Gulfstream’s new flagship, the ultra-long-range G650ER, made its airshow debut last month at the Africa Aerospace and Defence show, held at Waterkloof Air Force Base close to the South African capital Pretoria. According to the airframer, the new model, which will offer range of up to 7,500 nm, is set to complete certification during the fourth quarter of 2014, with initial deliveries to start early next year.
Launched at EBACE earlier this year, the G650ER is a modification of the existing top-of-the-range G650 to accommodate an additional 4,000 pounds of fuel in the wings. The original design was schemed with sufficient internal space in the structure to allow for extra fuel capacity, negating the need for intrusive auxiliary fuel tanks in the fuselage, while the existing structure has adequate margins to handle the extra weight. Apart from some minor changes to the flight control and fuel management systems, the aircraft is otherwise unchanged, although the extra fuel does incur a penalty in balanced field length of around 500 feet.
