Flying magazine recently had a chance to get acquainted with the soon-to-be certified G500 at Gulfstream's sprawling headquarters in Savannah, Georgia, flying in a simulator and taking a virtual tour of the many variations of the jet's interior. The conclusion? The G500 is the ultimate Gulfstream.
The jet's blend of luxury and a state-of-the-art fly-by-wire cockpit rank it atop the most technologically advanced civilian airplanes ever designed.
See below for photos of the G500's interior and exterior.
The attention to detail Gulfstream places on cabin refinement shows in the finished result.Gulfstream
Interior modules can be outfitted in a seemingly endless array of configurations, while galleys and lavatories are created to maximize the available space.Gulfstream
Gulfstreamās interior-design team helps buyers craft the perfect cabin space by starting with five basic aesthetic themes from which they may choose: classic, layered, sport, minimalist or next-generation.Gulfstream
The G500ās interior designers have created spaces that seamlessly carry over from the home, office, yacht or luxury car.Gulfstream
Every G500 comes standard with a galley, which the buyer can choose to position up front or in the back of the cabin.Gulfstream
The G500 boasts a range up to 5,000 nm at Mach 0.85.Gulfstream
Pilots are sure to appreciate the thought that went into the design philosophy in the G500. The electric parking brake looks like it was borrowed from a luxury car.Gulfstream
The sidesticks in the G500 retain trim controls.Gulfstream
The G500ās Honeywell Symmetry flight deck represents a sea change for Gulfstream. It incorporates 10 tablet-based touchscreens, each of them replaceable by a pilot, plus four main flight displays that are not touch-capable. The active sidesticks move together in response to pilot inputs, a first for a civilian fly-by-wire airplane. The overall look of the workspace is stunningly beautiful, with ample room for even the tallest pilots to stretch out.Gulfstream
The G500 in flight.Gulfstream
A virtual headset at Gulfstream's Savannah headquarters allows the user to interact with objects in a computer-generated cabin.Gulfstream
Gulfstream's virtual test plane, or "iron bird."Gulfstream
From my experience in the G500 simulator, it's clear this is an airplane designed to fly like a tried-and-true Gulfstream despite the fly-by-wire technology operating behind the scenes.Gulfstream
The simulator lacks motion, but everything else, from the cockpit layout to the feedback of the sidesticks to the flight dynamics, is spot on.Gulfstream
Inside Gulfstream's Conceptual Advanced Simulation Environment, or CASE.Gulfstream
The Pratt & Whitney PW800 engines give the G500 the best fuel efficiency in class, the lowest noise and an engine TBO of 10,000 hours with no midlife inspection.Gulfstream
