Although the tradition of the G280 can be traced back to North American Rockwell, Galaxy Airlines and Israel Aerospace Industries (airframe manufacturer), this super-medium jet has everything from the wing design to the elegantly equipped cabin and the outstanding performance of the pilots. It is the manufacturer of Gulfstream that has begun to look forward to Savannah, Georgia.

In the final analysis, apart from the size and shape of the body, G280 does not have much in common with G200/Galaxy. Engines, wings, tails, avionics and systems are all new and improved, so the G280 needs its own new certificate.

It is not surprising that Gulfstream chose to model a large aircraft modeled after the G280. The company’s wing design is known for its simplicity, with no cutting-edge equipment, mobile fences or flap-tracked canoes to increase complexity and hinder efficiency. According to G280 Vice President Rick Trusis, the G280 wing is wider than the G200 wing and has a newly designed winglet. Its design is almost parallel to the G650. It has an eye-catching aerodynamic design and efficient wing, he said , "Sexual energy is in GV/G550."

Another big difference compared to the G200 is the T-shaped tail, which is more efficient than the cross-shaped tail of the G200, while also making the G280 slightly longer. "We want it to look more like Gulfstream," he said.

The G280’s spoiler is controlled by wire, which allows for automatic deployment of the spoiler, thereby facilitating steep approach capabilities and the G280’s London City Airport certification. The rudder is also operated by wire.

The G280 is the first Gulfstream certified design for the automatic braking system, which is a natural complement to the jet’s brake-by-wire system. (G650 also has automatic brakes, but it was later certified as a follow-up product.) Automatic brakes help improve runway performance, shorten the length of the balanced field, and increase overall safety and comfort. "The avionics and performance of this aircraft allows us to take advantage of this technology," Trusis said. "They are really popular."

What buyers get from the $24.5 million G280 is a cabin almost as wide as the classic Gulfstream fuselage, but obviously not that long. The G280 cabin is 25 feet 10 inches long and usually carries 10 passengers. G450 (no longer produced) is about 15 feet long. The G450/G550 cabin is 7 feet 4 inches high, which is only two inches wider than the G280.

When comparing the height between the classic large-cabin Gulfstream fuselage and the G280, the smaller jet is 1 inch taller, but this is because it retains the G200's descent tunnel instead of the flat floor of the large jet. Trusis explained that a flat floor will not work in the G280. "[The descending channel] allows for greater volume," he said. "The cabin width of the aircraft feels more spacious. A little lowering can make the center height [higher]. We can also move the seat closer to the window in the wider part of the fuselage. The seat is well aligned with the outside scenery."

The 19 cabin windows of the G280 (four more than the G200) are larger than the G200, but they are different in size or configuration from the large cabin Gulfstream. "We will have to redesign the airframe," he said. "They coordinate well with the interior of the cabin," and due to the large number of windows, a lot of natural light has been added. The bathroom also has its own window.

One design goal was to provide access to the rear luggage compartment during the flight, which was achieved by adding an auxiliary bulkhead. G280 has restrictions on in-flight access and is not allowed above 40,000 feet. Trusis explained that the restriction helps simplify the certification process, but Gulfstream is currently working with the FAA and EASA to remove the restriction. This will allow the luggage compartment to reach the G280's maximum height of 45,000 feet.

The pressurization system provides a more comfortable 7,000-foot cabin at the highest altitude.

At the end of 2016, Gulfstream launched a new cabin configuration, with two layouts, providing 10 seats for take-off and landing without the use of toilet seats. One of the configuration features is the front row with double poles, four seats on the left, and a three-seater sofa opposite (only the two outer sofa seats can be used for take-off and landing). Another configuration that can accommodate 10 people replaces the sofa chairs with two separate single club seats. Earlier the popular option was an eight-seater with two two-person clubs, but now the most selected option is a nine-seater configuration with sofas in the rear seating area. Club seats can be berthed to make beds; the maximum sleeping capacity for the two 10-seater configurations is 5. The eight-seat and nine-seat cabins can sleep four people.

The G280 cabin can be equipped with eight, nine or 10 passengers. The completion was all completed in the service center owned by the Gulfstream Dallas plant.

