Page 59 - Aviation News - September 2017

Tip tanks were offered by the
manufacturer to extend the range
of the GII. This variant was known
as the GIIER and four were delivered
between 1975 and 1979 to the Saudi
Royal Flight. Key Collection

The prototype G-1159 GII (N801GA, c/n American Jet industries, which was renamed
001) made its maiden ight at Bethpage, Gulfstream American and later Gulfstream
New York, on October 2, 1966 and was Aerospace Corporation. The company was
awarded its Type Certi cate (A12EA) on acquired by General Dynamics in May 1999.
October 19, 1967. By this time, customers With the GII well established as the
were queueing up and orders came in from prestige business aircraft leader, Gulfstream
some of the top American ‘Fortune 500’ initiated a major redesign with the GIII. This
companies. National Distillers was the rst had a modi ed wing with winglets, a new
to receive its GII and other early deliveries and more elegant nose and cockpit pro le
were made to Coca Cola, Ford Motor and a 39in (0.99m) fuselage stretch, which
Company and Hilton Hotels. added an extra window on each side. The
The GII was also popular with wealthy prototype GIII ew on December 2, 1979
private individuals such as banker Paul and the Type Certi cate was awarded the
Mellon, the Aga Khan, Frank Sinatra and following September. The GIII offered better
socialite Cordelia Scaife May. In standard general performance than the GII and the
form, the GII had a range of 2,640nm larger cabin was welcomed by operators,
(4,889km) but it could be upgraded with with many existing GII users such as
wingtip fuel tanks to add a further 348nm National Distillers and Procter & Gamble
feature of the turboprop aircraft. Passengers (644km). This meant the GII could moving up to the new variant. The GIII also
entered through a drop-down airstair door just comfortably y from New York to Los featured new Sperry avionics and optional
aft of the cockpit and there was a galley and Angeles or London and, given the right weather radar, but the original engines
coat cupboard at the front of the cabin and a conditions, could reach Rome from New were retained and this would start to pose
fully enclosed restroom at the back. Typically, York. Many GIIs had new, more pointed problems in later years when increasingly
the GII would have ten seats consisting of radomes, upgraded avionics and some were stringent noise restrictions affected the noisy
a front four-seat ‘club’ section, another four retro tted with winglets. and smokey Speys.
seats arranged around a dining table and a In 1967 Grumman moved GII production Owners of GIIs and GIIIs were forced
further two seats or a sideways-facing divan from the Bethpage factory to a new purpose- to install hush kits or upgrade to FAR Part
in the rear. In some cases, a larger divan built plant at Savannah, Georgia, and the 91 Stage 3-compliant engines before a
raised the capacity to 12 passengers. It was rst aircraft to be completed there (c/n 41) deadline of December 31, 2015 and as a
powered by two 11,400lb/st Rolls-Royce was rolled out that December – since when consequence, a number of these aircraft
RB163-25 Spey 511-8 engines mounted all large-cabin Gulfstreams have been were forced into retirement. Gulfstream II
on the upper rear fuselage that enabled it built in Savannah in an ever-expanding owners were also offered the opportunity
to climb to its cruising altitude of 41,000ft manufacturing complex. In 1978 Grumman to enhance performance by tting their
(12,496m) in just 15 minutes. sold its commercial aircraft business to aircraft with the GIII wing, and 43 were

The GIII was a signi cant upgrade from the GII and included
a repro led nose section and winglets. Key Collection

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