Inside The $50 Million Gulfstream G500 Private Jet
0:00 - Intro
This is the Gulfstream G500, an aircraft that represents a leap forward in flight deck and flight control interface design, a bold move for a manufacturer as conservative as Gulfstream, yet also a logical progression in business jet design. The G500 is a delight to fly, a significant step up in handling compared to the non-fly-by-wire designs. Today we’re going inside the Gulfstream G500 to talk about everything you need to know about this amazing aircraft.
0:54 - Cabin
The entrance door is large at over six feet or 1.83 meters. There are two side rails now and the steps feel less steep and better spaced. Inside, the G500 has a tall and wide cabin which provides customers with greater design flexibility, and space for up to 19 people. The galley is in the aft cabin, although it can be situated forward if the customer wishes.
The G500 maintains Gulfstream’s signature style, from the clean cabin design to the large oval cabin windows to the slick wing with an aggressive 36-degree sweep. At 43,000 feet the cabin pressure is a measly 3,670 feet or 1,120 meters, and at 51,000 feet the cabin is still a low 4,850 feet or 1,480 meters. The interior is extremely quiet, and a normal conversation between separate seating areas is possible. The optimized cross-section of the cabin has a width of 7 feet 7 inches or 2.3 meters and a height of 6 feet 6 inches or 1.88 meters.
A credenza houses a 28-inch monitor, which folds flat so it doesn’t take up any drawer space. The cabin is lit by 14 signature Gulfstream oval windows. A master control panel is available in the galley and also at the front of the G500. Gulfstream’s cabin management system gives passengers control of lighting, window shades, environmental system, and entertainment from touchscreen controls at each seat.
3:50 - Cockpit
Up front, the G500’s new Symmetry Flight Deck addresses not only cockpit avionics but the company’s holistic approach to providing the highest level of situational awareness, comfort, and growth capabilities. Experienced Gulfstream pilots may be a bit shocked the first time they enter the G500 cockpit. Gone are the old control wheels and pedestals, replaced by a pair of active digital sidesticks, opening up plenty of extra cockpit real estate. Also gone are about 70% of the mechanical switches, rotating knobs, and push buttons, all replaced by 10 touch-screen LCDs.
Seven of the touchscreens function as controllers of everything from takeoff planning to communications and environmental systems control, some focused around the throttle pedestal and three set in the overhead panel. There’s also an additional controller at the jump-seat position that can be quickly removed to replace any of the other screens should one fail. The touchscreens allow Gulfstream to update most anything in the cockpit with a simple software revision.
The mainstay of the G500’s flight deck is Honeywell’s Primus Epic system, powering four 14.1-inch LCD displays while incorporating a third-generation enhanced-vision system delivering four times better resolution than earlier versions, as well as 3D synthetic vision.
6:24 - Engine and Performance
Talking about performance, the G500 is powered by two rear-mounted Pratt & Whitney PW814GA engines with a TBO of 10,000 hours, each producing 15,144 lbs of thrust. Max cruising speed is a bruising Mach 0.925 and the aircraft has been flown to 0.995.
Normal cruise is Mach 0.85 and fast cruise is 0.90. The aircraft has a maximum cruising altitude of 51,000 feet or 15,500 meters, with an average hourly fuel burn of 350 gallons or 1,325 liters per hour.
Range at Mach 0.90 with eight passengers and three crew is 4,400 nautical miles, which is 5,060 miles or 8,150 kilometers. Throttle back to Mach 0.85 and range climbs to 5,300 nautical miles, which is 6,100 miles or 9,815 kilometers. The plane can take off in 5,300 feet or 1,615 meters, has a maximum rate of climb of 3,950 feet or 1,200 meters per minute, and a minimum landing distance of 2,620 feet or 800 meters, all while maintaining a maximum net payload of 5,250 lbs or 2,380 kg and a full-fuel payload of 2,900 lbs or 1,315 kg.
8:02 - Purchase and Charter Price
The base purchase price for a new G500 is $45 million before options, and the charter price ranges between $7,000 and $9,000 per hour. Naturally, prices will vary depending on availability, fuel prices, ground fees, and more.
8:18 - Operating Cost
While the total fixed cost is roughly $600,000 to $800,000 per year, the average hourly operating cost is estimated at $3,800 to $4,400.
8:31 - Outro
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