Twelve months ago, the biggest mysteries in business aviation were the strategies and designs beneath the cloak of secrecy covering Dassault’s “SMS” project and Gulfstream’s “P42” programme. With the twin unveilings of the Gulfstream G500 and G600, the market finally has answers – along with a few more questions.
The G500 and G600 nearly complete the large-cabin renaissance that began with the service entry of the G650 in 2012. That ultra-long-range, large-cabin jet had already prompted Bombardier to counter with the Global 7000 and Global 8000, which in turn provoked Gulfstream to respond with the longer-range G650ER.
Meanwhile, Gulfstream’s G450 and G550 had entered service a decade earlier, and so seemed ripe for a challenge. It was Dassault’s turn. Despite appropriating the acronym for a “super-midsize” project, the SMS turned out to be a double response to the large-cabin G450 and ultra-long-range G550.
The Falcon 5X, unveiled at last year’s NBAA convention, and the Falcon 8X, unveiled at EBACE, brought G650-like cabin width and comfort to a lower tier of a hot-selling market. If it seemed that the G450 and G550’s days were numbered, Gulfstream had a big surprise in store. The G500 and G600 will not replace either aircraft, but fill the gap between the 4,300nm (7,960km)-range G450 and 6,750nm-range G550. As unveiled, the 5,000nm capability of the G500 and the 6,200nm distance of the G600 will expand Gulfstream’s portfolio, rather than replace current offerings.
Gulfstream’s strategy also avoids a direct confrontation with Dassault on cabin width, preferring to split the difference of the 36.8cm (14.5in) gap between the G450/550 cabin and the G650 cabin. Instead, Gulfstream is bringing the G650’s speed to the G500 and G600. All three will be capable of hitting Mach 0.925, second only to the much smaller Cessna Citation X+.
Counting Bombardier’s four Globals, there are now 14 products by three manufacturers at the high end of the business jet segment, offering customers an unprecedented array of choice.
Nothing stays the same for long in this highly competitive market. The moves by Dassault and Gulfstream will provoke yet another round of responses. Bombardier now seems obliged to at least refresh the Global 5000 and 6000 with a new interior, avionics and engines. That will draw a competitive answer from Gulfstream, which must do something with the G450 and G550 to keep them in the market.
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Source: Flight International
