101 Aviation Gets FAA STC for True Blue Power Lithium-Ion Batteries on Gulfstream GIV, G450, GV and G550
Why It MattersLithium-ion main batteries becoming certified for older large-cabin Gulfstreams shifts battery replacement from a recurring maintenance task toward a one-time upgrade, changing how owners of these legacy fleets weigh ownership costs.
What happened
101 Aviation, together with True Blue Power and Aloft AeroArchitects, has announced FAA approval of a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for True Blue Power lithium-ion main ship batteries on Gulfstream GIV, G450, GV and G550 aircraft. The batteries are now available for those four models.
The installation uses two True Blue Power Gen5 TB50 (50 amp-hour) lithium-ion batteries, which provide APU start, avionics and backup power. Each unit weighs 44.3 pounds, is 50% lighter than existing batteries, and is a near plug-and-play replacement for lead-acid and nickel-cadmium (NiCad) batteries.
The TB50 is an on-condition battery that eliminates scheduled maintenance, unlike lead-acid and NiCad batteries that require deep cycling and regular capacity checks. All Gen5 batteries carry an integrated Battery Management System (BMS) that continuously monitors cell voltage, current and temperature, plus a built-in heater that removes the need to take the battery off the aircraft in extreme cold.
101 Aviation President Mike McClain said the first Gulfstream TB50 installation is scheduled for the end of this month and that the upgrade can be completed in as little as half a day. It carries a four-year warranty. True Blue Power says its batteries have logged over 13 million flight hours with zero in-flight failures and are installed on more than 5,000 aircraft worldwide.
Industry impact & what to watch
Battery chemistry is one of the quieter areas where older business jets still carry design-era choices. Lead-acid and NiCad packs tie operators to periodic capacity checks and deep cycling, which means hangar time and labor that recur for as long as the aircraft is flown. An on-condition lithium-ion pack changes that cost profile from a recurring maintenance line to a one-time installation, and an STC is the mechanism that lets that change reach aircraft whose original certification predates the technology.
For the GIV, G450, GV and G550 population, the practical question for an owner or flight department is how the upgrade compares with continuing the existing schedule. A weight reduction of the size stated, a half-day installation window and a four-year warranty are the figures that frame that comparison; pricing is the remaining input an operator would need to complete it.
The first Gulfstream installation, scheduled for the end of this month, is the milestone that turns the approval into fielded hardware. Feedback from that aircraft and the installations that follow will show how the half-day timeline holds up in ordinary shop conditions.
