The Grumman Gulfstream I (company designation G-159 ) is a twin-turboprop business aircraft. It first flew on August 14, 1958.
51-551: The Gulfstream X-54 is a proposed research and demonstration aircraft, under development in the United States by Gulfstream Aerospace for NASA , that is planned for use in sonic boom and supersonic transport research. Initiated during 2008, the X-54 project is intended to produce an experimental aircraft capable of supersonic speeds with a formed sonic boom that is acoustically shaped to mitigate noise pollution. The X-54A
102-516: A subsidiary of General Dynamics . Gulfstream designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and services business jet aircraft. Gulfstream has produced more than 2,000 aircraft since 1958. Gulfstream's current range consists of the G280 , G400 , G500/G600 , and G650 /G650ER/G700/G800. The company that evolved into Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. started in the late 1950s when Grumman Aircraft Engineering Co., known for military aircraft production, developed
153-626: A $ 5.5 million aircraft refurbishment and completions support facility in Savannah in 2000. In 2001, it acquired Galaxy Aerospace and with it, the mid-size Astra SPX and super mid-size Galaxy, which were later rebranded the Gulfstream G100 and Gulfstream G200 , respectively. Also in 2001, Gulfstream purchased four U.S. maintenance facilities in Dallas , Las Vegas , Minneapolis , and West Palm Beach, Florida . Those service centers, along with
204-513: A Gulfstream I as an airborne broadcasting studio for Radio y Televisión Martí in international airspace near Cuba from 2006 to 2013. Most of the 200 Gulfstream I propjets were operated by corporate customers, with a smaller number operated by regional or commuter airlines as well as by government agencies and the military. NASA , the U.S. space agency, flew the Gulfstream I as a passenger transport aircraft and operated seven G-Is. Throughout
255-473: A Gulfstream facility in Westfield, Massachusetts, formed General Dynamics Aviation Services, which maintained and repaired Gulfstream and other business-jet aircraft. In 2002, Gulfstream renamed its products, using Arabic numerals instead of Roman numerals to differentiate its aircraft. At the time, the company's lineup included the ultra long-range Gulfstream G550 and G500, the long-range Gulfstream G400 ,
306-666: A codesharing agreement with American Airlines . Royale Airlines also operated the G-I in scheduled passenger service in the U.S. operating as Continental Connection on behalf of Continental Airlines ; however, its aircraft were standard length G-159 models and thus were not the stretched version. Several other airlines in the U.S. as well. Air carriers in Africa, Canada, Europe and the Mideast also operated standard Gulfstream Is in scheduled passenger service, including Peregrine Air Services in
357-533: A competition for the X-54 demonstrator aircraft, however as of 2012 NASA lacked the funds to progress the project. Although Gulfstream has made little comment about the X-54A project, at the 2008 National Business Aviation Association convention a Gulfstream executive stated that Gulfstream's work on advanced technologies for supersonic flight had been ongoing "for some time" and that a "complete airplane designed for low [sonic] boom" would possibly "have X-54 painted on
408-559: A five-year contract with NetJets in 1994. It completed the Gulfstream V Integration Test Facility and rolled out the GV – the first ultra-long range business jet – in 1995. The opening of a $ 16 million Savannah service center with 136,000 square feet (12,630 m ) of hangar space followed in 1996. In 1997, Gulfstream began the simultaneous manufacture of two aircraft models – the GIV-SP and
459-472: A high angle of attack before its right wingtip hit the runway, then slid on the ground and caught fire. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined the probable cause of the crash was an aerodynamic stall of the aircraft due to a failure to properly develop and validate takeoff speeds, persistent and increasingly aggressive attempts to achieve a V2 speed that was too low and an inadequate investigation of previous uncommanded roll events. Following
510-430: A maximum operating speed of Mach 0.85. It can reach its 41,000-foot (12,500 m) initial cruise altitude in 20 minutes and can climb to a maximum altitude of 45,000 feet (13,720 m). In 2009, the company conducted two powered rollouts one week apart. The Gulfstream G650 officially rolled out of the Savannah manufacturing facility under its own power on September 29, 2009. The G280 followed just one week later. Both
