Photo: Gulfstream
For an aircraft maker the size of Gulfstream, the speed at which it can transport people from city to city is crucial to its success. After all, that is the nature of its business, and having nothing to brag about in this respect could be damaging for the company.
The present lineup of Gulfstream aircraft comprises no less than seven models, plus a special missions variant. The range starts with the G280 and tops with the G800. But it's the G700 that is described by its maker as the fastest aircraft in today's fleet.
The plane was introduced in service in 2019, and it is presently powered by twin Rolls-Royce engines that allow it to reach top speeds of Mach 0.935 (717 mph/1,155 kph). The maximum range it can travel is 8,919 miles (14,353 km), carrying the crew and passengers in the "most spacious cabin in business aviation."
The interior of the plane can be configured in a variety of ways. At its finest, the aircraft can host no less than five living areas, including an ultra gallery and a grand suite complete with a shower. In a more utilitarian setup, the G700 can carry up to 19 passengers and sleep 13.
Whatever the configuration, the cabin is bathed in sunlight coming in through no fewer than 20 windows. The air inside is plasma-ionized and replenished every two to three minutes, and anyone can access the plane's onboard wi-fi system.
During its life, the aircraft set quite a number of city-pair speed records, meaning it traveled between two destinations at record speeds. This week though, the G700 jumped over the 50 such records threshold.
This week is the week of the Singapore Airshow, and the G700 will be one of Gulfstream's star aircraft on display. One member of this family departed Los Angeles and took the long route to Singapore, smashing through records 50 and 51.
The first leg of the trip had the plane fly from LA to Nice, in France, at a distance of 5,980 miles. It covered it in 10 hours and 13 minutes, averaging speeds of Mach 0.90.
The plane then departed Nice and headed for Singapore, meaning it had to fly over a distance of 6,621 miles (10,656 km). It did so in just 11 hours and 30 minutes, averaging the same speed as before.
Gulfstream says both flights were carbon neutral but did not go into the details of what that means exactly (SAF is probably involved). We are also not being informed of any independent body sanctioning the flights as record-breaking.
Such a fast and luxurious means of transport does not come cheap. In the most basic of configurations, you should expect the aircraft to set you back $75 million – a price tag that makes it one of the most expensive planes in its class.
The plane was introduced in service in 2019, and it is presently powered by twin Rolls-Royce engines that allow it to reach top speeds of Mach 0.935 (717 mph/1,155 kph). The maximum range it can travel is 8,919 miles (14,353 km), carrying the crew and passengers in the "most spacious cabin in business aviation."
The interior of the plane can be configured in a variety of ways. At its finest, the aircraft can host no less than five living areas, including an ultra gallery and a grand suite complete with a shower. In a more utilitarian setup, the G700 can carry up to 19 passengers and sleep 13.
Whatever the configuration, the cabin is bathed in sunlight coming in through no fewer than 20 windows. The air inside is plasma-ionized and replenished every two to three minutes, and anyone can access the plane's onboard wi-fi system.
During its life, the aircraft set quite a number of city-pair speed records, meaning it traveled between two destinations at record speeds. This week though, the G700 jumped over the 50 such records threshold.
This week is the week of the Singapore Airshow, and the G700 will be one of Gulfstream's star aircraft on display. One member of this family departed Los Angeles and took the long route to Singapore, smashing through records 50 and 51.
The first leg of the trip had the plane fly from LA to Nice, in France, at a distance of 5,980 miles. It covered it in 10 hours and 13 minutes, averaging speeds of Mach 0.90.
The plane then departed Nice and headed for Singapore, meaning it had to fly over a distance of 6,621 miles (10,656 km). It did so in just 11 hours and 30 minutes, averaging the same speed as before.
Gulfstream says both flights were carbon neutral but did not go into the details of what that means exactly (SAF is probably involved). We are also not being informed of any independent body sanctioning the flights as record-breaking.
Such a fast and luxurious means of transport does not come cheap. In the most basic of configurations, you should expect the aircraft to set you back $75 million – a price tag that makes it one of the most expensive planes in its class.
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