FAA certificates Gulfstream G650ER

Gulfstream's new G650ER

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has certificated the Gulfstream G650ER.

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Launched during the 2014 European Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva Switzerland, the G650ER extends the range of the base-line G650 by making a modification to the fuel systems that increases the fuel capacity in the aircrafts already impressive wings.

The additional fuel capacity gives the G650ER an additional 500 nm of range, bumping up the maximum range to 7,500 nm at Mach 0.85 cruise speed and 6,400 nm at Mach 0.90.

The G650ER was originally targeting certification during the first quarter of 2015.

Gulfstream says it will deliver the first fully outfitted G650ERs to customers by the end of the year.

“We’re excited to get this aircraft into the hands of customers, so they can see just how powerful it is,” said Larry Flynn, president of Gulfstream. “They’ll quickly discover that the G650ER shares many key characteristics with its sister ship, the G650, including a speed-and-range combination that makes it a game-changing aircraft. In short, the G650ER goes farther at faster speeds than any other business jet on the market.”

As well as being available to order as a new-build G650ER, Gulfstream has also introduced a retro-fit kit for current G650 operators who want to take advantage of the increased range.

Gulfstream say that the kit, which will cost around $2 million, can be fitted to existing G650s in under a week.