561-525: A new plane, the Gulfstream IV , was conceived. The following year, Gulfstream offered 8.8 million shares of stock to the public. In 1985, Chrysler Corp. acquired Gulfstream for $ 637 million as part of the automaker's plan to diversify into high-tech industries. This was also the year that Gulfstream first appeared on the Fortune 500 list, at No. 417. Two years later, the 200th and last Gulfstream III
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#1732775741215612-571: A retractable tricycle landing gear, with twin wheels on the two main units and the nose gear. The cabin is designed to take up to twenty-four passengers in a high-density arrangement or only eight in an executive layout, although ten to twelve was more usual. The aircraft has a hydraulically operated airstair in the forward cabin for entry and exit. A single Gulfstream I was delivered to the United States Coast Guard (USCG) in 1963, outfitted as an executive transport and designated
663-571: A twin turboprop business aircraft at its facilities in Bethpage, New York , called the Grumman Gulfstream I (G-I). The G-I could seat 12 passengers, had a maximum speed of 350 mph (560 km/h) at 25,000 feet (7,620 m) and a range of 2,200 miles (3,540 km). The new aircraft, the first of its kind designed for business travel, was a success, prompting Grumman to develop the jet-powered Grumman Gulfstream II or GII. At
714-432: A viable aircraft capable of producing under 75 pdB on the ground while cruising over Mach 1.4 (1,500 km/h) above 15,000 m (50,000 ft). The X-54 aircraft will demonstrate low-noise supersonic flight for use in community base testing to provide research data to reform domestic and international regulations on supersonic over-land flight. The X-54A was reported as being developed by Gulfstream Aerospace and
765-551: Is a telescopic nose device that softens the effect of the sonic boom by smoothing the pressure wave created by flying at the speed of sound. Gulfstream views lifting the current US supersonic ban as essential for a viable business case for supersonic aircraft. In 2006, the 12-year production run of the G100 ended, and the Gulfstream G150 entered service to take its place. The G150 was the first business jet to be certified by
816-407: Is intended to be powered by two Rolls-Royce Tay turbofan engines. The X-54A may be connected to Gulfstream's "Sonic Whisper" program, trademarked in 2005 as an aircraft design to "reduce boom intensities during supersonic flight"; besides Gulfstream, Lockheed Martin and Boeing have also produced viable designs for commercial supersonic aircraft and all three companies are thought to be contenders in
867-403: Is intended to demonstrate low-boom sonic effects in population impact studies in support of future supersonic transport design and regulation. Current regulations prohibit supersonic flight over land areas in the United States; the X-54 is part of NASA's efforts to have the regulations altered to allow for supersonic transports to be commercially viable. NASA's X-54 project is intended to continue
918-616: The A-6 Intruder . The USCG VC-4A was transferred to the Aircraft Repair and Supply Center (ARSC) at Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City in 1983, and was later used as a logistics and long-range command and control aircraft until 2001; it was scrapped in 2002. Another Gulfstream I was transferred to the USCG from NASA in 2001 as a replacement; this second VC-4A was returned to NASA in 2004. A 37-passenger stretched version,
969-551: The G400 , G700 and G800 cabins. About 200 Gulfstream are used by 35 governments, mainly the G550 : air transports of heads of state and government , airborne early warning , medical evacuation , high-altitude atmospheric research , and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance . Gulfstream Aerospace is involved in the local Savannah community through a variety of programs and initiatives. In November 2018, $ 2 million
1020-535: The Rolls-Royce Dart engine was chosen. Further studies showed that the Trader-based design would not sell and they needed an all-new design with a low-wing and room to stand up in the cabin. In June 1957 the design of G-159 was finalised and Grumman started selling slots on the production line at $ 10,000 each. The initial customers worked with Grumman on the detailed design and avionics fit. The G-159
1071-632: The VC-4A . Around this time, the United States Navy (USN) proposed to purchase the Gulfstream I as a navigation trainer and a multirole trainer/transport, designating the new variants as the T-41A and TC-4B respectively; however, the purchase was deferred. The USN finally purchased nine navigation trainers in 1966 as the TC-4C Academe ; these were used to train bombardier/navigators for
