Gulfstream Brings New Visions Here:
Of Runways & Product Nomenclature

With a new product lineup and new names for those products, a new era for the airframer from Savannah has definitely arrived. The company's entire product line will make its debut in Orlando this week, and while some of the planes may seem familiar, the new names-G100, G150, G200, G300, G400, G550 and G550-may not.

Gulfstream's entry-level product continues as it has before with the G100, which Gulfstream parent General Dynamics purchased from Galaxy and Israel Aircraft Industries a couple of years ago in the guise of the Astra SPX.

Following the G100 is the first new addition to the Gulfstream lineup-the Gulfstream G150. This is a new high-speed midsize jet with a standup cabin that will have a slightly wider and rounder fuselage compared to the G100 and its triangular-shaped body. The new aircraft will be lengthened in the aft and have the oval windows of the G200-the former Galaxy business jet that is also now part of the Gulfstream stable.

"We will conclude deliveries of the G100 and transition to the G150 in the 2005 timeframe," says Gulfstream Aerospace president Bill Boisture, who says the G150 will compete against the Lear 60, Hawker 800 and Cessna Sovereign.

Skipping over the G200, which remains the same, brings the family of aircraft to its next new members-the Gulfstream G300 and G400.

The G300 is essentially a GIV-SP with reduced fuel capacity, endowing it with the same range and payload as a GIII, albeit with less noise and fuel consumption. It competes head-to-head with the Falcon 2000EX and Challenger 604.

The G400 is the GIV-SP, chockablock full of luxury options.

The G300 has better takeoff and performance at max gross weight than the G400, and while the G300 is not the result of a brand-new development effort, it "is a new product in the market," says Boisture. The G300 and G400 have "different buying propositions," he says.

"If you look at a set of weight and performance specifications, the G300 is defined as a mid-range plane capable of carrying 12 to 14 people," Boisture told Show News. "What you see in the G300 is a wide range of customer options.

"The G400 is an airplane with very few options; at that price we have produced a fully equipped airplane, with comprehensive training and support of the aircraft."

It is the fully loaded G400-in addition to its longer range, training and maintenance-that results in the additional $7 million premium over the G300, which sells for $25.5 million.

And capping off the new Gulfstream family of aircraft are the G500 and G550.

"At the end of the year, the GV line will have produced 200 airplanes," said Boisture. "At that point we will transition the line to build G500s and G550s. These are both PlaneView cockpits with Primus Epic avionics. Both have increased passenger area with 20% more cabin volume and 30% more baggage space."

The G500 is a 5,800 nmi GV-SP with normal cruise speed of 0.80 Mach and a $37.5 million price tag, with a variety of customer-selectable options. It will compete against the Falcon 7X and Global 5000, and will feature a larger cabin than each.

The G550 is a top-of-the-line GV-SP. At $44.75 million, it is a fully equipped airplane with training and maintenance included in the price tag. The G550 has longer legs at 6,750 nmi and competes with the Global Express.

Gulfstream's Enhanced Vision System is included as part of the PlaneView cockpit system as standard equipment on the G550 and as an option on both the G500 and G400. The EVS incorporates a sensor system based on forward-looking infrared technology developed and manufactured by Kollsman of Merrimack, N.H. The EVS sensor projects an IR real-world conformal image on Honeywell's head-up display in the cockpit. The image lets the pilot see through fog and darkness.

By Barry Rosenberg

Gulfstream: The New Lineup GULFSTREAM G100 Range: 2,700 nmi Typical passengers: 6 to 7 Long-range cruise speed: 0.75 Mach, four passengers Cabin volume: 367 cubic feet Maximum payload: 2,365 pounds Engines: two Honeywell TFE731-40s Avionics: Pro Line 4 Delivery if purchased today: First half 2003 Base price: $11.5 million (2002 dollars) GULFSTREAM G150 Range: 2,700 nmi Typical passengers: 6 to 7 Long-range cruise speed: 0.75 Mach, four passengers Cabin volume: 465 cubic feet Maximum payload: 2,400 pounds Engines: two Honeywell TFE731-40s Avionics: Pro Line 21 Delivery if purchased today: 2Q 2005 Base price: $12.5 million (2002 dollars) GULFSTREAM G200 Range: 3,600 nmi Typical passengers: 8 to 10 Long-range cruise speed: 0.75 Mach, four passengers Cabin volume: 868 cubic feet Maximum payload: 4,200 pounds Engines: two PWC PW306As Avionics: Pro Line 4 Delivery if purchased today: 1Q 2003 Base price: $19.5 million (2002 dollars) GULFSTREAM G300 Range: 3,600 nmi Typical passengers: 11 to 14 Long­range cruise speed: 0.80 Mach, eight passengers Cabin volume: 1,525 cubic feet Maximum payload: 6,000 pounds Engines: two Rolls-Royce Tay Mk611-8s Avionics: SPZ8400 Delivery if purchased today: 3Q 2003 Base price: $25.5 million (2002 dollars) GULFSTREAM G400 Range: 4,100 nmi Typical passengers: 11 to 14 Long-range cruise speed: 0.80 Mach, eight passengers Cabin volume: 1,525 cubic feet Maximum payload: 5,100 pounds Engines: two Rolls-Royce Tay Mk611-8s Avionics: SPZ8400 Delivery if purchased today: 2Q 2003 Base price: $32.25 million (2002 dollars) GULFSTREAM G500 Range: 5,800 nmi Typical passengers: 14 to 18 Long-range cruise speed: 0.80 Mach, eight passengers Cabin volume: 1,669 cubic feet Maximum payload: 6,700 pounds Engines: two Rolls-Royce BR710s Avionics: PlaneView Delivery if purchased today: 1Q 2004 Base price: $37.5 million (2002 dollars) GULFSTREAM G550 Range: 6,750 nmi Typical passengers: 14 to 18 Long-range cruise speed: 0.80 Mach, eight passengers Cabin volume: 1,669 cubic feet Maximum payload: 6,200 pounds Engines: two Rolls-Royce BR710s Avionics: PlaneView Delivery if purchased today: 1Q 2004 Base price: $44.75 million (2002 dollars)