The Gulfstream G650 flew at its proposed Mmo (maximum operating limit speed) of Mach 0.925 (about 704 mph) for the first time on Sunday, the company announced this week at EBACE (the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition). Gulfstream aims to steal the "fastest civil airplane" ranking away from Cessna, which has claimed it for some time with the Citation X, which tops out at Mach 0.92. The G650 reached top speed at FL 425, and it was no problem, according to test pilot John O'Meara. "Even at near the speed of sound, the aircraft provides stable and precise handling characteristics," he said. "It's very responsive to pilot input with fantastic maneuver capabilities. Turns can be initiated and completed without any onset of buffet. The engine performance is extremely smooth. At the conditions flown today, the entire operation was flawless." The G650 launched from Savannah, Ga.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/news/gulfstream-aims-to-snag-fastest-civil-airplane-from-cessna