First production G280 arrives at completion centre
First production G280 should be completed and delivered later this year
The first production Gulfstream G280
recently arrived at the Gulfstream Mid-Cabin Completions Centre of Excellence
in Dallas,
where it is being outfitted and painted for delivery later this year.
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)
experimental test pilots flew the aircraft, serial number 2004 from IAI in Tel
Aviv, where the airframe is manufactured, to the Gulfstream facility in Dallas, where Gulfstream aircraft
undergo final phase manufacturing.
“This is a significant transition in
the G280 program, as we near the completion of flight test and launch final
phase manufacturing,” said Pres Henne, senior vice president, Programs,
Engineering and Test, Gulfstream. “In anticipation of the G280’s arrival
in Dallas, we
built and fit-tested the cabin components, such as the upper and lower galley,
divan, vanity and end cabinets, in our test rig, the Iron Bird. At the same
time, we’re testing the final phase systems in the integration test facility.
All of this will help ensure a smoother entry into service for the aircraft
later this year.”
The G280 flight-test program continues as
well. The three aircraft in the program have accumulated more than 1,500 hours
over more than 550 flights, bringing the aircraft several steps closer to its
anticipated 2011 certification by the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel
(CAAI), the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA).
