Gulfstream’s New G300 Gives It an Edge in the Super-midsize Category
Gulfstream announced a brand-new super-midsize aircraft that gives it an all-new fleet. The G300 will replace its entry-level G280, an aircraft that first flew in 2009 and was certified in 2012. It is the only Gulfstream built in Israel, with the interior completions done in the US.
The other aircraft in Gulfstream fleet are what the airframer calls its “next generation,” which include the flagship G700, which was certified last year, the G800, its longest-range aircraft which was recently delivered to its first customer, the G400, which made its first flight last year, and the G500 and G600. The designs included an enhanced cabin experience, improved cockpit avionics, and more efficient wing designs.
Gulfstream President Mark Burns revealed a full-scale mock-up of the G300 at its Discover the Difference customer event yesterday in Savannah, Georgia. “The G300 will reenergize the [super-midsize] category with its heightened technology and safety enhancements, alongside the legendary comfort and styling of a Gulfstream,” Burns said in a statement.
The G300 will be replacing the G280, which entered service in 2012, as Gulfstream’s entry-level jet.
The G300 has already undergone about 22,000 hours of design and conceptual airframe testing at Gulfstream’s lab facilities. The first test flight took place last month, and two other test aircraft are now being manufactured. The G280 is the only Gulfstream built in Israel, with interior completions in the US. The company did not specify if it will continue outsourcing the manufacturing process to Israel with the G300.
The renderings show Gulfstream’s trademarked Panoramic Oval Windows on the exterior. The cockpit will also have a new Harmony Flight Deck that includes next-generation avionics to enhance pilot safety and operational efficiency. The G300 has several best-in-class specs, including the largest cabin in the super-midsize class, with the ability to accommodate 10 passengers, and with the lowest cabin altitude in at 4,800 ft when flying at 41,000 ft. The transatlantic range will be 3,600 nautical miles at Mach 0.80, or 3,000 nm at Mach 0.84. It has a maximum cruise altitude of 45,000 feet. The selling price is expected to be about $28 million.
“This new entry-level aircraft is a plus for Gulfstream with its all-new product line from the G300 to G800,” says Brian Foley, a business aviation consultant. “The G280 was getting a little long in the tooth. Gulfstream had made modifications with it over the years, but was really running out of ways to refresh the product. Now, they have a clean slate.”
The new G400 could overlap the G300 enough to see some “cannibalization” of sales of the larger aircraft, says one aviation expert.
Gulfstream
Foley noted that the G300 will be seeing competition in the crowded super-midsize category, which includes the Citation Longitude, Bombardier Challenger 3500, and the Falcon 2000 series. The new G300 may even impact sales of the recently certified G400, he adds. “They’re kind of in the same category so we could see some cannibalization.”
“It’s our endeavor to be a Gulfstream for every mission,” countered Burns in a follow-up Q&A at the presentation. “So, the G400 is a larger airplane, a little bit longer range, the G300 keeps us in that super-midsize segment. We’ve been investing in that segment for quite a number of years through the G280. This is the opportunity to create an all-new aircraft for that market.”
Foley says the super-midsize category has been attractive to many fractional programs, such as NetJets, Flexjet and smaller operators, so could benefit Gulfstream. “It’s not an open space and has plenty of competitors,” he says. “But it’s a good place to hang your hat.”
