Trickle-Down: Gulfstream’s G150 Cockpit Goes Higher-Tech

Gulfstream Aerospace announced yesterday it will add to the cockpit of its forthcoming G150 mid-size bizjet as standard equipment a cursor control device (CCD) for both pilots taken from its larger aircraft. Gulfstream says it designed and developed the CCD while developing its PlaneView flight deck aboard the ultra-long-range G550. Now, the CCD is standard equipment on all of Gulfstreams large-cabin aircraft, including the G550, G500, G450 and G350. Gulfstream and Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) are developing the wide-cabin, high-speed G150. It is being built through its Certificate of Airworthiness at IAIs facility in Tel Aviv, and then flown to Gulfstreams Dallas completions facility for its final phase of manufacturing. The Gulfstream G150 is scheduled to enter service in the third quarter of 2006. “Due to overwhelmingly positive pilot response to the CCDs in our large-cabin business jets, it was only logical to add this feature in our newest airplane, said Pres Henne, senior vice president, program, engineering and test, Gulfstream. According to Gulfstream, the G150’s CCDs are nearly identical to those found in Gulfstreams large-cabin aircraft and are mounted on the cockpit sidewall, at natural locations for ease of use. The G150s CCDs are fully integrated with the Rockwell Collins Proline 21 advanced avionics suite and facilitate accessing the two Primary Flight Displays (PFDs) and two Multi-functional Displays (MFDs) with point-and-click, scrolling and push-button operations. On May 3, the first G150 successfully completed its first flight. The G150 remains on schedule for type certification in the first quarter of next year.