Gulfstream Aerospace has completed the first test flight of its second G600 aircraft, as part of an ongoing flight test campaign.

The Gulfstream G600 flew for four hours and 26 minutes during the test and is expected to undergo flight-loads testing soon.

Gulfstream president Mark Burns said: “The addition of a second flight-test aircraft just ten weeks after the first demonstrates the rigor and discipline inherent in our development programmes and continues a cadence of accomplishments that will steadily move the G600 toward certification and entry into service.

“Each milestone we clear validates the significant investments we’ve made in research and development, our ground-based labs and our flight-test capabilities, allowing us to deliver on the promises we’ve made to our customers.”

In December 2016, the company began the test flight of its first G600 aircraft, which so far has flown for more than 150 hours.

“The addition of a second flight-test aircraft just ten weeks after the first demonstrates the rigor and discipline inherent in our development programmes."

The aircraft is currently undergoing flutter testing and the expansion of its flight envelope activities.

Gulfstream recently completed ultimate load testing of the G600 aircraft’s structural test article, taking the aircraft a step further towards its certification process.

Meanwhile, the company has secured type certificate validation from the Civil Aviation Administration of China for its G650 and G650ER aircraft variants.

The validation has confirmed the type certificate issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).


Image: Gulfstream Aerospace’s second G600 aircraft. Photo: courtesy of Gulfstream Aerospace.