Final Gulfstream G200 Rolls Off Production Line

Capping a 14-year production run, the last super mid-size Gulfstream G200 business jet – the 250th – has rolled off the production line in Dallas.

The G200 will be replaced in the Gulfstream fleet by the all-new large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G280, which is scheduled to enter service in the first part of 2012.

The G200 first rolled out in 1997 and was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration in 1998. Seven years ago, Gulfstream delivered the 100th G200.

With a cabin width of 7 feet, 2 inches (2.184 m) and a cabin height of 6 feet, 3 inches (1.905 m), the G200 has one of the largest cabins in its class.

To date, the aircraft has been certified in 18 countries and has a dispatch reliability rate in excess of 99%. The fleet has flown more than 581,000 flight hours and completed more than 351,000 take-offs and landings.

Originally introduced as the “Galaxy” by Galaxy Aerospace (which was acquired by Gulfstream in 2001), the G200 was manufactured by Israel Aircraft Industries in Tel Aviv and then flown to Gulfstream’s Mid-Cabin Completions Center in Dallas for interior outfitting and paint. The last G200 is scheduled for customer delivery later this month.

 “The G200 took the basic cabin dimensions of a large-cabin aircraft and made them available to a broader market by offering a shortened eight- to ten-place, two-seating-area layout with solid transcontinental U.S. range,” said Stan Dixon, vice president, Mid-Cabin Programs, Gulfstream. “It led the category for its time, as will the G280 going into the future.”

The G280 offers one of the largest cabins, longest ranges and some of the fastest speeds in its class. The business jet is capable of traveling 3,600 nm (6,667 km) at Mach 0.80 and has a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.85. With an initial cruise altitude of 41,000 feet (12,497 m), the G280 can climb to a maximum altitude of 45,000 feet (13,716 m). Its 3,600-nautical-mile range means the G280 can fly nonstop from New York to London or from London to Dubai.

The G280 features an all-new, advanced transonic wing design that has been optimized for high-speed cruise and improved takeoff performance. At maximum takeoff weight, the G280 has a balanced field length of 4,750 feet.

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