The new Gulfstream G650 aircraft has achieved a speed of Mach 0.995 during its 1,800-hour flight test programme.

The airliner achieved the speed during flutter testing that assesses its damping responses following an input from an external test device.

During the initial series of flutter tests, the G650 achieved clearance for both its design dive speed and design Mach dive speed at altitudes ranging from 10,000ft to up to its maximum of 51,000ft.

To achieve the maximum speed of Mach 0.995, Gulfstream took a dive pitching the aircraft’s nose 16° to 18° below the horizon.

During the dive, flutter exciters introduced a range of vibration frequencies to the wing, tail and flight control surfaces to ensure the aircraft naturally dampened out the oscillations without further action from the pilots.

The G650 flight test programme has been underway since November 2009. To date, four airplanes in the programme have completed over 170 flights and 575 flight-test hours.