GULFSTREAM Aircraft has suspended plans to develop a longer-range version of the GIV business-jet. The company says, that market research indicates, that the present 7,800km (4,200nm)-range GIV-SP is regarded as, the "best value" by customers.
The decision to put development of the 8,300km-range GIV-B on hold for at least 12 months follows an independent, external, study which "...indicated that, at this time, the marketplace does not place a high value on a range increase of 5-7% over the GIV-SP," Gulfstream says.
Company president Bill Boisture says that potential customers advised Gulfstream "to continue building the SP", which was to have been replaced by the GIV-B. There is a backlog of more than 30 orders for the GIV-SP, he says.
Gulfstream is not responding to Dassault's development of the extended-range Falcon 900EX because it believes that the French manufacturer will achieve the promised 8,300km range only at the cost of reduced payload and performance, says new executive vice-president of international sales Gene Rainville, who was previously with Dassault.
With a full payload, the range difference between the GIV-SP and the more-expensive 900EX will be less than the published 500km, Rainville calculates.
Development of the 12,000km-range Gulfstream V passed a major milestone on 31 May, with the joining of the first fuselage. Fokker is to deliver the first empennage in June and Northrop Grumman the first wing in July. The first flight has been scheduled for November.
Source: Flight International
