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Gulfstream G500

Large-Cabin Business Jet / Special Mission Platform (2004)

Introduced in 2004, the Gulfstream G500 business jet has been built in over 500 examples for various global operators to date.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/14/2021 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

The Gulfstream G500 is being developed by Gulfstream Aerospace for the business market as a twin-engine passenger hauler. It is intended as a successor for the older G450 line while promoted with improved performance specifications. The design was first unveiled in October of 2014 and recorded its first-flight on May 18th, 2015. Four prototypes and a production-quality airframe have served the program to date (2018). Service introduction is planned for sometime in 2018-2019. Type certification was granted in mid-2018.

The G600 is being developed alongside the G500 as a dimensionally larger market form.

The G500 series is powered by the Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC) PW814 series turbofan engine as the company shifts away from its reliance on the Rolls-Royce Aero family. Each engine supplies 15,144lb of thrust at take-off and helps the aircraft to range out to 5,200 nautical miles, cruising at speeds of up to 516 knots. The service ceiling is listed at 51,000 feet.

The cockpit of the G500 is all-modern / all-digital with four primary LCDs taking up the main instrument panel (Honeywell Symmetry avionics fit). Throttle controls are placed naturally between the two crew seats with BAe Systems digitally-linked flight sticks offset to the outboard side of each pilot's position (the latter marketed as the first of its kind, eliminating the need for cumbersome control columns). Full SATellite COMmunications (SATCOM) is offered as is digital Fly-By-Wire (FBW) controlling. A Honeywell HTG400G drives the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU). A flip-down Head-Up Display (HUD) is provided.

Internally, the fuselage is optimized for noise reduction, passenger comforts and storage. Conference tables are stowable and seats fold to provide sleeping quarters. Fourteen large panoramic windows are provided for viewing.

As designed, the G500 will be crewed by two and carry up to nineteen passengers in comfort. Structurally, overall length reaches 91.1 feet with a wingspan of 87 feet and a height of 25.5 feet. Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) is listed at 76,850lb.

The G500 is given the usual design treatment as bizjets go: it seats its twin engines a wingstubs towards the rear of the fuselage to reduce cabin noise. The wing mainplanes are well-swept to the rear, low-mounted on the fuselage and capped by fuel efficient winglets. The tail unit incorporates a T-style plane arrangement which seats the horizontal planes high atop the single vertical fin. Ground-running is accomplished by way of a retractable, wheeled tricycle leg arrangement.

Variants in the G500 family include the G500 and its offshoot, the G550. The G500 is the GV-SP, carrying an all-new flightdeck display system as well as improvements to the airframe and engines.

Beyond its obvious VIP passenger-hauling value, several global military powers have already looked to modifying the base G500 design for over-battlefield roles. The G550 AEW is an Israeli Airborne Early Warning (AEW) platform. The United States designates the G500 in service as the C-37B and the U.S. Navy model is the NC-37B. The USAF operated the EC-X "Compass Call" as an Electronic CounterMeasures (ECM) platform which mates an L3 Technologies suite to the G550 series aircraft. Italy has also recently joined the ranks of G500 series military users.

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