New FAA STC Clears Lithium-ion Battery Upgrade for Gulfstream GIV, G450, GV, and G550

The FAA has approved a supplemental type certificate (STC) permitting operators of Gulfstream GIV, G450, GV, and G550 aircraft to replace legacy main ship batteries with True Blue Power lithium-ion units. The STC was developed by 101 Aviation in partnership with True Blue Power and Aloft AeroArchitects.

The certificate covers two True Blue Power Gen5 TB50 lithium-ion batteries per aircraft. Each battery is rated at 50 amp-hours and weighs 44.3 pounds, approximately 50 percent lighter than the lead-acid and nickel-cadmium batteries they replace, according to 101 Aviation president Mike McClain. Unlike the legacy batteries, the TB50 is maintained on condition, eliminating the need for scheduled deep cycling or capacity testing, and it includes a built-in battery management system, a heater for cold-weather operations, and a four-year warranty.

McClain said the objective was "to deliver the simplest battery upgrade possible while providing Gulfstream IV, G450, V, and G550 operators with a solution that eliminates maintenance, reduces weight, and offers a service life that far exceeds what they are accustomed to." He added that the first installation, on a G450, is scheduled for the end of this month and can be completed in as little as half a day. True Blue Power lithium-ion batteries are currently installed on more than 5,000 aircraft.

This STC fits into a broader shift among legacy business jet fleets toward lithium-ion power systems that were originally developed for newer production aircraft. Retrofitting older platforms like the GIV, G450, GV, and G550 with condition-based maintenance batteries removes a recurring scheduled task from operators' maintenance programs while trimming aircraft weight, two factors that compound over an airframe's remaining service life.

Supplemental type certificates are how this kind of upgrade typically reaches an existing fleet: rather than waiting for a manufacturer to offer a factory retrofit, a third party engineers and certifies the change, then markets it directly to operators of the affected models. The half-day installation window matters here, since minimal aircraft downtime is often the deciding factor for operators weighing a discretionary upgrade against fleet utilization.

What happens next will show in adoption data: how many of the in-service GIV, G450, GV, and G550 airframes take up the STC, and whether the reported ease of installation holds once shops beyond the initial launch customer start performing the swap.