G250 and G650 May be Fueling Growth

By Kerry Lynch

Gulfstream last week began the flight test program for its new super midsize G250, laying the groundwork for the Savannah, Ga., manufacturer to bring two new aircraft to market in 2011. The G250 completed a three-hour, 21-minute first flight Dec. 11, just two months after its rollout in Israel. The flight took off from Ben Gurion International Airport at 8:16 a.m. local time, flew to 32,000 feet and achieved a maximum speed of 253 knots.

Pilots used the flight to test the G250’s flight-handling qualities and characteristics, and performed initial checks of several aircraft systems. “The G250 performed extremely well, just as we expected,” said Pres Henne, senior vice president, programs, engineering and test, for Gulfstream. “We’re looking forward to 2011, when we’ll begin delivering this aircraft to the customers who had tremendous input in its design.”

The flight comes just a few weeks after Gulfstream’s flagship G650 completed its first flight on Nov. 25 (BA, Nov. 30/265). A landing-gear door vibration cut short that flight, but Gulfstream developed a fix to enable flight testing to resume (BA, Dec. 7/265).

Jay Johnson, president and chief executive of Gulfstream parent General Dynamics, told investors last week that both the G650 and G250 business jets will help lead the company to growth in 2011. “We will begin recognizing revenue and earnings on both of these aircraft in the second half of 2011, making 2011 a growth year for Gulfstream,” Johnson said during the Bank of America Securities Merrill Lynch Industrials Conference last week.

Prospects for a market recovery in 2010 are positive, as the global economy recovers, he said. “I believe we have seen the trough at Gulfstream and Jet Aviation in 2009.”

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