Gulfstream launch G650ER

A gulfstream G650ER private jet in flight

Gulfstream has launched an extended range version of the company’s flagship G650 business jet, known as the G650ER.

A Gulfstream G650ER private jet in flight.

Gulfstream has launched a new version of the Gulfstream G650 with an extra range of 500 nautical miles, which will be marketed as the Gulfstream G650ER.

The announcement was made during press day at the EBACE 2014 show, which is running throughout all of this week in Geneva.

The additional 500 nm, which takes the G650ERs total range to 6,400 nm at Mach 0.90 and 7,500 nm at Mach 0.85, will be achieved with a modification to the fuel system that allows for increased fuel capacity in the G650ER’s already impressive wings.

As well as G650ERs available brand new, the modifications will be made available to G650s already in operation, with Gulfstream stating that downtime for an aircraft receiving the retrofit package will be less than a week.

A Gulfstream G650ER model at EBACE 2014.

Although Gulfstream steered away from talking about the price for the aircraft, it is believed that the G650ER will cost an additional $2 million on top of the G650’s standard $64.5 million list price, with the retrofit kit costing around the same mark.

Both the new aircraft and the retrofit kit will be available in the first quarter of 2015.

News of the extended range variant shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, as Corporate Jet Investor reported in March that Gulfstream had performed a test flight with serial number 6004 / N650GD between Los Angeles and Melbourne.

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In fact, that was just one of a small series of test flights that Gulfstream carried out with the retrofitted extended range kit, although Gulfstream says that the kit was later removed from the aircraft.