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#17327757412151122-509: The Barnes Regional Airport in Westfield, Massachusetts, that will result in 100 additional Gulfstream jobs, a nearly 80 percent increase over the size of Gulfstream's Westfield workforce. The Luton service center also relocated to a 75,000-square-foot, more modern hangar. The hangar and accompanying office area nearly doubles space at the site, allowing Gulfstream Luton technicians to service Gulfstream's entire fleet, including
1173-448: The FAA for Stage 4, the industry's most stringent noise standards. Also in 2006, Gulfstream announced plans to expand its manufacturing and service facilities in Savannah. The seven-year, $ 400 million Long-Range Facilities Master Plan included the creation of a new 624,588-square-foot (58,030 m ) service center, an independent fuel farm, a 42,600-square-foot (3,960 m ) paint hangar and
1224-545: The G-159C, was developed by Gulfstream for regional airline use. Five were delivered from November 1980. Air North (based in Plattsburgh NY and which subsequently changed its name to Brockway Air ) was one of the few airlines in the U.S. to use this version before its acquisition by Brockway Glass . Another Gulfstream I-C airline operator was Chaparral Airlines which flew passenger services as American Eagle via
1275-671: The G650 and the G280 flew before the end of 2009. The G650 took its first flight on November 25, while the G280 went up for the first time on December 11. In November 2010, Gulfstream announced an expansion of its Savannah facilities through a $ 500-million, seven-year plan. The growth resulted in 1,000 additional Gulfstream jobs, an increase of more than 15 percent. In addition to the Savannah expansion, Gulfstream's sites in Westfield, Massachusetts, US, and Luton, UK, also grew in 2011. In October, Gulfstream announced an expansion of its service center at
1326-462: The GIII wings, complete with winglets. The variant offered weight and performance characteristics similar to the GIII, but with the shorter GII fuselage. Gulfstream completed and delivered approximately 40 GIIBs. Under Paulson the Savannah work force grew to 2,500 by the spring of 1982. Also in this year, the company's name changed to Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation to reflect its worldwide scope, and
1377-632: The GV. Within a few months of the GV's first delivery in June 1997, it set nearly 40 city-pair and/or speed and distance records, and its development team was awarded the 1997 Robert J. Collier Trophy , the highest honor in aeronautics or astronautics in North America. In 1998, Gulfstream purchased K-C Aviation from Kimberly-Clark Corp. for $ 250 million, which had operations in Dallas , Appleton, Wisconsin , and Westfield, Massachusetts . In 1999, General Dynamics purchased Gulfstream, and it opened
1428-591: The Savannah plant were sold to American Jet Industries , which was headed by entrepreneur Allen Paulson . Paulson became the president and CEO of the company, renaming it Gulfstream American . He made a priority of developing the Gulfstream III . The GIII was a new aircraft designed to achieve greater range and speed than the GII. The GIII made its first flight in December 1979, with the first delivery in 1980. It
1479-745: The U.K., which operated airline flights for British Airways . As of August 2006, a total of 44 Grumman Gulfstream I aircraft remained in service. The major operator is Phoenix Air in the United States with 13 aircraft. Some 19 other airlines also operate the type. A G-I purchased by Walt Disney in 1964 and last flown on Oct. 8, 1992 was on display at Disney's Hollywood Studios and is set to be moved to Palm Springs Air Museum . The aircraft logged 8800 flights and 20,000 flight hours with notable passengers Richard Nixon , Ronald Reagan , Jimmy Carter , Julie Andrews , Hugh O'Brian , and Annette Funicello . The Broadcasting Board of Governors operated
1530-505: The US; London, UK; Mexicali, Mexico, and Sorocaba, Brazil; The Gulfstream G500/G600 were unveiled on October 14, 2014, with the G500 taxiing under its own power. It first flew on May 18, 2015. The longer G600 followed on December 17, 2016, intended for delivery in 2018. The company expects the 2017 deliveries to be the same as 2016 at 115 units: 88 large and 27 midsize G280s. Following
1581-681: The United States. Also, in 2003, the long-range Gulfstream G450 was introduced. The large-cabin, mid-range G350 was presented a year later. In 2004, Gulfstream was awarded the 2003 Collier Trophy for the development of the G550. It was the second time in less than a decade that Gulfstream had won the award. The G550 is the first civil aircraft to receive a Type Certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that includes an Enhanced Vision System (EVS) as standard equipment on an aircraft. The aircraft also contained
