The Gulfstream G500 received both its type certification and production certificate from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). These certifications pave the way for the first completed G500 delivery, which Gulfstream hopes to complete this year.

“Receiving the type certification and production certificate on the same day speaks to the rigor inherent in the G500 program and the commitment to excellence of the entire Gulfstream team,” said Mark Burns, president of Gulfstream. “The tens of thousands of lab hours combined with the more than 5,000 hours we’ve flown the five G500 flight-test aircraft will help ensure we deliver a high-performing, reliable, mature aircraft to customers. We’re excited to conclude the type certification effort, complete the production-certificate audit and move on to the next phase of this program: delivering aircraft. We appreciate the FAA’s diligence and cooperation in certifying this aircraft and confirming the capabilities of our new manufacturing facilities. We look forward to seeing the G500 in our customers’ hangars soon.”

The FAA type certification verifies the airworthiness of the aircraft’s design, while the production certificate confirms that the company’s production processes comply with federal aviation regulations. The G500 is the first clean-sheet Gulfstream aircraft to receive its type and production certificates on the same day.

During the G500 certification program, Gulfstream demonstrated even better performance for the G500, including a takeoff distance of just 5,200 feet/1,585 meters, which was 200 feet/61 meters less than originally projected.

Originally projected to fly 5,000 nautical miles at its long-range cruise speed of Mach 0.85, the certified G500 can actually fly 5,200 nautical miles/9,630 kilometers. At its high-speed cruise of Mach 0.90, the G500 will fly 4,400 nautical miles/8,149 kilometers, which is a 600-nautical mile/1,111-kilometer increase over the original projected range of 3,800 nautical miles/7,038 kilometers. The aircraft has already earned more than 20 city-pair records, most of them at Mach 0.90.

Gulfstream anticipates delivering the first G500 in Q4/18.