flights.