Well folks, the new Gulfstream G650 made its maiden flight today. A brief 10 or so minutes in the air. All apparently went as planned and the bird is safely back on the ground.
N650GA departed at 13:44 local time - pilots were alerted to a slight vibration in a landing-gear door, as a precautionary measure they returned to Savannah.
Gulfstream Press Release:
Gulfstream G650 Makes an Abbreviated First Flight
The first Gulfstream G650, dubbed T1 for test aircraft one, achieved its maiden flight this afternoon, though it was cut short due to “slight vibrations” in one of the gear doors. A Gulfstream spokeswoman told AIN that the flight was intended to last for about an hour; nevertheless, the G650’s 12-minute flight is still considered a full-fledged success by the Savannah, Ga. based aircraft manufacturer. T1 lifted off from Savannah International Airport at 1:41 p.m. EST with veteran Gulfstream test pilots Jake Howard and Tom Horne at the controls; flight engineer Bill Osborne was also aboard. Despite its short time in the air, the test aircraft reached 6,600 feet and 170 knots and its “flight controls and characteristics performed as expected,” according to Gulfstream. The spokeswoman said G650 test flights will resume after Thanksgiving. FAA certification of the G650 is expected in 2011, followed by entry into service in 2012.
FlightBlogger following the G650 coverage.
It reminds me of Mooseblood.
http://www.canmag.com/images/front/movies2007/beemovie10.jpg
So, the long nose… is that to give a reference measurement of airspeed, to calibrate the “regular” pitot(s)?
Yes, they’ll probably also fly a static cone on the end of a line off the tail for a static reference.