200th Delivery Milestone for G280 Amid Pandemic

“Seeing our accomplishments during such a turbulent year gives us confidence in what we can achieve in the coming years,” said Derek Zimmerman, President, Gulfstream Customer Support while reflecting back on the challenging 2020 year and the notable work that the customer support team of the aircraft company has done. One of the important highlights that the company pointed out from the last year was the continuation of Gulfstream’s commitment to enhance productivity by equipping the Gulfstream G280 with high-speed, high-capacity Ka-band connectivity with Viasat’s in-flight connectivity system (IFC). Supplied through Viasat’s Global Aero Terminal 5510 system, the IFC is available as a retrofit to current G280 operators, with service covering the contiguous US, the North Atlantic and Europe, and enables videoconferencing; TV, music and movie streaming; VPN connectivity; web browsing; and the ability to email large files, stated Gulfstream.

The year was also significant for the G280 as it hit its 200th delivery milestone around mid-2020, described as “a tremendous milestone” in the history of the Savannah, Georgia-based manufacturer by the company President Mark Burns. The super-midsize twin jet, Gulfstream G280 was launched in 2008 and entered service in 2012.

“Every Gulfstream model is distinctive and unique in its own way, and the G280 is no different. As when it entered the marketplace in 2012, the G280’s combination of superior performance, comfort, safety and efficiency puts it atop the mid-cabin class,”Burns had remarked.

Gulfstream also announced last month that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed that the super-midsize Gulfstream G280 meets the certifying organisation’s recently intensified noise standards. Known as Stage 5, the standard lowers the noise limit for subsonic aircraft. The G280’s noise emissions have always fallen below the levels now classified as Stage 5. Official approval to the Stage 5 noise standard ensures continued operational flexibility at noise-sensitive airports and those with time-of-day entry restrictions.

“The Gulfstream team continues its commitment to the future of the G280 programme, ensuring adherence to the most stringent standards, whether for safety, performance or noise emissions. Aircraft noise abatement goals are vital to ensuring the livelihood of the aviation and aerospace industries and demonstrating our efforts to be good neighbors to those who live or work near airfields, airports or flight paths,” said Burns.

Demonstrating impressive agility in short-field takeoff and landing, the Gulfstream G280 has also been configured as a command and control (C2) aircraft for the Philippine Air Force, handed over to them in 2020.

Said to have been created to reimagine super-midsize performance, the G280 excels at blazing difficult trails. Certified for steepapproach operations, it makes nimble work of short runways, highaltitude airports and low-visibility conditions. Its revolutionary wing design and engine technology result in prime fuel-efficiency—reducing operating costs and supporting environmental sustainability, the company states.

“EVERY GULFSTREAM MODEL IS DISTINCTIVE AND UNIQUE IN ITS OWN WAY, AND THE G280 IS NO DIFFERENT. AS WHEN IT ENTERED THE MARKETPLACE IN 2012, THE G280’S COMBINATION OF SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE, COMFORT, SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY PUTS IT ATOP THE MID-CABIN CLASS”
—GULFSTREAM PRESIDENT MARK BURNS

The G280 comes with a range of 3,600nm, and a long-range cruise speed of Mach 0.80. Gulfstream’s entry-level product features the Collins Pro Line Fusion-based PlaneView280 flightdeck, certificated for steep-approach operations, including the 5.5° approach angle and the ability to land on small runway like the short runway at London City airport in the UK. The aircraft also features an efficient aerodynamic design with a tip-to-tip wing, T-tail and high-thrust engines for improved range and speed. Brake-by-wire with auto braking, an anti-ice wing with no slats, and fly-by-wire spoilers and rudder are some of its other features.

The enhanced flight vision system (EFVS) allows the pilot to land in lowvisibility conditions, while the synthetic vision-primary flight display offers the three-dimensional graphics of terrain and runways, which are displayed on the headup display (HUD) for enhanced situational awareness.The company believes that their EFVS allows authorised pilots to land without natural vision in low-visibility conditions, increasing access to airports and reducing go-arounds. A Synthetic Vision-Primary Flight Display, featuring 3D graphics of terrain and runways, further boosts pilots’ situational awareness.

