LONG-HELD SUSPICIONS that Gulfstream Aerospace was developing a fresh business jet were confirmed in early October when it revealed not one, but two new programmes. During an event held at the manufacturer's facility in Savannah, Georgia, invited guests and those joining via the internet witnessed the unveiling of the first Gulfstream G800 and were made aware of the forthcoming G400. The two new designs expand the company's large cabin portfolio at both the upper and lower ends of the market segment. The G800 will become Gulfstream's longest range business jet and, according to Mark Burns, the company's president, will also be its fastest, while the G400 will be able to fly 4,200nm at Mach 0.85. Both aircraft retain the classic Gulfstream look, with the rear-mounted podded engines and T-tail of previous designs. Both will be equipped with the Gulfstream Symmetry Flight Deck, based on Honeywell Epic avionics, with BAE Systems electronically linked active control sidesticks and 10 touchscreen displays. Functionality includes the Predictive Landing Performance System, which notifies the pilots of potential runway excursions. Options include Gulfstream's Combined Vision System, which merges the enhanced flight vision and synthetic vision systems to create a single image for display on dual head-up displays. In service, the G400 through to the G600 will have a common pilot rating, easing pilot training and fleet operations, while the G800 will share that of the G700.
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