A recent comparative study on Gulfstream G650/G650ER and Dassault Falcon 8X undertaken by experts of our portal opts for the latter. According to the article, this judgement is largely subjective and mainly due to their preference of the French manufacturer’s products for obvious reasons. It is no great surprise that the editors have received critical feedback. Admittedly, tastes differ. Some like French exquisiteness, while others prefer American thoroughness. Comments of our readers and users of those business jets have prompted the experts to perform a detailed review of advantages of G650 as compared with Falcon 8X.
Developed from scratch and produced by a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, G650ER has the largest and widest cabin among all business jets of this class. This is a purely American feature also typical of American cars.
Designed to fly the farthest at the highest speeds, G650ER offers outstanding efficiency along with enhanced safety and reliability ensured by advance systems. It appears from the data below that G650ER is intended as a solution to global challenges facing US companies that have partners or affiliates worldwide. With this in mind, the manufacturer has sought to develop a sufficiently spacious business jet capable of flying fast and long at high altitudes with less turbulence and, consequently, greater travel comfort. Hence the manufacturer’s focus on these achievements in its advertising materials. The achievements are truly impressive!
Over 100 records of flights between two destinations, including:
• from Teterboro, New Jersey to Dubai, UAE (the previous record was surpassed by almost two hours);
• form Tokyo, Japan to Newark, New Jersey (the previous record was surpassed by one hour);
• from New Delhi, India to Pontiac, Michigan;
• from Columbus, Ohio to Shanghai, China;
• from Dubai, UAE to Charlotte, North Carolina.
G650ER beat the speed record of the farthest-ever business jet flight from Singapore to Tucson over the distance of 8,379 nautical miles covered in 15 hours and 23 minutes, as well as:
• 2015 — from Singapore to Las Vegas, 8,010 nautical miles /14 hours 32 minutes
• 2019 — from Singapore to San Francisco, 7,475 nautical miles /13 hours 37 minutes
As reflected by Table 1, G650/G650ER has a greater flying range (13,890 km) than Falcon 8X (10,223 km) at the speed of 0.85 Mach and is also capable of developing the speed of 0.9 Mach. On top of this, the US business jet’s take-off distance is 288 meters shorter, a potentially important criterion in services to regional airports of developing countries.
Note: ISA conditions, zero wind, BOW specifications, 4 persons on board including the crew, and fuel load according to NBAA IFR. Theoretical performance is based on the stated assumptions. Actual performance will depend on actual weather conditions.
As shown by Chart 1, the greater flying distance of G650/G650ER is also coupled with a bigger payload.
Figure 1 compares cabin dimensions, including the crew rest area. The US jet has slightly greater dimensions. The total cabin volume of G650/G650ER is 26% bigger than that of F8X.
Figure 2 demonstrates the most striking particular feature of G650/G650ER – its windows are in fact 2.7 times as large as those of its French competitor. Apart from obvious convenience for the passengers, they also visually expand the cabin.
As for the cockpit equipment, the difference between the two business jets is most significant. Gulfstream’s philosophy is based on user-friendliness. The pilot controls include a classic wheel. It ensures feedback and, accordingly, greater situation awareness. Falcon 8X uses a passive sidestick likewise Airbus.
The safety of G650ER is also ensured by the landing prediction system EFVS-to-Land, unavailable in F8X. Gulfstream has been the first manufacturer to offer this option in its aircraft. It should be noted, however, that pilots need additional training to be able to use this system. This adds to the maintenance costs that we discussed and compared in detail in the previous article.
Advantages of EFVS-Land:
• Enhanced safety on final approach to runway and landing with continuous depiction of the predicted stop point based on the aircraft’s calculated performance;
• Ensures audio and visual reports for pilots regarding recommended throttle control;
• Visual reports are duplicated by HUD and PFD.
Conclusions:
The G650/G650ER program was announced in 2008. It was certified in 2012 precisely when scheduled. Falcon 8X is in fact a commercial designation of a modified Falcon 7X version that includes M1000 modifications. The advantages of G650/G650ER as compared with F8X are as follows:
• A longer and more spacious cabin;
• Large windows;
• A lower noise level;
• 39% more space in the baggage compartment;
• Greater flying range and payload.
On the other hand, the US manufacturer’s business jet is naturally more expensive to buy, maintain and operate (see the previous article here). This should be taken in mind when selecting a jet.
The power units were also reviewed in detail in the previous article. It is noteworthy here that the French business jet uses a somewhat archaic three turbojet system. They are cheaper to maintain than G650/G650ER, but one should bear in mind that the probability of failure of one of the three engines mentioned above is higher than that of one of the two. Although, it is unlikely to lead to any tragic consequences in either situation, but in any case the engine would need to be repaired to get a certificate of release to service. It means lost time and money.
Andrei Bochkarev
P.S. This article is based on materials courtesy of Gulfstream.