SAVANNAH, Ga., June 15, 2009 — Gulfstream Aerospace, a
wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE:GD), recently
celebrated the wing join, power on and engine mount of its newest
mid-cabin jet, the Gulfstream G250.

The all-new advanced transonic wing was joined to the fuselage
on May 12, 2009, at Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) near Tel
Aviv, Israel, in a process that took less than two hours. The wing
was designed and built by Spirit AeroSystems in Tulsa, Okla., using
state-of-the-art 3D modeling techniques.

Electrical power was applied to the G250 on May 5, 2009. As a
result, the electrical system successfully distributed power to
several aircraft components, including the avionics. The adaptive
flight displays were one of the many features that were operational
following the power on.

With electricity supplied and the wing in place, the aircraft
was ready to move into the systems test position. It rolled there
on its own wheels after the main and nose landing gears were installed
on May 13, 2009. And on June 1, 2009, the twin Honeywell HTF7250G
engines, each of which provides 7,445 pounds of thrust, were mounted
on the airframe.



“The G250 program major milestones – the fuselage join earlier and
now the wing join, power on and engine install – have gone smoothly,”
said Pres Henne, senior vice president, Programs, Engineering and
Test, Gulfstream.  “We are delighted that we are on target for
another milestone – the G250’s first flight – later this year.” 

The G250 offers the largest cabin and the longest range at the
fastest speed in the industry’s mid-size class.

It has an all-new, advanced transonic wing design that has been
optimized for high-speed cruise and improved takeoff performance.
At maximum takeoff weight, the G250 can take off from a 5,000-foot
runway. Its 3,400-nautical-mile range means the G250 can fly nonstop
from New York to London or from London to Dubai.

The aircraft’s fuel-efficient engines feature reduced emissions,
longer maintenance intervals and decreased noise levels. They also
offer excellent climb performance, propelling the G250 to a flight
level of 41,000 feet in less than 20 minutes.

Gulfstream expects the G250 will be certified in 2011 and intends
to commence deliveries of the aircraft the same year.