The bathroom is equipped with a vacuum toilet, a 10 cubic foot (0.28 cubic meter) closet large enough to hang clothes, and the dressing table has additional storage compartments. The luggage compartment occupies 120 cubic feet (3.4 cubic meters) and can carry up to 1,980 pounds (898 kg).

Opposite the main entrance is the kitchen, which has recently been redesigned. Buyers can use microwave ovens instead of standard convection ovens. Standard features include cold storage, coffee machine, ice drawer with external manual drain, sink and hot/cold faucet, solid countertop with pull-out extension, ample storage space, illuminated display compartment and large waste container. The Gulfstream Cabin Management System (CMS) can be controlled through the main panel of the galley.

There is a 14 cubic feet (0.4 cubic meter) storage area next to the main door, just to the right after entering the cabin. After the flight, the soundproof curtains can be closed to cover the main door entrance and further silence the G280's stunningly quiet cabin. The acoustic design was done by Gulfstream’s chief acoustician, who worked for Gulfstream’s sister company, the submarine manufacturer Electric Boat. Part of the design work included cooling the fuselage to evaluate noise performance when gaskets and rubber seals were cold immersed to extremely low temperatures. Contributing to the low noise level of the cabin is a sound absorber with a built-in noise baffle. Externally, the G280 has a margin of nearly 20 decibels compared to the Stage 4 noise standard.

Gulfstream's CMS can be controlled through an iOS app that operates temperature, lighting and entertainment settings. IFE features include a forward-facing HD display, dual Blu-ray/DVD players and Gulfstream’s CabinView mobile map flight information system. Options include an additional 19-inch (48 cm) high-definition display on the rear bulkhead, a 12-inch (30.5 cm) plug-in display on the seat, XM satellite radio, and Gogo Business Aviation air-to-ground and/or SwiftBroadband connectivity system.

All G280 completions were done at Gulfstream’s Dallas plant.

The G280 engine is Honeywell's HTF7250G, each engine can provide 7,624 pounds of thrust, rated ISA +15 degrees Celsius. The engine uses dual channel Fadec, nacelle and thrust reverser, all in an integrated propulsion package.

The HTF7000 series uses a wide-chord undamped fan with a diameter of 34.2 inches (86.9 cm) and a bypass ratio of 4.4. The compressor airfoil of the engine is designed with linear element technology, which can provide more consistent performance for the machined airfoil. The combustor adopts low-emission, seepage cooling design, and the high-pressure turbine blade adopts transpiration cooling.

One of the goals of the Honeywell HTF7000 series is easy maintenance, which helps reduce costs and improve reliability. According to the company, “a single LRU can be replaced in an average of 20 minutes or less, no gaskets, rigging or adjustments are required, and only idle power leakage checks are required using standard hand tools.” When checking the gas circuit components, The engine is equipped with 39 "strategicly placed borescope ports that provide a 360-degree field of view."

It is not uncommon for airframe manufacturers to choose avionics from different manufacturers for various types of aircraft, but Gulfstream is keen on consistency across product lines and combines the G280 Rockwell Collins avionics with large-cabin jets The Honeywell avionics in the avionics use the same PlaneView name. PlaneViewG280 avionics is the latest version of the Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion cockpit. It is a major improvement to the Pro Line 21 avionics in the G200. Three 15-inch (38 cm) displays provide more screen space.

However, PlaneView is more than just a branding campaign, because engineers put a lot of design work into the G280 interface to match Honeywell's PlaneView conventions. For example, the cursor control devices are almost the same, with a reverse hat switch in the middle for moving the cursor, three buttons for selecting the display, and a knob for moving up and down the list or going in and out on the screen. Move the map.

The Gulfstream PlaneView280 cockpit is equipped with three 15-inch displays and a unique backup multi-function controller, which can double as a backup display.

The center moving map also looks a lot like Honeywell's equivalent map, with similar drop-down menus, summary maps, and lists.

"We used PlaneView to customize the appearance," Trusis said, "including the symbology, appearance and function. We spent a lot of time trying to make sure that this aircraft has the same understanding of other Gulfstream products. Many of the looks, feels, and operations of a large cabin aircraft Features are designed into this avionics system." Like large cabin jets, the G280 is equipped with an automatic throttle and the same head-up display as the G650 (also a Rockwell Collins product) and a Kollsman enhanced vision system.

