Gulfstream G550: Buyer’s and Investor’s Guide

The Gulfstream G550 is an upgrade of the Gulfstream V, which has since been replaced by the Gulfstream G650.

With the first delivery made to customers in 2003, the Gulfstream 550 is an upgraded version of the Gulfstream V and can be thought of as a close cousin to the Gulfstream 500.

The cabin interior of the Gulfstream 550 is 43 ft 11 in long with a height of just over 6 ft 2 in and width of 7 ft 4 in and it includes a full lavatory with shower, conference and dining area, galley, a work or office space and a crew rest area. The aircraft can carry 19 passengers comfortably, but a more typical load would be 8-10 people in greater luxury.

A Gulfstream G550 flying.

Gulfstream fitted the Gulfstream 550 with two Rolls Royce BF 700-710-C4-11 turbofan engines (each rated at 15,835 lbs of thrust) and the aircraft also benefits from a glass cockpit, an enhanced vision system and 3-D weather radar.

The broker’s view

The Gulfstream G550 is an outstanding aircraft. It has been a true success for Gulfstream as the follow up aircraft to the Gulfstream V. The biggest differences between the Gulfstream V and the Gulfstream G550 are that the G550 has roughly 250 nautical miles of additional range with seats full, and – according to Conklin deDecker – the G550 burns an average of 50 gallons/hour less fuel.

The PlaneView Cockpit offers advanced physical and functional integration and the latest display technology. Some of the benefits of this system, among others, are enhanced safety through better situational awareness and reduced workload, a modular design minimizing the number of avionics line replaceable units and better support and easier upgrade options, lighter weight and better reliability.
— Josh Mesinger, Vice President, J. Mesinger Corporate Jet Sales

Hard facts

Range: 7,773 miles/12,501 kms/6,750 nautical miles
Typical passengers: 8 – 10 (typical), 19 (high density)
Typical crew: 4
Cabin space: 1,669 ft3 / 47.26 m3
Maximum speed: 584 mph/940 kmph/mach 0.885
Recommended cruise: 528 mph/850 kmph/mach 0.80
Competitor aircraft: Challenger 850ER, Global Express XRS, Global 5000, Falcon 900DX, 900EX EASy, 7X, Gulfstream G500, G650
How much does a new G550 cost? $51m
Hourly operating cost: $8,200
First delivery: 2003
World fleet: Close to 400 (March 2012)
Fractional operators include: NetJets Europe
Aircraft manufacturer: Gulfstream
Engine manufacturer: Rolls-Royce
Engine type (number): BR-725C4-11 (2)

Latest News (by Terry Spruce)