On Monday, Gulfstream unveiled its newest business jet- the Gulfstream G700. The G700 is the newest edition to the Gulfstream family of business jets. The G700 is equipped with 19 seats, a 7,500nm range and Royce Pearl 700 engines, in an attempt to win the race for the biggest business jet.
The G700 is the older, and larger big brother to the G650 previously manufactured by the Savannah-based company. Gulfstream unveiled their new jet at NBAA in Las Vegas, announcing plans to begin testing. Gulfstream hopes that the jet will be delivered to initial customers at the beginning of 2022.
The G700 is the direct competitor to the Bombardier Global 7500. The jet would come with a whopping $75 million price tag. Despite this, AIN reports that Gulfstream has seen over $2 billion worth of orders for the business jet.
Gulfstream Aerospace President Mark Burns has said that the new jet will over take the G650 to become the flagship aircraft. The launch customer is slated to be Qatar Airways who have bought 10 aircraft for their charter service.
Gulfstream is betting that the world’s wealthy elites will purchase the aircraft for its taller and roomier cabin.
The Gulfstream also has a major selling point for the wealthy elite- its range- 7,500nm compared to just 7,000nm of the 7500. Gulfstream is hoping that the extra 500nm is worth the extra $2 million.
What does $75 million buy you?
The aircraft is equipped with state of the art Jet ConneX Ka-band WiFi. This allows you to use WiFi for anything no matter where you are in the world.
All 19 seats on board are hand crafted by Gulfstream at their factory. The seats are all high-quality leather that are “optimally positioned beside our iconic windows and near tactile cabin controls” to quote the Gulfstream brochure.
The aircraft’s max speed is 0.925 Mach, although cruising altitude is 0.90 Mach. This allows the flyer to get the best value out of their jet.
The jet comes with all-new top-of-the-line avionics and navigation equipment. All avionics are touch screen to reduce pilot workload. According to Gulfstream, the aircraft is designed to start up the quickest in the industry.
All air in the aircraft is 100% Fresh Air compared to recycled air, seen on commercial airliners. The aircraft also flies at a relatively low altitude for the jet, this is down for the most aerodynamics possible.
The cabin stands at almost one meter high and two and a half meters wide, making it difficult for the Global 7500 to compete.
The aircraft has the following performance statistics:
Maximum Range- 13,890km
High-Speed Cruise- Mach 0.90
Long-Range Cruise- Mach 0.85
Maximum Operating Mach Number (Mmo)- Mach 0.925
Takeoff Distance (SL, ISA, MTOW)- 1,905m
Initial Cruise Altitude- 12,497m
Maximum Cruise Altitude- 15,545m
What are my opinions on the G700?
Personally, I love Gulfstream business jets, whilst I have only seen pictures and the VR display on the Gulfstream website, I must say, I like the way it’s set out. The fact that the G650 has only 4 living areas compared to 5 on the 700 speaks volumes. The fact that a business jet is able to have 5 compartments that the owner can decide is amazing!
This allows for an office area, general seating, dining area, entertainment room and a bedroom all in one aircraft! The fact that the Global 7500 only has four, will certainly sway some businessmen to opt for the roomier 700!
Personally, if I was given the choice between the G700 and the Global 7500, I would have to chose the G700. The fact that the range is further and its larger are the two main selling points for me. I personally love the G650, so a roomier and upgraded version is definitely worth it!