The Gulfstream G500 represents the latest addition to the legendary Gulfstream line, retaining all the attributes that made the G450 successful while adding enhanced performance, range, and cabin space. From the moment this heavy business jet entered service in 2018, it has consistently impressed—in May of that year, it set a speed record flying between Shanghai and Honolulu. With its impeccable performance capabilities and spacious interior, the Gulfstream G500 has established itself as a top contender in the heavy business jet category.
Gulfstream G500 Features
Interior
Gulfstream G500’s interior was designed to provide passengers with a comfortable and easy traveling experience, and can be split into three distinct living areas. This aircraft’s cabin is one of the largest in its class, measuring 41.5 feet long, 7.6 feet wide, and 6.2 feet tall, for a total volume of 1,715 cubic feet—ample room for passengers to walk around and stretch their legs during flight. Each 27-inch-wide leather executive-style seat has been redesigned with new contours for fatigue reduction, and features a footrest for easy reclining capability. In additional to its considerable legroom, the G500 offers a 175-cubic-foot, full-access luggage compartment.
A host of amenities and features keep passengers entertained and ensure they’ll land feeling relaxed and refreshed at their destination. Travelers can easily control lighting, window shades, cabin temperature, and entertainment from their seats with touch-screen devices thanks to the Gulfstream Cabin Management System. The 14 signature Gulfstream oval windows that line the cabin are 16 percent larger than those on the G450 and G550 and allow natural light to illuminate the cabin. Even at a high altitude of 51,000 feet, the cabin remains at no more than 4,850 feet of altitude due to a high-grade pressurization system that also cycles100-percent-fresh air throughout the cabin every two minutes—great for reducing jet lag.
Performance
The Gulfstream G500 is powered by a pair of state-of-the-art, fuel-efficient Pratt & Whitney Canada PW814GA engines, each producing 15,144 lbs. of thrust. They’re also extremely low-maintenance—Barrons reports they require up to 40 percent less scheduled maintenance time. A Health Usage and Monitoring System (HUMS) scans the engines’ operating conditions and reports the information back to the pilots.
With a high-cruise speed of .90 mach and a range of 5,300 nautical miles, the G500 is able to complete international journeys like Los Angeles to London or San Francisco to Tokyo with ease. By increasing the G500’s flight ceiling to 51,000 feet, Gulfstream was able to accommodate higher-altitude airports and avoid poor weather conditions.
Avionics
The G500 utilizes fly-by-wire technology first popularized on jet fighters like the F-16, resulting in more stability in flight—a first for Gulfstream. The aircraft’s Symmetry Flight Deck avionics suite includes an Enhanced Flight Vision System (EFVS) and Synthetic Vision-Primary Flight Display, helping pilots gain situational awareness by displaying 3D graphics of terrain and runways and helping land in rough conditions. Pilots enjoy a pair of active digital sidestick controls that give them more space in the cockpit, and 10 touch-screen LCD monitors that Flying Magazine says replace around 70 percent of mechanical controls.