The third FMS is optional, but very popular. Pilots accustomed to programming Honeywell FMS in larger Gulfstreams will notice some user interface differences from Rockwell Collins FMS in G280. It's not a big deal, but I found Rockwell Collins FMS to be more intuitive.

According to Trusis, synthetic vision is also an option for G280, and most buyers will choose it. The integrated vision of Honeywell and Rockwell Collins is a very useful situational awareness tool, and most business jet pilots I have asked like it. The Rockwell Collins version adds a useful feature, an opaque airport dome that highlights the destination airport. As the plane gets closer and closer to the airport, the dome gradually becomes opaque.

Pilots in Gulfstream’s large cabins should find the G280’s navigation panel familiar, but the backup multi-function controller (SMC) has a G650-like twist: the large Rockwell Collins SMC display also doubles as an integrated backup instrument, which is powered by the remotely installed L3 Standby instrument drive. This is a better design than the miniature spare instruments installed elsewhere on certain aircraft, and in an emergency, allows pilots to align their point of view forward in the cockpit instead of downward. In the event of a complete electrical failure, the SMC, integrated backup instrument and autopilot are powered by a backup battery.

The SMC has many other features, including the ability to manage a single point of refueling from the cockpit without having to access the refueling/refueling panel installed at the rear of the refueling port. Other functions include PFD settings, weather radar, chart selection, HUD settings, checklists, navigation sources, avionics configuration for each flight phase, etc.

G280 PlaneView warning and advisory system (CAS) messages are displayed in a smarter way. Overall, the G280 cockpit is very modern and clean, without too many switches and knobs. The circuit breakers are all concentrated on an overhead panel and arranged in a simple grid pattern.

Pilots appreciate the powerful performance of the G280, especially in the US at Mach 0.84 (3,000 nautical miles/5,556 km NBAA IFR range, four passengers) and even further Mach 0.80 (3,600 nautical miles/6,667 km, with four passengers). G280 has 4,750 feet of mtow balance field length (due to automatic braking), G280 can enter a large number of airports. The landing distance at sea level at maximum landing weight is 2,740 feet.

Trusis said: "We want to achieve class-leading performance at its scale, and we can meet the required performance numbers without any problems." The G280 has achieved speed records in more than 55 city pairs.

The G280 can climb directly to FL430 after taking off with 39,600 pounds of towing power. Lead demonstration pilot Brett Rundle said that he climbed to FL430 in only 20 minutes at his maximum weight.

The G280 has a fuel injection system, which is not available on any other business jet (not from an airline's airframe). The system can also be used to unload oil through a special adapter that is connected to the oil ejector installed between the flaps and ailerons.

The fuselage bladder fuel tank of the G200 is not retained in the G280, which has seven fuel tanks. These include two wing fuel tanks, three in the middle section (front, middle, and rear) and two fuel supply tanks in the rear fuel tank, each for one engine.

A single air cycle machine uses bleed air from the engine or APU to power the environmental control system. Honeywell GTCP36-150 APU has a working height of 40,000 feet. Fortunately, Gulfstream chose imperial and metric units for the temperature displays in the cockpit and cabin.

The ailerons are mechanically driven and supported by multifunctional spoilers (middle and outer spoilers), and any flight control is sufficient for full lateral control. The force required to move the aileron is reduced by the gear adjustment piece, which helps to reduce the aileron hinge torque.

The elevator is hydraulically controlled by dual hydraulic mechanical servo actuators, one for each elevator, and each with dual push rods. A separate hydraulic system operates each steering gear, and each elevator is connected to each pilot's control wheel. The "Q-feel" actuator in the elevator control loop on the right will increase the control force as the speed increases. In the case of a complete failure of the hydraulic system, the elevator can be operated manually.

The fly-by-wire control rudder incorporates a thrust compensation mode in the event of an engine failure, which eliminates 80% of the rudder pedal force required to maintain a correct trajectory on an engine. This leaves some remaining rudder adjustments for the pilot to help the pilot stay in the loop with the engine stalled.

The weight and balance function of the G280 is very powerful. Even if the large rear luggage compartment is filled with its nearly 2,000 lb (907 kg) capacity, the G280 will remain within its center of gravity limits and there will be no passengers on board. "If you take off with your center of gravity, you will land with your center of gravity," Rundle said.

