Grumman C-4 Gulfstream
Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation · United States · first flew 1958 · transport aircraft
The Grumman Gulfstream I (military designation C-4) was Grumman's first purpose-built business transport, a twin-turboprop capable of intercontinental executive travel in considerable comfort.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turboprop, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Slightly drooped nose and oval fuselage cross-section |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Twin turboprop executive transport with large oval cabin windows
- Swept vertical fin with long dorsal fillet
- Slightly drooped nose and oval fuselage cross-section
Straight low wing with twin Dart turboprops in large nacelles. Oval fuselage has rows of square windows. Tall swept fin with pronounced dorsal fillet. TC-4C variant immediately identifiable by its bulbous radar nose borrowed from the E-2 Hawkeye.
Specifications
- The Grumman C-4 Gulfstream has a length of 19.4 m (64 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 23.9 m (78 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 575 km/h (357 mph).
- Typical crew: 2 + up to 24 passengers.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Grumman launched the Gulfstream I in 1956 to exploit the emerging corporate transport market; it first flew on 14 August 1958 powered by Rolls-Royce Dart turboprops. Over 200 were built before production ended in 1969. The US Navy and Coast Guard accepted examples as the VC-4A and TC-4C for VIP transport and navigator training respectively, the latter fitted with a distinctive Hawkeye-style nose radome.
Variants
Gulfstream I civil version; VC-4A USN VIP transport; TC-4C Academe navigator trainer with AN/APS-80 radar nose.
Where you'll see it
Widely operated by US corporations through the 1960s–1980s; military examples served the US Navy and Coast Guard into the 1990s. Several remain airworthy as prized vintage executive aircraft.
Related aircraft
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 4,893 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.