LAS VEGAS—As Rolls-Royce awaits certification of the Pearl 10X engine for Dassault’s Falcon 10X ultra-long-range business jet, the company is simultaneously increasing production of the other Pearl family members for its growing Bombardier and Gulfstream large cabin fleets.
The Pearl 15 powers the Bombardier Global 5500 and 6500, while the Gulfstream G700 and G800 use the Pearl 700. Around 700 Pearl 15 and 700 engines have been built to-date and the company is confident overall production numbers will continue to swell beyond those of earlier generations.
More than 70 Pearl 700-powered Gulfstream G700s have already been delivered since the first was handed over to Qatar Executive in April 2024, while deliveries of the initial G800 began in August following FAA and EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) certification in April.
Both the G700 and G800 are designed to succeed the BR725-powered G650/650ER, production of which ended in February 2024 with the completion of the 598th aircraft. Having marked the delivery of the 1,000th BR725 to Gulfstream for the G650 in September 2022, the engine maker eventually wrapped up production with around 1,200 units completed.
“Looking at the two product lines, including the flagship Gulfstream 700, it has all the potential to exceed that by some margin,” says Justin Mills, senior vice president Gulfstream, Rolls-Royce. “No one’s got a crystal ball, of course, but based on sensible planning you would expect us to beat BR725 volumes quite comfortably—then you’ve got the 10X on top of that,” he adds. “These are really sizeable volumes,” notes Mills. “The market is doing very well, and certainly the ultra-long range and very long-range markets are growing very quickly. These machines offer people not just the range, but also the ability to travel long distances at high cruise speeds.”
The production increase is not without its challenges, particularly with on-going pressures on the supply line, acknowledges Mills. “How do we ramp up and make sure that we keep pace with Gulfstream on engine deliveries? However, we’re doing very well, so it’s always an exciting time of the program.”
Commenting on the company’s overall turnaround under CEO Tufan Erginbilgic who took the helm in January 2023, he adds “we have become a vastly more resilient business. It’s given us opportunities to make sure that we are more robust across the patch in terms of our delivery performance.”
For the moment, the near-term focus remains on securing EASA certification for the Pearl 10X, all major testing on which was completed this summer. “All the hard yards are done,” says Mills. “This includes the initial maintenance interval and bird strike type tests. Those are all done and in the bag. So, it really is now a case of just making sure that we feed EASA with everything they need before we get the ticket.”
Mills declines to speculate on how near Rolls is to winning certification. “We’re in the hands of the authorities, but it’s going very well. We really are not very far off,” he adds.
Due to power the prototype Falcon 10X for its first flight in coming months, the Pearl 10X was selected by the French aircraft manufacturer in 2021. First running in 2022, the 18,000 lb.-thrust engine was flight tested by Rolls-Royce in 2024 and is due to enter service on the new aircraft in late 2027.