Gulfstream X-54 - Misplaced Pages Continue
1632-477: The addition of a new Sales and Design Center. As a result of the expansion, employment at the facility was expected to grow by some 1,100 jobs. To meet the immediate need for engineering office space, Gulfstream opened a Research and Development Center (RDC). The RDC accommodates approximately 750 technical and engineering employees. In April 2007 Gulfstream broke ground for a new business-jet manufacturing building at its headquarters in Savannah. The following month,
1683-458: The all-new G650, the company's flagship aircraft. Gulfstream suffered a major setback on April 2, 2011, when one of its G650 ultra long-range business jets crashed on the runway at Roswell, NM, fatally injuring the two test pilots and two flight test engineers on board. The aircraft was conducting a takeoff-performance test during which an engine failure was simulated by reducing the right engine's thrust to idle. The G650 became airborne briefly at
1734-417: The company signed a nine-year lease with North Point Real Estate for a second Research and Development Center. The RDC II consists of an office building, which can accommodate 550 employees, and a laboratory building, which is designed for 150 employees and test equipment used in Gulfstream's research and development work. Gulfstream completed the new Sales and Design Center addition in June and officially opened
1785-581: The crash, Gulfstream raised the V2 speed of the G650. The NTSB accused Gulfstream of withholding information and the use of legal counsel during the investigation, which were denied by the company. In November 2011, the Gulfstream G650 received its provisional type certificate (PTC) from the FAA. This cleared the way for the company to begin interior completions of the ultra-large-cabin, ultra-long-range business jet in preparation for customer deliveries in
1836-507: The fastest civilian aircraft flying at the time. It can climb to 51,000 feet (15,540 m), allowing it to avoid airline-traffic congestion and adverse weather. On October 5 of the same year, Gulfstream announced another addition to its business-jet fleet: the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G250 (later renamed the Gulfstream G280 ). It is capable of traveling 3,600 nautical miles (6,670 km; 4,140 mi) at Mach 0.80 and has
1887-490: The first cockpit to incorporate PlaneView®, an integrated avionics suite featuring four 14-inch (36 cm) liquid crystal displays in landscape format. In 2005, Gulfstream began to offer an in-flight internet connection – its Broad Band Multi-Link (BBML) system. Gulfstream also designed and developed a means of reducing the sonic boom caused by an aircraft "breaking" the sound barrier – the Quiet Spike . The Quiet Spike
1938-524: The first phase of the new Savannah Service Center in August. In 2007, Gulfstream tested its Synthetic Vision -Primary Flight Display (SV-PFD) and EVS II together for the first time. The SV-PFD is an enhancement to the Gulfstream PlaneView flight displays. It features a three-dimensional color image of terrain overlaid with the primary flight display instrument symbology, which are arranged on
1989-400: The market viable for supersonics you have to make it feasible to fly overland faster than sound – which is currently against the law. We don't think there is a viable market until you change that”. Data from Jane's Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Gulfstream Aerospace Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation is an American aircraft company and
2040-652: The meeting of US President Donald Trump and Qatar ’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in July 2019, Qatar Airways expressed a desire to buy large-cabin aircraft from Gulfstream. On October 4, 2021, the company introduced the G400 and G800 to their product line. On 28 March, 2023, Gulfstream opened a 12,000 sq ft (1,100 m ) sales and design center in Beverly Hills , housing mock ups for
2091-580: The mid-range Gulfstream G300 and G200, and the high-speed G100. 2002 was also the year that Gulfstream introduced its Airborne Product Support aircraft, a specially equipped G100 used to deliver parts and provide any-time service to Gulfstream customers under warranty in North America and the Caribbean. In 2003, Gulfstream acquired a service center at the London-Luton Airport, the first Gulfstream-owned service center to be operated outside
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2142-657: The research objectives of the DARPA Quiet Supersonic Aircraft , and is intended to demonstrate low-boom technologies and methods validated by projects such as the NASA Quietspike project, the Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstrator, FaINT Project, and WSPR Project. The X-54 will be designed from the ground up to incorporate all the technology and lessons learned from this combined NASA research spanning several decades into
