Aircraft Was Launched In 2002

The 300th Gulfstream G550 aircraft was recently rolled out of Gulfstream's manufacturing facility in Savannah, GA. "This is a proud day for Gulfstream," said Joe Lombardo, president, Gulfstream. "I want to thank our employees for their hard work and dedication in making this possible. Because of the G550's performance, range and reliability, it continues to be the leader in the ultra-long-range segment."

300th G550

The 300th G550 is also nearly the 500th aircraft in the GV family, which includes the GV, G550 and G500. Gulfstream suppliers Fokker and Vought recently celebrated milestones for delivery of the 500th tail and wing, respectively, for the GV series of aircraft.

"This is a fantastic achievement," said Pres Henne, Gulfstream senior vice president, Programs, Engineering and Test. "We have delivered 300 G550s, nearly 200 GVs and we're still going strong. The production rate of the G550 has never been higher. The original estimate for this whole market segment was 300."

From mid-October until late February, the aircraft will be painted in Savannah and outfitted at Gulfstream's Brunswick, GA, facility in preparation for its scheduled delivery to an undisclosed international customer in February.

The G550 along with its sister, the G500, were officially introduced September 9, 2002, at the NBAA convention in Orlando, FL. The first G550 was delivered on September 17, 2003. Later that year, the G550 development team was honored for its technological breakthrough with the National Aeronautic Association's Robert J. Collier Trophy, the most prestigious aviation award in the United States.

Powered by enhanced Rolls-Royce BR710 turbofan engines, the G550 has a range of 6,750 nm at Mach 0.80 and a high-speed cruise capability of Mach 0.87. The G550 fleet recently surpassed 404,000 flight hours. The G550 has a 12-month dispatch reliability rate of 99.89 percent. In addition, it has compiled 50 city-speed records, including one this year. On Feb. 17, a G550 reached a top speed of 532.19 mph in a flight from London to Tokyo.

FMI: www.gulfstream.com