Gulfstream Unveils New G250
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The trademark Gulfstream PlaneView avionics system will be provided by Collins and based on its new Fusion system. The pistol grip-style cockpit cursor control device Gulfstream developed for its big airplanes will be standard in the new G250. Synthetic vision on the primary flight displays and enhanced vision system displayed on the HUD will be options, but full authority autothrottles are standard.
Optional avionics functions include a Collins head-up display that can show Gulfstream's enhanced infrared vision (EVS) as well as flight path guidance, and synthetic vision on the primary flight display. The HUD, which uses new, brighter LCD technology, allows the G250 to descend to a 100-foot decision height based on the EVS view of the runway.
Gulfstream has opted for a mixture of conventional and fly-by-wire flight controls for the G250. The ailerons are manually operated, the elevator has hydraulic boost, while the spoilers and rudder operated with fly by wire. The spoilers augment roll authority of the ailerons, and also function as speed brakes in the air and spoilers on landing or during a rejected takeoff.
The G250 is the first airplane in the category to have autobrakes, a feature common on larger jets. The autobrakes, in combination with the brake by wire operation, and individual wheel anti-skid protection, bring the airplane to a quicker, smoother and straighter stop than the human pilot can manage by applying varying pressure to the pedals. The autobrakes are particularly important during an aborted takeoff when full authority is needed to stop on the remaining runway.
Independent dual hydraulic systems provide the necessary redundancy, and the APU with its third generator can operate up to 40,000 feet if needed to backup the engine-driven systems.
Gulfstream launched the G250 program internally three years ago and had the wing design frozen more than two years ago. Wind tunnel testing is complete at multiple locations around the world to take advantage of the calibrated features of various facilities that test high- and low-speed behavior. The airplane passed Gulfstream's critical design review late in 2007 and work on the first production model is well under way. Spirit -- the former Boeing facility in Wichita -- is building the wing for the G250, and the new super-size G650. Other components are being manufactured by major suppliers around the world and will come together in Israel where IAI will assemble and fly the airplane. "Green" G250s will be flown to Gulfstream completion facilities in the United States for paint and interior completion to customer specifications.
The standard price of the G250 is pegged at $24 million, a little higher than for the competition, but then the airplane has more performance, range and cabin size. The company has been on a long winning streak with its new designs with each achieving the announced performance goals and schedules, and the G250 looks like it will be another hit from the leading maker of large cabin business jets.
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