2193-483: The screen to create a large-view area for terrain. By early 2008, the FAA had certified both EVS II and SV-PFD. On March 13, 2008, Gulfstream announced the introduction of a new business jet: the Gulfstream G650 . The G650 offered the longest range, fastest speed, largest cabin and most advanced cockpit in the Gulfstream fleet. It is capable of traveling 7,000 nautical miles (12,960 km; 8,060 mi) at Mach 0.85 or will cover shorter distances at Mach 0.925, making it
2244-684: The second quarter of 2012, as originally planned. In January 2011, General Dynamics Aviation Services was rebranded as Gulfstream to simplify its brand identity. Gulfstream now owns and operates nine service centers worldwide, plus one component repair facility. As of late 2012 there were indications that Gulfstream was close to announcing the design of a quiet supersonic business jet, first drawings of which appeared in December 2012. Gulfstream employs more than 11,500 people at 12 major locations: Savannah, Georgia.; Appleton, Wisconsin; Brunswick, Georgia ; Dallas; Las Vegas; Westfield, Massachusetts; West Palm Beach, Florida; Van Nuys and Lincoln, California in
2295-514: The side of it". The designation "X-54A" was issued during 2008, but NASA stated it was considered a "placeholder" and was not actively cooperating with Gulfstream on the project. As of late 2012 there were indications that Gulfstream was close to announcing the design of a quiet supersonic business jet. In November 2012, a patent showing a supersonic jet aircraft configuration was granted to Gulfstream. As of late 2013, according to Gulfstream senior VP marketing and sales Scott Neal, “In order to make
2346-536: The start of the GII program, Grumman officials separated the company's civil and military aircraft production to improve efficiency. In 1966, they relocated the civilian component to Savannah, Georgia where they had found a supply of skilled labor, an airfield adjacent to the plant and room for expansion. Transportation facilities suitable for heavy equipment and machinery as well as weather favorable to year-round flight-testing and flight-training operations enhanced Savannah's appeal. The new building opened in June 1967 and
2397-420: Was dedicated on September 29, 1967. It housed production and flight testing for the GII. The 100-person work force that built the GII was 90% local, and grew to over 1,700 within a few years. On January 2, 1973, Grumman merged its civil aircraft operations with light-aircraft manufacturer American Aviation Corporation . The 256th and final GII delivery took place in 1977. One year later, the Gulfstream line and
2448-453: Was delivered, and the first delivery of a Gulfstream IV took place. The GIV was the first jet in business aviation to have an all-glass cockpit. In 1989 Chrysler decided to sell Gulfstream, and Paulson teamed with Forstmann Little & Co. – a private equity firm specializing in leveraged buyouts – and bought Gulfstream back. The decade that followed the 1989 repurchase was a time of significant advancements for Gulfstream. The company signed
2499-621: Was donated to the United Way of America . Over 100 programs and services at 58 nonprofits in several Georgia counties have benefited. Grumman Gulfstream I After first rejecting an idea to develop the Grumman Widgeon as an executive transport, the company studied producing an executive transport based on a turbine-powered variant of the naval utility transport Grumman TF-1 Trader . The company had already determined that any new aircraft would have to be turboprop -powered and
2550-590: Was given the name Gulfstream and on 14 August 1958 the first aircraft, registered N701G , took off from Bethpage, New York on its maiden flight. By 2 May 1959 the aircraft was awarded a type certificate by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Gulfstream I is a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a semi- monocoque aluminium alloy fuselage structure. The aircraft is powered by two Rolls-Royce Dart turboprops with Rotol four-bladed constant speed propellers. The Gulfstream I has
2601-468: Was the first business jet designed to fly over both poles. The Hustler 400 was a corporate aircraft that featured a propeller in front for short runway use, and a jet in back for high-altitude cruising. The prototype, designated Hustler 400, first flew on January 11, 1978, but never entered production. In 1981, Gulfstream introduced the Gulfstream GIIB. The GIIB had a modified GII fuselage and
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