Gulfstream G650 Nears Speed of Sound
Gulfstream’s new G650 has exceeded .99 Mach during certification flight testing, the company said today, helping pave the way to its goal of being the world’s fastest civilian aircraft.
There are four G650s involved in flight trials now, with a fifth to join the test fleet soon. One of those “exceeded point 99 Mach by a fraction” during scheduled tests last week, company spokesman Jeff Miller told Aviation Week this morning. A formal press release on the milestone event is expected to be issued soon.
“We are very pleased with the way the aircraft are performing,” Miller said.
FAA requires that aircraft demonstrate the capability to fly .07 Mach above the target Maximum Mach Operating speed (MMO). The G650’s planned MMO is .925 Mach, the highest of any aircraft. The Cessna Citation X has held the distinction of being the world’s speediest civil aircraft since the retirement of the Concorde; Cessna jet currently has a .920 Mach MMO.