Gulfstream introduces new aircraft family

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics today introduced an all-new family of business jets: the Gulfstream G500 and G600. The two new aircraft optimize speed, wide-cabin comfort and efficiency to offer customers best-in-class performance with advanced safety features.

Gulfstream announced the clean-sheet aircraft before a crowd of approximately 3,000 people. During the event, the first G500 taxied up under its own power, and General Dynamics chairman and CEO Phebe Novakovic revealed a nearly 70-foot/21-meter mockup of the G600.

“Today’s announcement demonstrates the power of General Dynamics’ consistent and disciplined investment in both Gulfstream’s research and development and manufacturing facilities,” said Novakovic. “The effect of that investment is manifest in the two airplanes we announced today.”

The G500 can fly 5,000 nautical miles/9,260 kilometers at Mach 0.85 or 3,800 nm/7,038 km at Mach 0.90. The G600 is capable of traveling 6,200 nm/11,482 km at Mach 0.85 or 4,800 nm/8,890 km at Mach 0.90. The maximum operating speed for both aircraft is Mach 0.925, the same speed as Gulfstream’s G650 and G650ER.

“This is another extraordinary day in the storied history of Gulfstream,” said Larry Flynn, president, Gulfstream. “I could not be more pleased to announce the next generation of Gulfstream aircraft. The G500 and G600 build upon the technology present in our G650 and our latest aircraft, the G650ER. Once again, our customers played a major role in the development and creation of these aircraft. The G500 and G600 continue the long Gulfstream tradition of being the first original equipment manufacturer to ensure an optimal combination of speed, range, wide-cabin comfort and fuel burn.”

The cabins for the G500 and G600 are distinguished by their wide cross-sections, which maximize passenger comfort and aircraft performance.

The finished cabin of each aircraft, which measure 91 inches/213 centimeters wide and 74 in/188 cm tall, provide wide-cabin comfort with considerable head room and shoulder room for passengers. Carrying up to 19 passengers each, the G500 has three living areas, and the G600 has up to four, as well as an optional crew rest. Both aircraft have forward and aft lavatories and include a full-size galley that can be located in either the forward or aft portion of the aircraft. Ample storage space is also prevalent in the baggage compartment, which has 175 cubic ft/5.0 cu m of usable volume.

Both aircraft feature an industry-leading cabin altitude of 4,850 ft/1,578 m at FL510 and 100 percent fresh air that boosts mental alertness and productivity while reducing fatigue. The quietest cabins in the industry provide an ideal environment for work-related discussion or social conversation. Large oval windows, the same size as those on the G650, allow natural light to pour into the cabins.

All-New Symmetry Flight Deck With Touchscreens And Active Control Sidesticks
Gulfstream’s revolutionary new SymmetryTM Flight Deck is the most advanced, stylish, comfortable and intuitive inbusiness aviation. The cutting-edge technology comes in the form of active control sidesticks (ACSs), integrated touchscreen controllers, a next-generation enhanced vision system (EVS) and Honeywell Primus Epic avionics.

The industry-first ACSs offer enhanced safety and situational awareness over passive sticks through tactile feedback. With electronic linking of the ACSs, the pilot and co-pilot can see and feel each other’s control inputs, which helps improve pilot coordination in the cockpit.

“The active control sidesticks enable both pilots to be consistently on the same page, enhancing safety,” said Dan Nale, senior vice president, Programs, Engineering and Test, Gulfstream. “No other business aircraft on the market has this feature.”

Adding to the pilots’ more intuitive interaction with the aircraft are 10 integrated touchscreens, which will be used for system controls, flight management, communication, checklists and monitoring weather and flight information.

The G500 and G600 incorporate a third-generation Gulfstream EVS, the Synthetic Vision-Primary Flight Display system and Head-Up Display II.

Similar to the G650 and G650ER, the G500 and G600 offer a full three-axis digital fly-by-wire system with benefits that include flight-envelope protection, stability augmentation, increased redundancy and reduced maintenance.

Source and image: Gulfstream

Airports support EU coordinated response on Ebola

In the midst of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in West Africa, rising public concerns about its potential spread and an evolving array of national responses in Europe, the European airport trade association ACI EUROPE, today underlined its support for urgent coordination between Health authorities at EU level.

Such coordination should involve clear and unequivocal communication of risk assessment as regards the possible spread of the virus in Europe. This is what the public - in particular air passengers - expect. This is also whatis needed to allay any unreasonable fear and avoid inefficient measures.

In this regard, ACI EUROPE notes that the WHO (World Health Organisation) and the ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention & Control) have expressed reservations about the effectiveness of temperature screening of passengers on arrival - which has beenimplemented in the US & Canada and is apparently being contemplated by some EU countries. Conversely, both organisations support exit screening of departing passengers - which began at airports in the three main affected African countries, in the last two months.

Olivier Jankovec, Director General, ACI EUROPE commented “Health security is paramount and we trust that in their meeting later this week, Health ministers will ensure that actions are properly thought through and fully coordinated across Europe and beyond. Otherwise, we risk ending up with an inefficient patchwork of measures, with negative implications for passengers and airport operations – for an unspecified period of time and with no guarantee of success.”

