Gulfstream 550 cargo hold

[Pelican]

A question for a novel I am writing:

Does a Gulfstream 550 have a large enough cargo hold to take people inside? They would be tied up, probably two or three. Is it heated and pressurised and is there a direct (even if difficult) link possible to the cabin? Also, where is it located, in the aft fuselage, behind the cabin, or in the hold?

I am pilot myself, no a journalist or anything, flying the heavies around the sky and as such I don't know much about corporate airframes.

Many thanks!

[flyboyike]

Just use one of that pair of ex-North American 767s that sit South of Concourse D at Dulles. Much more convenient.

[mutt]

Aft fuselage with a door joining the main cabin, large enough for a number of bodies.

mutt

[envoy]

I really do hope you are only writing a novel, and not planning anything more sinister! This smells of a rendition scenario...:uhoh:

The hold is large enough to accommodate maybe three people sitting, arms behind their backs and legs in front of them. Two would be more 'comfortable', if you care about that with your victims. With crew/pax luggage in there as well, it would be crowded.

The baggage compartment is the aft most pressurised part of the fuselage. It does not have independent environmental control - to be honest, I cannot recall whether it gets hot or cold, but I would guess that it gets cold after a while. It is accessible by a sliding door from the cabin, via the aft lavatory. Pax and crew are able to access baggage inflight, if necessary. The sliding door separating lav and baggage compartment is a thick and heavy one, designed to act as a secondary pressure bulkhead in certain circumstances. Most importantly, it can maintain the cabin pressure vessel if (say), a loose turbine blade punches a hole in the fuselage at the baggage compartment. You are also able to (remotely) depressurise the external baggage compartment door seal, allowing air in the compartment to escape for smoke evacuation (or prisoner suffocation). There is a rotary handle above the baggage compartment access door which allows you to control this depressurisation from the relative safety of the aft lavatory.

Note that because the door is a secondary pressure bulkhead, there is a limitation on leaving it open for more than 5 minutes at cruising altitudes. The door position is monitored in the cockpit via the Central Warning System when flying above 40,000' - opening the door activates the blue advisory caption "Internal Baggage Door". After 5 minutes of being open, this advisory goes amber, as an aircraft limitation has been exceeded. Note that if your prisoners break free and try to get out, the cockpit would be immediately alerted to the door being opened... Flying below 40K, these indications are inhibited.

The baggage compartment is also accessible externally, for loading. This door is operable from both the inside and out, but it is possible to lock this door from the outside to prevent intrusion. I am unsure whether this also prevents escape - does anyone out there know?


If you are not writing a story and you are actually researching your options for something unsavoury, I would appreciate you not mentioning my assistance if you get caught.:ooh:

Cheers

[galaxy flyer]

Choose the Global--no limitations, no amber lights for the baggage!

GF

[Pelican]

Many thanks all for your prompt (and funny) answers. Two more follow up questions:

1) Is there a door between the cockpit and the cabin?

2) How silent is the airplane? If there was a fight (say with broken bottles, but no shots) in the cabin, would you hear that in the flightdeck?

Wish I had some corporate experience :/

[galaxy flyer]

Answers:

1/. No

2/ Quiet and small enough a broken glass would be heard up front. The pilots have very good idea what's going on in the back. F/A is also usually there, too.

GF

[TWOTBAGS]

Big enough for bodies in and even big enough to toss them out if you really want!

http://www.pprune.org/biz-jets-ag-flying-ga-etc/526719-g-v-jump-plane.html

[Pelican]

No door and you can hear pretty much everything that goes on in the back? Well, that spoils my story good. Not happy! :/

Any bizjets out there with a flightdeck door at least? Global Express perhaps? BBJ and Airbus are a bit too big for the budget of my baddies :)

[galaxy flyer]

No flightdeck doors until the BBJ. And, the BBJs have them, rarely closed. The pax don't appreciate being treated like they're on an airliner. The Global doesn't have one, but the BBJ does due to its gross weight exceeding 100,000 pounds, at least I think that is right. Bombardier is arguing the point for the G7000.

GF

[fatmanmedia]

why not use a old converted airliner as the business jet. it will have the door you are looking for and a nice large cargo hold.

I would suggest a L1011 or a B707, both could work as a business jet for evil doers.

Fats

[mutt]

Our Gulfstreams have a door between the forward galley and the cabin, and in some cases another door to spilt the cabin, with the doors closed, you cannot hear anything from the cabin, nor are the passengers disturbed by the crew.

mutt

[stilton]

Well 'Envoy' for someone that professes their concern this information not be used inappropriately you have supplied ALL THE INFORMATION NECESSARY TO DO SO :eek:

[Deep and fast]

Embraer legacy, lockable flight deck door and huge baggage hold. You could get a football team in there.

Pressurised hold that gets a bit chilly in flight and has a warning when the cabin to hold door is open as you wouldn't want to gas someone with the 2 stage fire suppression system.... Er maybe you might :-0

[Pelican]

Thanks everybody for you input. The old airliner angle is good, but unfortunately there are runway length limitations (even in fiction they play me parts). The baddies may well decide to go cheap and get a Legacy (no offence), although I really like what I hear from you too Mutt. That certainly gives me a workable scenario :)

Cheers all!

[envoy]

Mutt is spot on about there being a door or two between cockpit and cabin in the G550, which effectively blocks sound from the cabin.

I have had pax in a loud and boisterous card game in the cabin without anything being audible - all we had in the cockpit was the stale smell of Chinese tobacco products and that vile chemical scent of moutai.

Thank goodness the pax can't hear what we say in the cockpit, or I would be out of a job.


Happy days

[Sydy]

Why not an Embraer Lineage 1000. Cockpit door plus several pocket doors and an huge accessible luggage compartment in the rear...