Aircraft
Gulfstream, IAI Mark First Flight of Super-Midsize G250
Gulfstream Aerospace and Israel Aerospace Industries flew the super-midsize jet on Dec. 11, 2009
Gulfstream, IAI G250
Photo: Gulfstream

Gulfstream Aerospace and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) flew the super-midsize G250 for the first time on December 11, and at press time were expecting the new airplane to fly again, weather permitting. This second flight could see the Honeywell HTF7250G-powered twinjet reach 40,000 feet and Mach 0.80, according to IAI chief test pilot Ronen Shapira.

During the first flight, which lasted three hours and 21 minutes, Shapira and his copilot took the airplane to 253 knots and 32,000 feet, part of a detailed flight-test card that the flight crew completed more quickly than expected.