New Private Jet to Hit Speed of Sound

Masters of the universe, start your engines-and break out your check books.The makers of the private jet that became a must-have accessory for super-rich celebrities and corporate titans, the Gulfstream V, are announcing plans to supersede the iconic aircraft with a new model, the Gulfstream 650.At 704 miles an hour, the new plane's top speed approaches the speed of sound. The new G650 has a range of 7,000 nautical miles, which means it will be able to reach most of the world nonstop from New York, save for Antarctica, Madagascar, Australia, and parts of South Asia."I am sure it's going to be in very high demand," a charter planner who oversees a Westchester County-based fleet of Gulfstreams, Janine Vesey of Global Air Charters, said.A mock-up of the jet was unveiled yesterday at Gulfstream's Savannah, Ga., factory, but the designers clearly have their eye on northern New Jersey's Teterboro Airport, the hub for business aviation in the New York area. The G650's 99,600-pound maximum take-off weight squeaks in just under the 100,000 pound maximum allowed under an agreement between Teterboro and its neighbors.The list price for the G650 is about $58.5 million, but it won't be ready for delivery until 2012. Taking the required pre-payment schedule into account, the cost rises to almost $65 million.Upon its introduction in 1997, the G-V or "G-five" quickly became the favorite of the flying elite looking for speed, privacy, and a touch of glamour.

by Josh Gerstein

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