Gulfstream’s New G800 Ultra-Long-Range Private Jet Is Here
When the G800 was publicly unveiled in 2021, the world was a different place. The increasing scale of global conflict has changed all that. The original objective of the new Gulfstream, an update of the popular G650ER, was simply to secure its position as aviation’s farthest-flying business jet with a range of 8,000 nautical miles. At the time, Bombardier had yet to announce its range-matching Global 8000, so the G800’s ability to go such a distance almost seemed like overreach. Even most versions of the intercontinental Boeing 747 cannot match that metric.
As Gulfstream readies the first example of the G800 for delivery, the growing number of no-fly zones has proved the utility of flying farther without stops. “Conflicts have changed the way we connect cities,” says Scott Evans, Gulfstream’s director of demonstration, airborne customer support, and corporate flight operations. “There are areas of the world we don’t fly over anymore, so the additional range makes it easier.”
The interior can be customized down to the stitching pattern on the seats.
Stephanie Feilmeier/Courtesy of Gulfstream
The engineers at Gulfstream’s headquarters in Savannah, Ga., made sure the extra endurance capabilities did not come at the expense of speed. During flight tests, the G800 delivered 8,200 nautical miles at Mach 0.85, while also being able to fly 7,000 nautical miles at a high-speed cruise of Mach 0.935. The boost in performance comes from new Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines, designed for the G800 and the G700, along with reconfigured winglets that reduce drag and improve fuel efficiency over the G650. “If I were to sum up the Gulfstream design philosophy,” says Evans, “it would be: big wings, big engines.”
While that slogan works well on a sales brochure, the G800’s ability to stay aloft for 17 hours also necessitated a fresh approach to the cabin’s ergonomics. “Some of the major considerations when we were designing the 800 really focused on the long-range mission,” says Tray Crow, Gulfstream’s director of interior design. “It demands that the cabin operates a bit differently than the 650.” In other words, as an airborne second home.
An alternative interior view.
Stephanie Feilmeier/Courtesy of Gulfstream
The cabin dimensions are identical to the 650’s, with a length of 53 feet, seven inches; a width of eight feet, two inches; and headroom that measures six feet, three inches—in all, an interior totaling 2,138 cubic feet. The design is available with three or four living areas, seating for up to 19 occupants, and, with an optional rear stateroom, the ability to sleep 10. Also on offer is a choice of five lavatory configurations, which are often determined by the aircraft’s primary intent. “Some maximize storage, some have a larger vanity if you plan to get ready in the cabin, and some offer shower options for the longest international flights,” notes Crow.
Luxury is also integral to the design. One of the first G800s off the line has a calming interior, defined by wenge veneers, sidewalls covered in a neutral-toned woven mélange, and custom wool carpeting intertwined with silk, while white polished-stone floors dress the newly designed galley and lavatories.
Newly designed engines and reconfigured wings are integral in extending the G800’s intercontinental reach.
Stephanie Lipscomb/Courtesy of Gulfstream
Customization applies to almost every aspect on board, including layouts, hundreds of material and color choices, and 12 seat styles. “You can personalize the quilted inserts and the density of the foam, and there’s also a multitude of stitching options that make each one of a kind,” Crow explains. The onyx-colored leather Classic seats on the first G800, for instance, have contrasting mahogany-brown diamond-shaped stitching.
The less-obvious interior elements have an even greater impact during ultra-long-range journeys. A 2,800-foot cabin altitude at 41,000 feet means that traveling seven miles above sea level feels more like being atop a skyscraper. “The higher the altitude, the harder your body has to work, so [at 2,800 feet] passengers are less fatigued,” Evans says. “The noise levels are also crazy quiet, so that also lessens fatigue, while the lighting systems can mimic circadian rhythms to help you mitigate jet lag wherever you might be headed in the world.” Ultimately, every feature on the G800 addresses the aircraft’s mission statement—ultra-long-range flight, innovatively refined.