The G280 cabin door is electro-hydraulically driven, which is an upgraded version of the G200 electric cable and reel system. When the G280 door is opened, it sits on the ground for maximum stability and is protected by a Teflon pad in contact with the surface.

As is typical for the Gulfstream demonstration flight, our plan is to let me take the skydiving seat at the first stop. In this case, fly from the company’s headquarters in Savannah, Georgia to Columbia Metropolitan Airport in South Carolina. , And then switch seats so that I can fly back to travel. We briefly introduced the flight, and then Rundle and I walked around the G280, and he showed me some of its features.

Rundle flew to the right seat, and domestic captain Jeffrey Dyrhaug flew to the left of Columbia's leg. This is a typical warm summer day in the southeastern United States, when thunderstorms suddenly appear and may join in the late afternoon.

The short flight to Colombia was smooth, and we did not climb more than 16,000 feet. Dyrhaug demonstrated the ease of the G280's gentle landing in Colombia, showing me how easy it is for the nose to fall after touching the ground and the smoothness of the carbon ceramic brakes. We taxied to the ramp and stopped to look for the seat switch.

When taking off in Columbia, the G280 weighed 31,833 pounds. The outdoor temperature is a mild 32 degrees Celsius. The FMS shows that a balance field length of 3,554 feet is required, the rotation speed is 117 knots, and the V2 is 127 knots. At this weight, according to FMS, we will be able to climb directly to FL450.

For people sitting in the cockpit, the G280 feels lower from the ramp compared to the larger Gulfstream, and it is closer to the ground due to its rear linkage landing gear. The steering of the front wheels through the tiller (also electronic steer-by-wire) is easy to operate; either I am getting more and more accustomed to tiller steering, or the G280 is more tolerant of a clumsy pilot, because we have not experienced the transfer when I drive the G550 Any rush of movement. Rundle explained that it is best to use only the thrust reverser on the left to slow down when taxiing to prevent the exhaust gas from the right engine from entering the cabin through the APU air inlet.

I taxied to Columbia’s Runway 11 and remembered what Randall had warned me at the briefing: "This thing obviously has a lot of power," he recalled the flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, where he was on the Climb without restriction midway. -Weight and maintain V2 after liftoff, surpass 10,000 feet when G280 reaches the end of the runway.

As I rotated, the airspeed increased rapidly, and at the same time, I tried to lift the nose steadily without pulling it too tight. The G280 quickly responded to my control input, and when Rundle retracted the landing gear, I was able to prevent the nose from tilting too high; then the flaps.

ATC was unable to allow us to climb unrestrictedly. We finally stabilized briefly four times, but still reached FL450 in more than 19 minutes. The average temperature during the climb is about ISA +5 degrees Celsius, and the temperature at FL450 is about -5 degrees Celsius. We climbed at 300 ktas after 10,000 feet and then transitioned to a Mach 0.80 climb. At FL400, the G280 is still climbing rapidly at 2,900 fpm.

Our flight route took us north to Spartanburg, South Carolina, and then northwest through Asheville, North Carolina, where we turned back and flew over Augusta, Georgia. While cruising, I stepped out of the cockpit to assess the noise in the cabin, and the noise level was very low under the soundproof curtain at the main entrance. Both Rundle and Dyrhaug can easily hear me speaking in a normal tone from the back of the cabin, because I can hear them too. Closing the pocket door in the front bulkhead can further reduce noise. There is a porthole on the door, so the crew can view the cabin without opening the door.

On the way back, we stopped at FL410 for a brief cruise performance check. The speed is stable at 0.82 Mach (467 ktas), and the combustion speed of each engine is 900 pph.

After descending into the airspace below 15,000 feet, I slowed down the G280 to feel the low-speed handling, and then took a steep turn. By this time, the thunderstorm was getting bigger and bigger and some turbulence was generated. The G280 just passed firmly, and I didn't need any effort to mitigate any interference. In the distance, we can see increasing thunderstorms dye the Rockwell Collins MultiScan radar image red.

We flew back to Savannah for the RNAV 28 approach. I let the head-up display and auto-throttle start to work, while flying the last leg manually, and landed smoothly in a 10-knot crosswind. The medium setting of the automatic brake stops the G280 in a stable and aligned position, and then slides smoothly to the Gulf Stream ramp.

https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2018-02-09/pilot-report-gulfstream-g280

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