By Rebecca Rayko
AWN Editor

NEW ORLEANS - Gulfstream surprised the industry with the launch of the new Gulfstream V-SP on the eve of NBAA 2000.

"It's time to take the GV to the next level," said Gulfstream president and COO Bill Boisture.

The new GV-SP will offer longer range (6,750 nautical miles maximum with nine passengers - a 250 mile improvement over the GV) and offer the largest cabin area in its class.

Range enhancements come not from additional fuel tanks but from the elimination of "over 20 items" Gulfstream found to be contributing to drag on the GV, said Pres Henne, senior vice president of programs at Gulfstream.

Engine improvements on the Rolls-Royce BR710 and a reduction in the aircraft's empty weight also help to improve range.

Henne says the GV-SP improvements "guarantee non-stop flights between New York and Tokyo, fully equipped with eight passengers, even with 100% headwinds."

Nor will the additional cabin space come from a fuselage stretch, said Henne. The cabin area was redesigned to provide a 25% increase in baggage area volume, and a reduction in the number of avionics boxes increases usable cabin volume for greater flexibility and space.

"Rather than a 12-passenger interior in a typical GV configuration, customers may choose to seat 16 comfortably in the GV-SP and berth up to eight,' said Joe Walker, SVP of worldwide sales.

The space advantage and the ability to offer the aircraft at the same price point of the competition will be a sales advantage for the GV-SP, Walker says.

Cockpit enhancements.

The GV-SP will cockpit will offer the PlaneView suite with Honeywell's Primus Epic flight instrumentation, head-up display (HUD), and Gulfstream's Enhanced Vision System (EVS).

EVS, used exclusively on Gulfstream aircraft, produces an infrared image displayed on the pilot's HUD. Using a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera, EVS gives the pilot the ability to see through fog and darkness, avoid terrain an safely land at airports with very low visibility conditions. The cryogenically cooled sensor used on EVS is particularly sensitive to the infrared radiation content of standard runway lights.

Four LCD displays will replace the six cathode ray tubes now used on GVs and are the most visually dramatic addition to the cockpit.

"The ability to merge satellite weather, territorial borders and terrain ... in real time is unprecedented," said Henne.

Other improvements include greater airport access by reducing takeoff distances. First customer, first flight.

First flight of the GV-SP is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2001, followed by certification in 2002. First customer delivery is planned for 2003.

Boisture announced the first GV-SP order from Executive Jet, the Gulfstream Shares fractional ownership partner. Executive Jet ordered 20 aircraft plus a long-term maintenance contract, valued at $800 million.