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Business jet aircraft manufacturer Gulfstream Aerospace has completed the first flight of its fourth Gulfstream G500 test aircraft, T4, at Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport, Georgia, US.

During its three hour and 17 minute flight, the plane reached a maximum altitude of 51,000ft and a maximum airspeed of 340 KCAS / Mach 0.925.

Primary flight control systems, functionality of air data and cabin pressurisation systems were checked, and a series of engine performance measures were completed during the test.

Following its first test flight, T4 joined the G500 flight test programme, with the expectation to fly for the first time soon and undergo thorough testing to obtain Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) type certification next year.

Gulfstream president Mark Burns said: "The first flight of T4 speaks to the growing maturity of the G500 flight test programme and the significant development we completed before we even launched the flight test in May 2015.

"To have four first flights and more than 580 flight hours in just nine months is quite an accomplishment."

"To have four first flights and more than 580 flight hours in just nine months is quite an accomplishment."

For T4’s first flight, Gulfstream integrated a team of product support maintenance technicians with the flight test team to follow the aircraft through manufacturing and flight testing.

T4 is one of five G500 aircraft involved in the flight test programme. It will be used to test avionics, flammable fluid drainage, water ingestion and select systems (water / waste, lighting and fire protection). It will also perform flight standardisation and operations evaluations.

According to Gulfstream, the first aircraft of the series, T1, is focused on envelope expansion, T2 on flight loads validation and aircraft performance and systems testing, and T3 on the Symmetry Flight DeckTM.

Gulfstream delivered the fifth aircraft of the series, P1, to the Savannah Completions Center, where it will become a fully outfitted production plane, which will be used to test interior elements and the integration of aircraft systems with the passenger experience.

The company’s first Gulfstream G500 test aircraft, T1, recently completed flutter testing in more than 50 flights.

Image: During its three hour and 17 minute flight, the plane reached at a maximum altitude of 51,000ft and a maximum airspeed of 340KCAS / Mach 0.925. Photo: courtesy of Gulfstream Aerospace.