Larger, faster plane will compete with Boeing, Airbus models

A new business jet will soon take to the runway. Gulfstream Aerospace’s new G650 is the manufacturer’s biggest, fastest, longest-range business jet to date. Priced at just under $60 million, the plane will have a range of 7,000 nautical miles at a speed of Mach 0.85, meaning it can fly nonstop from Los Angeles to London. The 18-passenger aircraft is set for its first test flight late next year and first delivery in 2012. The company wants to provide an alternative to super-wealthy private customers, who have trended toward buying larger commercial planes made by Boeing and Airbus.