The Pearl 10X turbofan Rolls-Royce is developing for the Dassault Falcon 10X business jet has logged more than 2,500 flight hours and 7,700 cycles on the UK aircraft engine manufacturer’s Boeing 747 testbed. In a media briefing ahead of the 2024 Farnborough International Airshow this week, Rolls-Royce business aviation director Dirk Geisinger said the 18,000-pound-thrust engine is already “smashing” projected performance targets, having surpassed targeted thrust levels since the first test run.
Rolls Royce’s Pearl 10X features the Advance2 engine core combined with a high-performance low-pressure system that the company said will deliver its highest-thrust turbofan to date for business aircraft applications. It also has a 5% improvement in specific fuel consumption compared with earlier-generation engines.
Pearl engines also feature combustor tiles that Geisinger said have delivered 20% more efficiency in cooling the walls and temperature reductions to improve the performance of the high-pressure turbine. The additive-layer manufacturing techniques used for these tiles have reduced the design and manufacturing time by 75%.
Geisinger also reported that the entry into service of Rolls-Royce’s Pearl 700 engines on Gulfstream’s G700 aircraft has been “flawless.” As of July 11, he said the 12 G700s delivered at that point had flown 750 hours, including a nonstop flight from New Zealand to New York City-area Teterboro Airport, taking full advantage of the jet’s 7,750-nm range.
Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce is supporting Gulfstream’s efforts to complete type certification of the 8,000-nm G800 to allow it to enter service later this year. The manufacturer has started to ramp up production of the Pearl 700 turbofans for this program.
According to Geisinger, 75% of new Rolls-Royce engines for business aircraft are now enrolled in its CorporateCare power-by-the-hour maintenance program. The support is provided to operators through more than 85 authorized service centers worldwide, 10 parts stores, and more than 75 on-wing services technicians. More than 250 engines and nacelles are also available for lease under the program.