Gulfstream’s newest super-midsize jet, the G280, has received its provisional type certificate from the FAA, the company said on Friday. The jet is virtually ready to go, the company said, but an update to the avionics software must be completed before the full TC is issued and deliveries can begin. The jet will feature a new PlaneView280 cockpit, based on Rockwell Collins ProLine Fusion avionics. The company said the G280 has a range of 3,600 nm, which is 200 more than the specifications outlined when the program was announced in 2008. It also can take off from runways of 4,750 feet, an improvement of 1,300 feet compared to the aircraft it replaces, the G200. First delivery is expected sometime this summer.
The provisional certificate allows a manufacturer to operate the aircraft for demo flights, crew training, and service testing, but deliveries to customers must wait for the final certification approval. The G280 is selling for about $24 million, but is expected to go up to $25 million next year. AVweb’s editorial director Paul Bertorelli spoke with Gulfstream’s Pres Henne about the G280 (at first designated the G250) when it was introduced at NBAA in 2008; click here for that podcast.
