Where It All Began for Gulfstream

Everyone always associates the Gulfstream brand with business jets.  These days that is all that they make but it started out with a turboprop.  The first Gulfstream was a straight winged plane with a low set tailplane and a pair of Rolls Royce Dart turboprops for power.  If you look at the airframe, it is not hard to see how it was married to a new wing, power plants and empennage to create the G-II,  However, the turboprop is the original.  I remember seeing Ford’s aircraft operating from Stansted to their European bases.  However, I have rarely shot one of the originals.

I have two that were operating at different locations but, judging by the registrations, they are probably from the same operator.  Not much diversity there.  I also have shots of an old NASA airframe stored as part of the Pima Air Museum’s collection.  Not sure whether it has been reassembled at this point or not but, hopefully, one of the locals there can let me know.  This was the beginning of a long line of top of the range bizjets.

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