The Gulfstream G280 has come into its own, bringing with it a variety of revolutionary features to the midsize bizjet class.
The Gulfstream G280 is, however, much more than that: It is an airplane that combines great range; a remarkable cabin; numerous innovative safety features, including autobraking and autothrottles; a cutting-edge avionics suite; available HUD and EVS; and Gulfstream’s famous aftermarket support.**Simplicity rules the day with the creation of PlaneView280, though dual FMSs are still employed for navigation and radio tuning. On the sides are the cursor control devices. On the left side is the tiller, for taxiing and the initial takeoff run. **The avionics package is the newly christened PlaneView280, a suite based on the Rockwell Collins Fusion platform but smartly modeled to Gulfstream’s avionics vision. The three 15-inch displays can be independently customized with multiple windows.From the outside, the Gulfstream G280 is clearly an all-new Gulfstream. It features a new-design wing with nicely scaled winglets, a classic Gulfstream tail, new Honeywell powerplants, a new nose profile and heated wing leading edges for ice protection.When Gulfstream decided to build a better super-midsize model, it committed itself to creating a best-in-class cabin, and it did just that.The Gulfstream G280’s all-new cabin features more windows, redesigned seats, a new in-flight accessible baggage area, a large light-filled lavatory, a galley capable of supporting seven-hour-plus flights and LED lighting controlled via a smartphone app.**The G280 uses Gulfstream’s Cabin Essential philosophy, a design approach that emphasizes the continued functioning of the cabin systems.
**In keeping with that philosophy, the Gulfstream G280 cabin makes use of redundant systems when possible to keep the music playing and the water flowing.In cruise in the Gulfstream G280, with a great view of the West Texas countryside from 45,000 feet.The standby instrument in the Gulfstream G280 features everything a pilot could want or need in a standby and then some. Here we can see we’re passing through FL440 for FL450 on a heading of 280 degrees with Mach .75 selected for the climb.The Gulfstream G280 is all about windows. With four more in all, including in the large, nicely lighted lavatory, the G280 has a large-cabin feel in a super-midsize airplane thanks in no small part to the extra glass.One of the ways the Gulfstream G280 makes its impressive short-field landing figures are the big thrust reversers on the HTF7250Gs. At maximum extension, they will put the pilots forward into the straps.Airplane brakes might not seem an inspiring topic, but the Gulfstream G280 is the first mid-size airplane we know of to feature autobraking. Pilots can select their desired level of autobraking and upon touchdown, they can leave their feet on the floor as the airplane takes care of the braking chores, keeping things straight and true even on a contaminated surface.With the G280, Gulfstream makes servicing and the preflight walkaround easier by grouping systems gauges and servicing ports together. Here hydraulics and accumulators are grouped together in one easy-to-access location. A quick look and on to the next panel.