There is also an attitude and heading reference system (AHRS) which provides heading and attitude data of the aircraft to be used by the cockpit display system, the autopilot and the flight management system. The avionics is also integrated with terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS) capability.

CABIN

The total interior length of the aircraft is 9.82m, featuring large panoramic windows and a 120ft³ baggage compartment which is considered to be among the largest in the industry in this segment. The temperature, entertainment, monitors, and lighting through fingertip control is managed by the cabin management system.

Gulfstream highlights that each configuration supports a fully equipped galley, a generous baggage compartment and an airy lavatory featuring two windows and a full-size closet. With 100 per cent fresh air, natural light from 19 large oval windows and a low cabin altitude and comfortable seating for up to 10 passengers in the customer’s choice of cabin configurations are G280’s highlights.

ENGINES

The Gulfstream G280 comes with two Honeywell HTF7250G engines, each of which generate 7,445lb of take-off thrust, flatrated to ISA +15 degrees C. The engines are built with dual-channel Fadec, nacelles, and thrust reversers all in an integrated propulsion package.

With a wide-chord damperless fan measuring 34.2 inches (86.9 cm) in diameter, the HTF7000 series has a 4.4 bypass ratio. The engine is part of the HTF7000 family with a dispatch reliability of 99.96 per cent. It incorporates low emissions single annular combustor for emissions reduction (SABER) technology to reduce carbon and NOx emissions.

The HTF7250G propulsion system, environmental and cabin pressurisation control systems, aircraft lighting, SAHRS, auxiliary power unit (APU), and TAWS are provided by Honeywell International.

FLIGHT DECK

The Gulfstream G280 features state-of-the-art Gulfstream PlaneView 280 flight deck that comes with Collins Pro Line Fusion integrated avionics system for improved situational awareness and decreased workload on the pilot. The PlaneViewG280 avionics are a big improvement over the Pro Line 21 avionics in the G200, with three 15-inch (38-cm) displays providing much more screen real estate.

Believed to the industry-leading technology, the PlaneView280™ flight deck, is designed to augment situational awareness, reduce workload and boost pilot efficiency. Similar to the large-cabin jets, the G280 is equipped with auto throttles and the same head-up display and Kollsman enhanced vision system as the G650. The G280 also provides synthetic vision is an option.

The standby multifunctional controllers (SMCs) have many functions, including the ability to manage single-point refueling from the cockpit, instead of having to access the refuel/defuel panel mounted aft of the fueling port. Other functions include PFD settings, weather radar, chart selection, checklists, avionics configurations for each phase of flight, and more.

Overall, the G280 flight deck is thoroughly modern, uncluttered and without too many switches and knobs.

PERFORMANCE

The strong performance of the G280, especially the ability to fly coast-to-coast in the United States at Mach 0.84 (3,000-nm/5,556-km NBAA IFR range with four passengers) or even farther at Mach 0.80 (3,600 nm/6,667 km, also with four passengers), has been much appreciated by pilots.

The G280 can climb directly to FL430 after taking off at its 39,600-pound mtow. Chief demo pilot Brett Rundle said he has climbed to FL430 in just 20 minutes at maximum weight.

The G280 has a fuel-jettison system, something not found on any other business jets (those that aren’t derived from airline airframes). This system can also be used for defueling via a special adapter that attaches to the jettison port mounted between the flaps and ailerons.

Ailerons are mechanically driven and supported by the multifunction spoilers (the middle and outboard spoiler panels), and either flight control is sufficient for full lateral control. Elevators are hydraulically controlled via dual hydro-mechanical servo actuators, one for each elevator, and each with dual push rods.

The fly-by-wire rudder incorporates a thrust-compensation mode in case of engine failure, and this removes 80 per cent of the rudder pedal force needed to maintain the proper trajectory on one engine.

Weight-and-balance capabilities are generous on the G280. Even with the large aft baggage compartment filled to its nearly 2,000-pound (907-kg) capacity, the G280 will stay within its CG limits with no passengers onboard.

The G280 cabin door is electro-hydraulically actuated, an upgrade from the G200’s electrically driven cable and reel system.