AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - May 2021 - T-6

TURBINE PILOT

QUICK LOOK

Gulfstream G280
Super-midsize hot rod born from the IAI Galaxy
BY PETER A. BEDELL

T-6 | AOPA PILOT May 2021

SPEC SHEET

legacy Gulfstream tubes used on the G1 through G550 models.
Gulfstream added a few windows bringing in lots of natural lighting, including in the lavatory. At its FL450 service ceiling, the cabin
is pressurized to 7,000 feet. And in the event of a rapid decompression, the G280 will conduct an automatic emergency descent.
There are a few nits to pick with the G280. " One thing to watch
out for on this aircraft is the 32,700-pound max landing weight, "
said Hartzell. " If you have a short flight, that's absolutely what
limits the fuel you may carry. " Like many modern jets heavily
dependent on electronics, the G280 also has some gremlins that
require reboots on the ground to fix. " There are a couple of nuisance messages that occasionally come up but overall the airplane
is very reliable, " said Hartzell.
Vref values a 2012 G280 at $10 million ranging up to $24.5 million for a 2021 model.
AOPA
PETER A. BEDELL is a pilot for a major airline and co-owner of a

Cessna 172 and Beechcraft Baron.

MIKE FIZER

GULFSTREAM'S G280 is the latest version of the supermidsize entry from the legendary Savannah, Georgia,
manufacturer. In 2001, Gulfstream acquired two designs
from Israel Aircraft Industries, the Astra SPX and Galaxy,
and renamed them the G100 and G200, respectively. In
2008, a follow-on design called the G250 arrived and a
few years later was renamed G280, which is still in production. Frankly, there's not much in the way of visible
clues that the G280 and Galaxy are related. A clean new
wing, a new T-tail, new windshield and windows all combine to vastly differentiate the G280 from its ancestor.
Performance-wise, the G280 is a far cry from the original Galaxy, which had a large cabin sitting on a smallish
wing and 6,000 pounds static thrust per side. The G280
has the new wing and 7,624 lbst per engine enabling it to
use as much as 2,000 feet less runway for takeoff.
" This thing can climb, " said G280 pilot Kristine Hartzell.
" At light weight and cool temperatures, six- to seven-thousand
foot-per-minute climbs can be achieved at 250 knots, " she added.
Hartzell commented that the climb performance can take ATC by
surprise and may require some restraint on the power levers to
avoid a TCAS alert. Expect direct climbs to Flight Level 430 with
all of that thrust and Mach 0.85 maximum cruise speed on 2,240
pounds per hour at FL390. Mach 0.80 allows the G280 to reach its
maximum 3,600-nautical-mile range. At long range cruise, expect
459 KTAS on 1,611 pph at FL450. In the low- to mid-40s on flights
from Washington, D.C., to Seattle, Hartzell plans on burning 8,500
pounds for the 4.5-hour flight with a 10-passenger load. She likes
to land with 3,000 to 4,000 pounds in the tanks. Besides the uptick
in power, the G280's performance comes from that redesigned
wing. " Especially for anyone who flew the G200, the G280 feels
like a completely different aircraft, " said Hartzell.
Up front, legacy Galaxies utilize Rockwell-Collins Pro Line 4
and Pro Line 21 avionics suites. G280s have the same RockwellCollins Pro Line Fusion systems as the bigger Gulfstreams in the
hangar. Synthetic vision, cursor-control devices, and a clever
standby EFIS mounted on the glareshield round out the package. Head-up display and enhanced vision are available. Engines
are FADEC controlled for simplicity and autothrottles are there
for convenience and safety. In case of impending stall, autothrottles will automatically advance power to maintain controlled flight.
Other big airplane features are auto brakes and fuel dump capability.
The roomy living space of the Galaxy's cabin is still employed
in the G280, albeit modified. When standing in the dropped aisle,
there's slightly more headroom in a G280 than in the classic large
Gulfstreams. Cabin width is a few inches shy of that found in the

AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - May 2021

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