The newly renamed G280 (formerly G250) is on schedule to enter service later this year, after certification by the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel (CAAI), then EASA and the FAA. The first production G280 was delivered to Gulfstream’s completion center in Dallas in early August for interior outfitting and paint.

Three G280s have flown more than 1,500 hours and 550 flights. Function-and-reliability testing, which simulates in-service operations, is well under way at IAI facilities in Israel, according to Gulfstream. This testing includes “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” as well as a second phase of human-factors testing with CAAI, EASA and FAA representatives.

The fatigue test article has endured more than 5,000 cycles, on the way to the 40,000 cycles needed to test airframe durability to 2.5 lifetimes. Each cycle simulates taxi, takeoff, cruise, descent and landing. Other testing includes fit-testing cabin interior components in the Iron Bird test rig and testing 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,” said Pres Henne, senior vice president of programs, engineering and test.

FAA and EASA certification of the G650 is also planned for later this year, with entry into service in 2012. A total of five G650s were in the flight-test program, but one of the G650s crashed on April 2. The remaining four flight-test G650s had logged more than 1,760 hours and more than 535 flights as of mid-July, toward the total of 2,200 planned for the certification program. ““We’re on track and moving steadily toward certification later this year,” said Henne.

S/N 6004 is fitted with a full interior and has completed certification testing of water and waste systems, Tcas and EGPWS as well as hydraulics overpressure, satcom and aircraft health and trend-monitoring system testing. Dry-air testing for wing and cowl anti-ice systems is finished on S/N 6003. S/N 6001 was used for hydraulics and brake testing, while 6003 was used for company tests of the environmental control, cabin pressure control and oxygen systems.