Source and image: ACI / ScienceInsider

Bermuda Triangle Solved? Siberia's 'End of the World' Craters Could Explain Mystery

Three craters that appeared in Siberia over the summer are thought to have been caused by huge underground gas explosions and could be 'the key' to the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle, according to scientists.

The holes – one in Taymyr peninsula and two in Yamal, known to locals in Siberia as 'the end of the world' – were the topic of much speculation, provoking suggestions that they were the product of alien invaders, meteorites, missiles or even a man made hoax.

Now scientists from the Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum-Gas Geology and Geophysics in Novosibirsk believe that they are the result of large underground gas explosions and could explain the disappearances in the infamous Bermuda Triangle.

 The Siberian Times reported, that according to researchers from the Trofimuk Institute, warm climatic conditions from above the surface, and from geological fault lines below the surface, led to a huge release of gas hydrates.

"The main element - and this is our working theory to explain the Yamal crater - was a release of gas hydrates. It turned out that there are gas hydrates both in the deep layer which on peninsula is several hundred metres down, and on the layer close to the surface," said scientist Vladimir Potapov.

Gases, methane in particular, are trapped in frozen hydrates below the permafrost (soil at or below the freezing point of water), and under some oceans, which researchers believe could be strong enough to bring down an aircraft or sink a ship, if they erupted.

"There is a theory that the Bermuda Triangle is caused by gas hydrates," said the Trofimuk Institute's deputy head, Igor Yeltsov. "They start to actively decompose with methane ice turning into gas. It happens in an avalanche-like way, like a nuclear reaction, producing huge amounts of gas. That makes the ocean heat up, and ships sink in waters which are infused with huge amounts of gas. This leads to the air becoming supersaturated with methane, creating an extremely turbulent atmosphere, leading to aircraft crashes".

 The institute is continuing its analysis of the craters, so that all hypotheses are tested and to gain a better understanding of the holes to prevent future disasters.

"This was a recce trip that would allow us set agenda for the next trip, or trips, and give us basic understanding of what could have happened," said Potapov. "We must also pay attention to areas where the same thing might potentially happen."

Bermuda Triangle: Facts And Fiction

- It is also known as the Devil's Triangle.

- The 'triangle' is a loosely defined region between Bermuda, Florida and Puerto Rico.

- The area is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world and also one of the busiest for aircraft flying down to Florida, South America and the Caribbean.  

- In 1881, a ship called the Ellen Austin came across a derelict ship in the area and placed a crew onboard. They attempted to sail it to New York, but reports say that the vessel disappeared and then reappeared again, with no trace of the crew.

- A training flight of five torpedo bombers in 1945, vanished over the Atlantic. The disappearance is thought to be due to a navigational error which led to the aircrafts running out of fuel. However, one of the rescue craft deployed to find them also went missing with its 13 crew members.

- The incident resulting in the single biggest loss of life for the US Navy, was when the USS Cyclops set sail from Barbados, and then went missing sometime after 4 March 1918 with a crew of 309. No sign of the ship or its crew were ever found.

- One theory for the disappearances over the years is leftover technology from the lost continent of Atlantis, believed to be located beneath the waters there. Another theory is UFO kidnappings.

China pledges more security support for Kenya, Africa

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 16 – The Chinese government has pledged continued support to Kenya and Africa on security issues, in a bid to promote peace and economic development on the continent.

Speaking on Thursday in Nairobi during the China-Africa Peace and Security Cooperation seminar, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Liu Xianfa said a number of countries on the continent still face serious threats, such as escalating violence and armed conflicts, internal political turmoil, the spread of terrorism and extremism, interweaving of traditional and non-traditional security challenges and as a consequence, an alarming humanitarian crisis.

“Not a single country or continent can stay immune in the face of security problems. The achievement of long-term peace and security in Africa requires joint efforts of Africa and the international community,” he said.

He however urged the international community to let African countries find their own solutions to their challenges.

He said that double standards and taking sides should be avoided, urging the international community not to pursue their own interests and political agenda by taking advantage of peace and security issues in Africa.

“It is the African people who understand the crux of the issues best. The international community should fully respect Africa’s dignity and independence, support Africa to play the leading role and promote inclusive dialogue among relevant parties for seeking solutions acceptable by all parties concerned,” he added.

With the theme “Peace and Security Cooperation: New Vista for Upgraded Version of China-Africa Cooperation,” the seminar will hold an in-depth discussion on the current situation of peace and security in Africa, the opportunities and challenges facing China-Africa peace and security cooperation thus contributing to the long-term peace and stability and sustainable development of Africa.

This comes as Africa continues to face terror threats from various terror groups among them the Somalia based Al Shabaab.

Kenya has led in the war against terror within the East African region following numerous attacks in its capital city Nairobi and Mombasa County.

Kenya Defence Forces are under the Africa Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) fighting the militias in the Horn of Africa country.

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