Gulfstream and GE Aircraft Engines have decided not to offer a program to reengine G-IIs and G-IIIs with the CF34 powerplant due to lack of interest, but will reassess the market for such a conversion in the next year or so, according to Gulfstream Aircraft Services VP Larry Flynn.

While there have been many proposals to re-engine the older jets with modern engines, Flynn said there is no off-the-shelf engine available.

"The closest match is the CF34. But it is a (digital) FADEC engine, and the GII and GIII are not digital," he said. "We spent a lot of time studying this, and we estimate the engine upgrade, and necessary avionics upgrade would run around $10 million per aircraft."

This price would cover just a partial avionics upgrade--enough to allow the engine change, but would not include modernizing the rest of the cockpit.

"It just isn't economically feasible right now," Flynn said. "We both agreed we don't see a market for it at this time."

Earlier studies have shown that replacing the Rolls-Royce Spey engines on the GII and GIII will reduce the noise footprint on takeoff by 85% and provide a 40% margin over upcoming international aircraft engine emission standards. The new engines would allow operators virtually unrestricted access to airports worldwide, and would give the aircraft about 600 nmi more range.