Human Factors Testing Complete; Function And Reliability
Testing Well Under Way
The first production Gulfstream G280 recently arrived at the
Gulfstream Mid-Cabin Completions Center of Excellence in Dallas,
where it is being outfitted and painted for delivery later this
year. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) experimental test pilots
flew the super midsized aircraft, Serial Number 2004, from IAI in
Tel Aviv, where the airframe is manufactured, to the Gulfstream
facility in Dallas, where Gulfstream mid-cabin aircraft undergo
final phase manufacturing.
“This is a significant transition in the G280 program, as
we near the completion of flight test and launch final phase
manufacturing,” said Pres Henne, senior vice president,
Programs, Engineering and Test, Gulfstream. “In anticipation
of the G280’s arrival in Dallas, we built and fit-tested the
cabin components, such as the upper and lower galley, divan, vanity
and end cabinets, in our test rig, the Iron Bird. At the same time,
we’re testing the final phase systems in the integration test
facility. All of this will help ensure a smoother entry into
service for the aircraft later this year.”
The G280 flight-test program continues as well. The three
aircraft in the program have accumulated more than 1,500 hours over
more than 550 flights, bringing the aircraft several steps closer
to its anticipated 2011 certification by the Civil Aviation
Authority of Israel (CAAI), the European Aviation Safety Agency
(EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The aircraft have completed the second phase of human factors
testing with representatives from CAAI, EASA and the FAA.
Additionally, function and reliability testing is well under way
at IAI. This testing simulates typical, in-service flight
operations, such as takeoffs, landings, instrument landing system
approaches and hot/cold/humid air operations, to ensure the
aircraft, its components and its equipment are reliable and
function properly.
The fatigue test article, Serial Number 1999, is used to
validate the aircraft’s structural durability. The
testing is designed to simulate each phase of flight: taxi,
takeoff, cruise, descent and landing. Aircraft 1999, a complete
aircraft without systems or interior, has undergone more than 5,000
of the 40,000 cycles required to assess the airframe’s
durability over 2.5 lifetimes.