Fourth G600 joins Gulfstream test fleet

Third G600

Gulfstream has added a fourth G600 to its test fleet, six weeks after adding the third aircraft.

Registered as N740GD / MSN 73004, the aircraft flew for the first time on June 21.

During the 1 hour and 18 minute flight the aircraft climbed to 51,000 feet and flew at Mach .925.

“To have four first flights and fly more than 570 hours in less than six months is a remarkable achievement,” said Dan Nale, senior vice president, Programs, Engineering and Test, Gulfstream. “The rapid maturity of this program is due to the work we did before the flying even started — the strategic planning, the research, the lab development — combined with the success we’ve had in the similar G500 program. Thanks to our concurrent flight-test programs, we can apply lessons learned from the more mature G500 program to the G600, resulting in a
more streamlined certification effort.”

A fifth aircraft, will a full production interior is expected to join the test fleet shortly.

CJI caught up with Dan Nale during the recent EBACE show in Geneva. You can watch the video below.